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It’s 2022 and Instagram is still booming. The platform is constantly coming out with new ways to share content. They borrowed from SnapChat with their stories features and recently took a cue from Twitter, giving users the ability to pin a post at the beginning of their grid.
Just search “Instagram statistics 2021” and you will find that the platform has been growing exponentially (and continues to grow) at a steady rate.
Due to Instagram’s ability to keep up with the constantly changing social media trends, they are still leading the pack in the most popular social media platforms of 2022 and things are looking really good for 2023.
It was found in a recent Twitter survey that only 9.5% of marketers said that they will be focusing on Facebook as their primary social media platform this year, 25.9% chose TikTok, 24.1% chose LinkedIn and 40.5% chose Instagram.
This is surprising considering that Facebook is still one of the most used social media sites in the world, however; marketers know what changes are ahead and it looks like Facebook is losing steam while Instagarm is staying on top.
Why is Instagram popular?
You might be wondering at this point…why is Instagram still so popular after all of these years?
A lot of marketers say it’s because of Instagram’s versatility. They have a video feature that allows users to post videos, similar to TikTok. The stories feature is similar to SnapChat, allowing the user to comment, add graphics and music directly to their video, which will disappear after 24 hours. Instagram also allows for very long posts (unlike Twitter which only allows 280 characters) and the Instagram messenger app offers the option of leaving a voice note, sending a GIF or attaching an image, similar to Whatsapp.
If you’re wondering why more marketers aren’t interested in TikTok, the new, hot platform on the block, it’s because not every business is well suited for it.
TikTok is geared towards a younger audience and the purpose is to share fun, funny moments as well as quick tips.
This type of delivery may not fit the personality of your business and that's ok.
Instagram, on the other hand, fits with almost any type of business and it’s proving to be a great alternative to apps like TikTok and SnapChat which only offer one or two ways to share content.
The importance of Instagram statistics for your marketing strategy
Knowing these statistics will help you, as a marketer, know where to put your focus on when it comes to Instagram. How are stories performing versus static posts? Are Instagram ads still worth it? How does your Instagram marketing strategy need to shift in order to stay relevant to your followers?
This is why we’ve put together a list of Instagram statistics, free from any bias, meant to guide you in your 2022 social media marketing plan.
15 Instagram statistics you have to know in 2022
1. General Statistics
Where is Instagram at right now? Well, as of today, Instagram’s largest demographic is young adults in the Millenial and Gen-Z generations between the ages of 18 and 34.
Despite TikTok’s popularity with the younger set, the majority of young adults between the ages of 16-24 claim that Instagram is their favorite and most used social media platform.
2. Instagram usage statistics
Countries with the highest user base include: India, US, Russia, Brazil and Indonesia.
Instagram is also the most downloaded app of 2022 with TikTok in second and Facebook in third. So, despite TikTok making waves, people are still jumping on the Instagram bandwagon.
3. Instagram user statistics
As of 2022, Instagram has 2 billion monthly active users. This means that 2 billion people use Instagram at least once a month (most use it multiple times a day).
It was found that 59% of Instagram users log in at least once a day.
You also might be interested to know that Instagram is almost equally as popular with men as it is with women. In 2022, 50.7% of Instagram users are men while 49.3% are women. Very interesting...
4. Engagement statistics
Instagram receives a lot of complaints due to their “algorithm”. On Instagram, just because someone “follows you”, doesn’t mean that they will see your posts! Posts aren’t presented on your newsfeed in the order they are posted but instead how much Instagram thinks you “like” them.
This has caused people who don't have a lot of followers to switch to other platforms, however; Instagram's engagaement rate is still quite high at 1.42%. Facebook is at 0.19%.
Also…the best time to post for maximum engagement is Monday to Friday around 11am. The worst day to post is Sunday.
5. Instagram post statistics
It was found that out of all the different types of posts you can do on Instagram, (carousel, single image, video, story) carousel-style image posts get the most engagement.
If you are an account with under 5000 followers you will experience the highest engagement rate from carousel posts at 8.01%, so around 8 percent of followers will engage. There’s just something about a carousel post where users can’t help but click that arrow!
6. Instagram stories statistics
In 2022, 60% of millennials say they either post or respond to stories every day and 1 in 5 Instagram stories gets a direct message from an audience member.
In order to keep your retention rate high, you must post around 5 Instagram stories per day. Any more or less than that and you risk losing followers.
7. Instagram reel statistics
We need to be real with you…the popularity of video content is going up.
66% of social media users say that video content is their favorite type of content to consume. This is a huge jump up from 2020 where only 50% of users thought this way.
8. Instagram video statistics
91% of Instagram users watch at least one video on instagram per week.
As for which types of videos are most popular on Instagram: “how-to videos”. Any type of video that is teaching something will do well on the platform. Save the funny skits for TikTok.
9. Instagram shop statistics
Here are some interesting Instagram user statistics from the shopping feature...
In 2022, 87% of Gen-Z Instagram users bought Christmas presents through the shopping portal.
Also, 72% of Millennials have used Instagram to buy beauty products.
Instagram reported that brands who sold products through Instagram experienced a 20% uptick in revenue (on average).
10. Instagram hashtag statistics
Longer hashtags often attract more engagement than shorter ones due to them being more specific and geared towards a niche audience.
7 out of 10 hashtags on Instagram are brand-related.
Profiles with 5000 followers or less can expect a 36% increase in engagement when they use a hashtag in their caption.
11. Advertisement on Instagram statistics
50% of Instagram users visited a new website because they clicked a link in an Instagram story. Adding links to your Instagram stories seems to be very effective in driving traffic to your site.
More and more marketers are starting to focus on Instagram stories. When surveyed in 2022, 83% planned to focus on Instagram stories and 36% wanted to focus on Instagram reels.
12. Instagram business statistics
The most impressive stat we found about Instagram for businesses is that a whopping 90% of Instagram users follow a brand.
Also, did you know that 70% of Instagram users will actually visit the Instagram page of a product they’re interested in before making the purchase?
13. Instagram influencer statistics
Gaming and beauty vloggers rule Youtube, but what about Instagram? In 2022, the most popular topics to post about are travel, music and food.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, content creation by influencers has increased by 50%. Wonder why?!
14. Instagram Content Statistics
If you are planning on posting news on Instagram, consider a different platform. Only 14% of Instagram users report they get their news from Instagram posts.
62% of Instagram users admit to becoming more interested in a product after watching the company’s Instagram stories.
What should you keep in mind when planning content on Instagram?
Consider partnering up with an influencer if that’s something you haven’t tried yet. Influencers are busier than ever creating content and some of them are now doing Instagram full-time after the pandemic.
Don’t be afraid to use stories. Just like the 83% of marketers in that poll, Instagram stories should be your focus for 2022. There are interactive features like question bubbles and surveys you can start incorporating into your stories to increase engagement.
Also…create some videos to post both in your stories and your reels. Videos are taking over the social media-sphere and you don’t want to be left behind!
Conclusion
Instagram has come a long way and it looks like it’s still going strong.
If you haven’t already started your Instagram marketing campaign, now is the time!
WIth features like IG Live, reels, stories and carousel posts, the possibilities for content creation on Instagram are truly endless.
Instagram has also recognized that more and more businesses are using their platform so they have built a better analytics system that shows your stats for the year.
Instagram definitely needs to be a primary focus in your social media marketing campaign this year.
All that's left to do, is find an awesome social media manager to bring your Instagram marketing ideas to life!
