Are thou present on the world’s third most-used social platform? These Instagram statistics may assist thee in shaping thy strategy.
Oh, Instagram, thou art a labyrinthine platform to fathom. Just as thy Instagram strategy begins to yield bountiful engagement and fruitful ROI, lo, the very ground doth shift beneath thy feet.
This profound exploration of 36 pivotal Instagram statistics doth offer a glimpse into the current state of affairs on Instagram – from the denizens that dwell therein to the manner in which they do employ the platform, and their expectations in engaging with brands.
General Instagram stats
- Instagram doth rank as the world’s third most-used social platform (tied with WhatsApp)
Instagram and WhatsApp doth each boast 2,000,0000 active users across the globe as of April 2024. The most frequented platform? Facebook, boasting in excess of 3 billion monthly active users.
- Nevertheless, Instagram wields the greatest sway over cultural trends
This declaration hath its roots in a survey of more than 13,000 denizens of the internet spanning the age range of 16 to 64. Should thee seek to usher forth a trend, or to gain deeper insights into the forthcoming trends within thy industry, then Instagram is the realm to tread.
- Instagram doth claim the title of the fourth most-visited website globally
As per SimilarWeb, as of July 2024, Instagram.com doth hold the position of the fourth most-visited website on a worldwide scale, trailing behind Google, YouTube, and Facebook.
- The mean engagement rate for Instagram posts doth range from 1.44% to 2.31%
This doth fluctuate according to the industry. Real estate doth occupy the lowest engagement bracket at 1.44%, with government claiming the pinnacle at 2.31%. Retail doth abide at 1.62%
Not certain of thy standing? Endeavor to make use of our engagement rate calculator here.
- The most popular Instagram account doth belong to… @Instagram
…laying claim to 672 million devotees. Cristiano Ronaldo doth follow closely behind (628M), pursued by Lionel Messi (502M), Selena Gomez (429M), and Kylie Jenner (400M).
- More than half of the content beheld on Instagram is suggested by AI
The year 2024 doth mark the inaugural occasion wherein individuals peruse more content advocated by Instagram’s AI-powered algorithms than that from the accounts they follow. Grasping the algorithms doth now hold heightened importance if one doth wish for their content to be beheld.
Instagram user statistics
- Instagram doth boast 2 billion active monthly users
This amounts to roughly two-thirds of Facebook’s monthly active user base (3.065 billion).
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The United States doth house 169 million Instagram users
- Instagram doth reign as the favored platform amongst social media users aged 16-26
Despite the plethora of TikTok accolades, Gen Z doth still profess Instagram as their most frequented app. It also stands as the app they are most inclined to discuss in recent real-world conversations.
- 57.5% of U.S. residents aged 12 to 17 doth partake of Instagram
The Instagram account statistics doth leave no room for doubt that Instagram remains a valuable platform for reaching younger audiences.
- 52.3% of U.S. Hispanic consumers doth engage with Instagram
This doth surpass the 39.8% of the total U.S. populace that doth engage with the platform, signifying Instagram as a vital channel for connecting with this audience.
Instagram audience demographic statistics
- 50.6% of Instagram users doth be male
And 49.4% doth be female. Verily, the audience is evenly divided betwixt men and women. (Male and female were the sole gender options afforded.)
- Less than a third (32.2%) of Instagram users doth be aged 35 or older
And a mere 7.5% doth be aged 55 or older. Thou art far more likely to encounter Gen Z on the platform than Gen X or even elder Millennials.
Instagram usage statistics
- 47% of U.S. teenagers doth visit Instagram at least once daily
8% of U.S. teens doth peruse Instagram “almost constantly”, and 37% utilize it several times throughout the day. Noteworthy for marketers: The lag behind TikTok and Snapchat is most notable for "almost constant" users. There doth exist a minor discrepancy in the percentage of teenagers frequenting each of these apps numerous times per day.
- 39.2% of Gen Z doth check Instagram more than once daily
A figure exceeding those who peruse TikTok (33.3%) or Facebook (22.4%) more than once every day.
- U.S. denizens of Instagram shall expend an average of 16 minutes daily on the app in 2024
This doth represent a mere one-minute increase (5.5%) from the previous year. Though the time spent on Instagram doth persist in growing, it doth unto a slower degree than in years past. For instance, from 2022 to 2023, the time spent did rise by 13.9%. In 2025, eMarketer doth predict a rise to 17 minutes.
- Reels do account for more than half of the time individuals spend on Instagram
Thee must craft a robust Reels strategy to maximize thy chances of connecting with thy audience on the platform. Perchance even more crucial in terms of disseminating thy content to new audiences…
- 694,000 Reels do get shared via DM each minute
‘Tis therefore unsurprising that Meta doth declare Reels to account for more than half of content redistributed in messages. With shares standing as the paramount engagement metric, engaging Reels doth prove to be amongst the finest methods to engage with thy audience and proffer genuine value.
- 86% of U.S. Instagrammers do use the platform for its entertainment value
This doth stand as the chief reason individuals do utilize the platform. Hence, thy content must needs be enthralling should thee wish for it to be viewed or engaged with. In our social media strategy guide, we do advocate for utilizing 80% of thy content to educate, inform, or entertain thy audience.
- 36% of individuals do use Instagram as a search tool
Concretely, they do assert to seek information on Instagram in the same manner as they would upon Google. This doth signify a significant shift in Instagram’s use and render it more crucial than ever for marketers to comprehend Instagram SEO.
- 7% of U.S. consumers commence their quest on Instagram whilst embarking on online shopping
The number of individuals who particularly utilize Instagram to initiate a shopping quest doth be markedly lower than those who use it to seek information. Nonetheless, this doth hold significance for marketers since these individuals do actively seek to procure a product. Facebook doth stand as the sole social platform wherein more individuals do commence their online shopping quest (10%).
