Ever wondered who is really using Instagram and if your customers are there? How old they are, what’s the gender split? How about how Instagrammers spend their time on the platform and how do businesses actually turn likes, hashtags, and comments into income?
Well, you’ve found it here. We’ve gathered 21 Instagram statistics that reveal all of that and more. Beyond that, we’ll share why those demographics and other numbers matter and what to do with this information to make the most of your Instagram marketing.
After all, this is about more than numbers. It’s about real people and real business – YOUR business! And it’s about how you’ll turn followers, views, and Instagram engagement into real business growth. That’s right. We’re about to make these 21 Instagram statistics work for you.
Instagram User Statistics – Who is Using Instagram?
This summer, Instagram hit one BILLION monthly active Instagram users .
That’s nearly one in seven humans on the planet and double the number just two years ago! While the U.S. claims the largest number of users, India isn’t far behind, and in fact, around 80 percent of users are outside the US.
Of the 121 million users located in the U.S., 32.6 percent are between 25-34 years old, with 18-24 year olds making up a further 23.7 percent share. Of all US users, just over half (55 percent) are female.
Don’t discount the more mature among us, though! Fully 40 percent of those aged 30-49 in the U.S. use the app. With 21 percent of those 50-64 and 10 percent of the 65+ crowd also utilizing Instagram.
Many Instagram users have money to spend. In fact, of U.S. earners of over 75K per year, a full 42% are on Instagram.
Why it Matters: The broad adoption (one BILLION users!) of Instagram across a large geographic and demographic range means that your customers likely ARE engaging on the network. And with a good number of high earners there, making effective use of Instagram can have an outsized impact on your bottom line.
What to Do Next: Find out if YOUR customers are on Instagram (chances are pretty good). An easy place to start is to see if your competition is on Instagram. If they are, it’s possible they’ve determined it’s a good investment for them and you can get ideas from their successful strategies. If they’re not yet on Instagram, could you be the first?
Depending on your business, you may not need to invest in highly-produced flat lays, lifestyle images, or gorgeous scenery to create a connection with your customers on Instagram. Instead, think about what they might like to see. For example:
- Show how you design new products – sketches, candid photos from brainstorming sessions – people crave a behind-the-scenes look at how you do what you do.
- Share user-generated content.
- Check out some unconventional Instagram themes that might inspire you!
Instagram User Behavior Statistics – What Are People DOING on Instagram?
They’re sharing photos and videos (of course!). In 2016 (when there were half the number of users), Instagrammers shared more than 95 million photos and videos every day!
Instagram users really LIKE the platform. IN fact, a couple years back, there were 4.2 billion likes every single day! Now, that’s engagement!
Being truly social really works! On average, posts that include another user handle in the caption net 56% more engagement.
They’re also following business accounts. Eighty percent of Instagram users follow at least one business account.
Instagrammers are watching and sharing Stories! Every day 400 million Instagrammers use Stories. Perhaps surprisingly, one third of the most-viewed Instagram Stories were created by businesses.
They’re looking for you locally! Posts tagged with a location receive 79% higher engagement.
They’re discovering new things because of hashtags. Posts with at least one hashtag average 12.6% more engagement.
Why it Matters: Instagrammers are receptive to brand messages on the platform. They want to engage with you. The increase of engagement on tagged photos suggests that your fans are anxious to bridge the digital divide and move the connection to real life. If you have a physical storefront, make them feel like they’re there with you – even if it’s through photo and video. It’s likely to lead to some IRL business!
What to Do Next: Commit to consistency on Instagram. Our study showed that posting daily works best. Learn to use Instagram Stories and influencer marketing successfully to reach people where they’re spending their time.
Effective use of hashtags can help new people discover your brand and products. Our study suggests using nine or more hashtags is best for optimum discovery. Of course, you want to use the right hashtags, especially as people can now follow hashtags are really want the content in those results to be relevant.
Tool Tip: Did you know you can save hashtag lists with Tailwind for Instagram? You can even save caption formatting if you (like me) prefer to have your captions look tidy and send your hashtags down a few rows. Here’s how. Oh, and you can also tag users and locations in your posts!
Instagram Sales Statistics – How Businesses and Brands Make Money on Instagram
Sixty percent of people say Instagram helps them find new products. ♀️
Seventy-two percent of Instagram users say they have purchased a product they saw on the app. ♀️ ♀️
Instagram users respond to influencer marketing. Thirty-six percent of Instagrammers say they have discovered new brands because of influencer marketing – and likely many more don’t recognize it! Men using Instagram are more likely to report that influencers affect their purchasing decisions than are women (41 percent compared to 30 percent).
Ninety million Instagram users click on Instagram product posts each and every month.
In one test, adding customer photos to an Instagram feed increased orders by over 23 percent.
Two hundred million Instagram users visit at least one business profile each day.
Why it Matters: Instagrammers are clearly in the mood to shop and are strongly influenced by what they see in their feeds.
What to Do Next: Get your Instagram business profile set up to impress potential customers, making sure to set up your one link in your bio. You’ll also want an Instagram business profile so you can take advantage of more insights and to advertising, which can help get your posts in front of millions more people who are primed to buy.
Feature your products in your feed from time to time, and if you can include user-generated content in the mix, so much the better (23% better, in fact!).
Working with influencers isn’t just for the big players. Micro influencers can be affordable to work with and extremely influential in their circles. You can start by reaching out to people who have already started talking about you on Instagram (search for your branded hashtags to find them). They may be happy to share a post or two in exchange for free products or a modest payment. Just make sure everything is on the level with FTC requirements (or the governing body of your country).
In Conclusion: The 21 Instagram Statistics Marketers Really Need in 2019
Instagrammers: there are a lot of them. They are engaging with brands, and they are buying. Knowing who they are, what they’re doing on the app, and what influences their purchases can be the difference between Instagram becoming a time-consuming marketing “thing you have to do”, and a real revenue-generator. How will you use these stats for your brand?
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