When it comes to online attention, Instagram is one of the leading platforms in 2020.
As of 2020, there are over 1 Billion accounts on Instagram. Over 500 Million people use the service every single day.
It has the highest levels of engagement compared to any other platform. People spend an average of 53 minutes per day on Instagram.
Perhaps more important than this it has the most buy-in from its audience in terms of both interest and the ‘cool’ factor. Content on Instagram will receive 23% higher engagement than the same content shown on Facebook.
Just like we all did with Facebook in the late 2000s, everyone is migrating to Instagram as their way of staying updated with friends, celebrities and even brands.
What does this mean for brands and influencers? It means that they need to be sharing more on Instagram if they want to stay engaged with their audiences.
How to Share Content On Instagram
If you are new to the platform, the first thing to know is that it is a mobile-first platform. Instagram was born as a location sharing app named Burbn, and then morphed into a photo filter app. The rise of smartphones with cameras helped the app spike in popularity.
Originally only a photo sharing app, Instagram now has images, video, and stories (photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours).
Let’s take a closer look at each type of Instagram content:
1) Images on Instagram
The original appeal of Instagram was the photo filters, and the very first Instagram filter X-Pro II was used for the first-ever Instagram photo was uploaded on July 16, 2010.
People flocked to the app in the early days because it made your photos look amazing. And as the app grew in popularity, Instagram added more filters. Today, there are 24 photo filters on Instagram to choose from.
Photos are still a crucial part of the Instagram culture. The photos posted to the feed end up on your profile and tend to have more of a longevity factor. If you choose to post something to the feed, it is wise to make sure it has some permanence and association with your brand.
An Instagram profile full of random ad hoc photos is not going to win many fans, so it is a good idea to curate the photos you post to the feed.
You might think of what you post in your feed as almost like a museum display for your personal brand or business. It is the highlight reel and the high-value parts of what you offer.
2) Videos on Instagram
Instagram resisted the pressure to add
Similar to photos in your feed, Instagram videos are meant to be high-value. The less spammy or cheesy the better. Taking the time to show or say something in one minute means that it has to have a decent level of quality to it.
Exactly five years after the launch of videos, Instagram introduced IGTV on June 20, 2018. An attempt to create a video platform inside the app, IGTV offers users the chance to upload 10-minute videos (or longer for verified or larger accounts). The videos are uploaded in a vertical format to match the screen of the phone. While vertical video does offer some challenges for content creators, Instagram has been pushing it’s usage more and more.
IGTV gives content creators a way to share longer-form video content similar to YouTube. The biggest difference is the vertical video layout and the way IGTV uses a separate app to upload content.
3) Stories on Instagram
Instagram Stories was possibly the biggest surprise launch ever for the platform. In August 2016, Instagram announced it was adding ‘stories’ to the platform. The decision was labeled as a copycat of the Snapchat stories format (which Instagram founder Kevin Systrom acknowledged as fair).
The idea of Instagram Stories is simple. Each image or video post plays for 15 seconds and lasts on the platform only 24 hours (after which it is archived).
The nature of Instagram stories is almost the opposite of the curated Instagram feed. The concept of ephemeral content took a while to catch on but has now become a mainstay.
The uptake of Instagram Stories (often called Insta Stories) started with a slow burn but eventually turned into a massive boon for Instagram. In 2020, over 500 million Instagram stories are shared every day and have become a massive part of how the platform has evolved.
Users have begun to adopt the video and images as a part of their daily life. Documenting daily activities through Instagram stories is an incredibly easy and engaging tactic for both individuals and businesses.
Another feature that was added recently are Highlights for which a user can different folders to share their favorite archived Instagram Stories on their profile. In this way, there is a bridge between the ephemeral content and the permanent content shared on each users profile.
Go Where Everyone Is Watching
Although Instagram does not make it as easy as Facebook or Twitter to share other content, the fact that everything is curated on Instagram adds to the appeal.
Yes, putting together content for Instagram requires several extra steps, but they are well worth taking, as the attention is very high on the platform.
Instagram still remains the best opportunity today to get attention and to build an engaged audience. By taking the time to learn the different content creation options on Instagram, you are setting yourself up for success.