- 72.2% of Gen Z social media users do dispatch DMs on Instagram
This doth represent one of the scant areas wherein Instagram doth best TikTok for this demographic. (Merely 45.6% do utilize TikTok to dispatch DMs.) For brands fixated on engagement via one-on-one messaging, this doth signal that Instagram stands as an imperative platform upon which to focus, even for younger generations.
- For Reels to be recommended to non-followers, they must needs be under 90 seconds in length
A video posted to the @creators account doth suggest that the “sweet spot” for Reels doth encompass 30 to 90 seconds. Should thy content justify lengthier Reels, thou may certainly create such, but bear in mind that they shall not be recommended to non-followers.
Instagram stats for business
- 68% of marketers profess confidence in Instagram delivering positive ROI
This doth rank second solely to LinkedIn. With budgets dwindling, it doth grow ever more crucial to comprehend ROI on a per-platform basis so thou may focus thy endeavors on platforms that yield the greatest impact for thy business.
- 86% of organizations do possess a presence on Instagram
This doth stand as secondary solely to the 91% of organizations boasting a presence on Facebook. Given the confidence in ROI, it doth make sense for countless businesses to maintain a presence on Instagram.
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Average Instagram posting frequency doth vary from 0.35 to 1.25 per day based on industry
- Instagram photo posts do enjoy the highest engagement rate for business accounts at 2.69%
This doth represent a departure from previous years wherein carousel posts did lead in engagement. As of February 2024, carousel posts did attain engagement rates of 1.16% and video posts 2.21%.
- 44% of U.S. Instagrammers utilize the app to peruse product reviews or recommendations
For marketers, this doth imply thou must pay heed to the sentiments expressed about thy brand by others. A strategy centered on social listening can aid thee in this regard. ‘Tis also a prompt to seek out brand ambassadors and influencers who can share firsthand experiences of utilizing thy products or collaborating with thy company.
- Fashion brands do occupy the foremost search category on Instagram (12%)
11% of the total Instagram user base do search for hair and makeup, and 10% seek out interior design. ‘Tis a logical breakdown since this platform, primarily visual in nature, doth excel at showcasing design-oriented brands.
- Product-tagging do elevate sales by 37%
Instagram businesses that do tag their products in posts do savor greater sales on average than their non-tagging compatriots. (Learn more about setting up thy Instagram Shop hither!)
- 46.8 million individuals in the U.S. shall consummate purchases via Instagram in 2024
This doth represent 35% of all U.S. Instagram users. Should thee not yet be employing social commerce on Instagram, ’tis high time to commence.
Instagram advertising stats
- Instagram’s ad revenue shall reach $30.14 billion in 2024
This doth mark an increase of 17.1% year over year. eMarketer doth forecast that Instagram’s ad revenue shall constitute 49.9% of Meta’s total U.S. revenue by 2025 as its growth doth continue to outpace Facebook.
- Instagram ads do account for 9.8% of all U.S. digital ad spend in 2024
And Instagram’s slice of the pie doth persist in growing as marketers discern the value of Instagram ad campaigns.
Instagram influencer statistics
- Instagram influencers do observe a 2.0% engagement rate on affiliate links
This doth fall significantly short of the 5.2% rate on TikTok. Nevertheless, the intriguing observation doth lie in the fact that engagement rates on affiliate links for Instagram doth remain relatively consistent regardless of the influencer’s Instagram follower count. Conversely, on TikTok, follower count doth markedly impact engagement rates.
- U.S. marketers shall expend $2.21 billion on Instagram influencer campaigns in 2024
This doth represent approximately double what they shall expend on most other platforms. TikTok doth rank second at $1.25 billion.
- Feed posts do prove the most prevalent surface for sponsored content on Instagram (employed by 98.4% of creators)
This doth closely followed by Instagram Stories (98.1) and Reels (98.0%). The lesson herein? Influencers do employ multiple content formats to promulgate sponsored content. Ensure thou dost stipulate deliverables across all platform sections where thy audience doth engage to maximize thy returns.
How to use Instagram stats to inform thy strategy
- Review the Instagram user statistics to ascertain whether thy audience frequents the platform
But delve deeper than the surface. While it be evident thou can reach Gen X on Instagram, extract other statistics to enhance thy odds of connection.
For instance, embrace cultural trends, integrate Reels, and produce share-worthy content.
- Benchmark thy performance to pinpoint strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities
In this post, we have included some benchmarking statistics to give thee a sense of the engagement rates and posting frequency thou should aim for. To gain more personalized insights to guide thy strategy, delve into thy specific Instagram account statistics as part of a competitive analysis.
- Heed the wisdom conveyed by the statistics
It may be tempting to adhere to an Instagram strategy that runs smoothly. Yet, this social media platform doth evolve swiftly, and one can easily fall behind without notice. The most recent statistics doth keep thy focus on the strategies that presently bear fruit, not those of yesteryear.
For example, we hath been aware for a couple of years that Instagram Reels do hold paramount importance in expanding thy audience. Yet, the prevailing belief was that carousels yielded the best engagement with existing followers. The 2024 Instagram statistics doth reveal this to no longer hold true. If carousels do continue to thrive for thee, there be no need to forsake them. Nonetheless, ‘twould be wise to commence testing once more with plain photo posts.
- Prepare for dark social analytics
Indeed, Instagram doth present a wealth of opportunities for marketers and businesses alike. By heeding the counsel within this cornucopia of statistics, one can fashion a strategy infused with insight and foresight, well-equipped to navigate the ever-shifting tides of the Instagram realm.