Photo by Georgia de Lotz on Unsplash

Instagram isn’t just a social media platform, it’s a powerful visual storytelling agent. From nonprofits to global enterprises, brands everywhere are using the app to create engaging content that resonates with their target audiences. But what makes Instagram so fundamental in today’s communication and marketing strategies, and why should it be included in your brand’s plan?

So. Many. Functions.

When deciding where to make a real impact in your brand’s communication efforts, you should first figure out what kind of content you want to produce. Do you need an image-based platform? Would your message be more effective livestreamed?

Instagram is ideal for its sheer number of functions. In addition to their traditional image-based postings, they offer opportunities for short-form video, networking, livestreaming, and even shopping. It’s like a one stop shop for all things content creation, and this versatility is key in increasing brand engagement.

Content creation galore (Photo by June Aye on Unsplash)

Organic opportunity

As social networks become more saturated with content, the ability to reach people organically has declined. The newest algorithms account for only a fraction of the ads we used to see on our feeds on a given day, and these impacts have varying affects depending on the platform:

Per Keith Quesenberry in his book, Social Media Strategy, “by 2016 average organic reach rates for top social channels was 2.27% for Facebook, 3.61% for Twitter/X, 20% for LinkedIn, and 20% for Instagram.”

Sure, 20% for unpaid content might not seem promising, and it’s true that many successful strategies use paid and unpaid posts in tandem. However, for brands who may not have extensive social media marketing budgets, Instagram maintains an above-average chance to reach high engagement numbers, so long as the strategy is impressive.

Transition from TikTok

With the imminence of TikTok being banned in the US, it’s likely that leading brands on that platform will have to rebuild elsewhere, and where else but the app that serves the same functions and has over 2 billion active users (Statista)?

Instagram is already ranked third on the list of most popular social networks (Statista). So, as a brand, it seems reasonable to cultivate a following and increase your reach on a platform that’s only anticipated to keep getting bigger and more influential.

Instagram is where it’s at

As the social media landscape evolves, Instagram’s advantages make the platform stand out as a key player in supporting impactful content strategies and valuable audience connections. Its versatility and popularity make it an important tool for brand communication efforts, and you don’t want to miss out.

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Works Cited

Quesenberry, Keith A. SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY: Marketing, Advertising, and Public Relations in the Consumer Revolution. S.L., Rowman & Littlefield, 2019.

“Most Popular Social Networks Worldwide as of January 2024, Ranked by Number of Monthly Active Users.” Statista, 29 Apr. 2024, http://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/. Accessed 2 June 2024.

Dixon, Stacy Jo. “Instagram – Statistics & Facts.” Statista, 24 Apr. 2024, http://www.statista.com/topics/1882/instagram/#topicOverview. Accessed 2 June 2024.