The secret has been out for years: 65% of people are visual learners. Given that visual content plays such a critical role in marketing today, it’s no wonder that a platform like Instagram has taken B2C marketers by storm.

Unfortunately, simply being on Instagram is not enough. You need a strategy in place to effectively participate in Instagram’s unique user community. To help you get started, here are 8 stats you need to know about Instagram:

1. Market size. Instagram currently has 400 million daily users and 250 million daily users of Instagram Stories. In Canada, there are 9 million Instagram users; 57% are female, while 85% are younger than 45. Since Instagram skews younger, it’s important to consider your target demographics when developing your Instagram strategy. You may need to adjust your content, voice and tone to fit these younger demographics.

2. Average time per day. Users under 25 spend “more than 32 minutes a day on Instagram,” and users 25 and over “spend more than 24 minutes a day” on the app. While these numbers are impressive in our fragmented marketing landscape, the volume of Instagram content a user can consume in 32 minutes is significant. Cutting through the clutter is critical, and this requires a deeper understanding of what types of visual content your customers want to see from you.

3. Stories vs. Snapchat. Since Instagram Stories was released on August 2nd, 2016, Instagram usage increased by 146% while Snapchat dropped by 25%. Since brands are often strapped for social media resources, always consider larger platform trends when deciding whether or not to adopt a new platform in your organization. If you don’t have endless resources, focus on where you can get the biggest bang for your buck.

4. Room for B2C marketing. 80% of Instagram users follow at least 1 business, which suggests that users have given permission for brands to participate on Instagram. However, this permission needs to be respected – users do not want to see replications of traditional advertisements. The platform is intended for high impact visuals, so marketers need to adjust their strategy accordingly.

5. Style is important. A visual social media report from WebDam found that 60 percent of the top brands on Instagram use the same filter for every post, while Canva reports that the most popular filter is Clarendon. Style and consistency are a critical component to success on Instagram. Users want to follow accounts with a stylistic voice, and adopting a coherent look and feel to your content can help you achieve that.

6. Show your face. Photos with faces get 38% more likes. Why? Visual content doesn’t need to be impersonal. Social media was intended for human connection; use it to humanize your brand and develop deeper relationships with your customers.

7. Everyone loves emojis. Engadget reports that 50% of text on Instagram contains Emojis. Given the younger demographics discussed earlier, it’s not surprising that emojis are popular on Instagram. Use them in playful ways to create positive sentiment with customers and maintain a conversational tone.

8. Weekdays win. Sprout Social found that Monday through Friday are the strongest days to post, with the most recommended posting times being 2 a.m., 8.a.m. and 5 p.m.. Knowing when to post can help you get the most out of your organic social content strategy.

So there you have it! Plenty of great reasons to get started on an Instagram strategy for your B2C brand today. Looking for more help? Contact us for a free social media discovery session.

8 Instagram Stats Every B2C Marketer Should Know

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