In recent years, Instagram has emerged as one of the top marketing tools. It is now ranked second for the most downloaded free app on the Apple app store. On Google, it is now among the top ten search queries. Instagram monthly users have risen to 1 billion globally, a level of demand that is very enticing to marketers.
Before you can draw marketing value from this platform, you must first understand key usage statistics for Instagram. Don’t forget to check out the 2020 Facebook statistics as well!
1. US Instagram Users Will Reach 117 Million in 2020
According to an emarketer report, Instagram user statistics have been changing in recent years. In 2019, there were 106.7 million Instagram users in the US. By the end of 2020 and 2021, this figure will rise to 112.5 million and 117.2 million. This growth trend is projected to continue as it is expected that the platform will have 125.6 million users by 2023.
2. ⅔ of Individuals Ages 18-29 Use Instagram
- 75% of people aged 18-24
- 57% of people aged 25-29
- 47% of people aged 30-49
3. 200+ Million Users Visit a Business Profile at Least Once Daily
As the number of active users increases, so does the number of businesses on Instagram. At present, there are over 25 million business profiles on Instagram and 2 million monthly advertisers. More than 200 million users visit a business profile at least once daily.
Here are some additional stats on Instagram for business that paint a picture of the marketing landscape:
- Over 200 million Instagram users visit one or more business profiles each day
- Instagram is a crucial tool for product discovery among 70% of shopping enthusiasts
- 1/3 of the Instagram stories with the most views are posted on business profiles
- 69% of US marketers plan to dedicate the largest portion of their influencer budget to Instagram
4. 130 Million People Tap on Instagram Shopping Posts Each Month
Ultimately, the goal of marketing is not just to reach many people but to generate sales from your audience. Though shoppable posts are still new on the platform, they attract a lot of traffic. Each month, there are 130 million accounts that tap on shopping posts. With the new checkout feature, your customers can purchase without leaving the Instagram app.
5. 375 Million Monthly Instagram Direct Message Users
One of the biggest challenges for marketers is connecting with their audience. Instagram has a direct message feature that allows businesses to communicate directly with individual users and there are over 375 million people that use Instagram Direct Message.
75% of consumers also prefer to engage with brands using private messaging channels vs traditional channels. Yet, one out of three people finds it difficult to remember where to find a certain conversation thread.
Facebook has already integrated Instagram Direct and Facebook Messenger, and is working to integrate WhatsApp into one streamlined messaging experience that can be accessed from all three apps as well.
6. 79% of Users Search Instagram for Product Information
Shopping through Instagram is continuing to grow, with 79% of users using the platform to find product or service information for brands. Users trust the platform to provide valuable product information and feedback.
7. Brand Engagement is 10x Higher on Instagram than Facebook
Though it came after Facebook, Instagram is proving to possibly be an even more important channel for brands to reach their target audience. A study concluded that brands see engagement rates 10x higher on Instagram than they do on Facebook.
8. Median Engagement Rate on Instagram is 1.6%
When it comes to Instagram posts, expect an average engagement level of 1.6%. As little as it may seem, this is actually a significant level of engagement. Compared to Facebook and Twitter, it is 17× and 33× higher, respectively. And, you can expect 38% more likes on posts that include faces.
However, due to fluctuating user activity levels across the day, it is best to time your posts during times with the highest activity level for your target audience. In general, the best time to post on Instagram is on Wednesday at 11 am or Friday between 10 am and 11 am.
Instagram Marketing Trends
DM Automation on Instagram
Consumer demand for messaging businesses is growing fast, accelerated by e-commerce growth due to COVID-19. In the first half of 2020, online spending in the US grew by 30.1% to reach $347.26 billion. The adoption of e-commerce increased from previously infrequent online shoppers by 160%. With 75% of consumers now preferring to engage brands in private messaging channels vs traditional channels, conversational marketing platforms, like Spectrm, are seeing rapid adoption by consumer brands.
For every business, social media marketing aims to gain a wide audience. However, as this audience grows, handling individual queries becomes a marketing and customer support nightmare. This is why businesses are turning to Spectrm to automate their DMs on Instagram.
How to Capitalize on Instagram Messaging for your Marketing
Spectrm’s Instagram Messaging Solutions help marketers identify and convert pre-purchase messages automatically on Instagram, respond to FAQs, and hand over customer service requests to live support agents in the app. The launch follows Facebook’s release of cross-app messaging for Instagram and Messenger, which means businesses can now reach 2.3 billion customers via the Messenger API by using Spectrm. It’s a step towards unifying the architecture of Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp that Zuckerberg announced in 2019.
Why Automate Your Instagram Messaging?
You can instantly respond to customers and turn every message you receive on Instagram from a service pain to a marketing gain. On average, 70% of incoming messages on social media are pre-purchase. Reduce the manual effort of replying and give customers what they want, when they want it. If they need to speak to a live agent, you can collect relevant details before transferring the chat to support teams.
Awareness content to reach marketing directors and other top personas who may be wondering if Instagram is a valuable marketing channel and may not know about Instagram Direct and the new launch of chatbots for DM marketing automation on Instagram. This article should focus on real data, while tieing Spectrm in as the number one choice for Instagram Direct automation. This is a new service that Instagram is rolling out.
2020 Instagram Usage Statistics & Trends
Leverage the full potential of instagram for your social marketing strategy by learning key demographic statics and trends on the platform.