Instagram has come a long way since its launch in 2010, and is now established itself as one of the best platforms for artists hoping to reach their fans and build their brand. Here we look at ten statistics demonstrating Instagram’s value as a marketing platform.
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Guest post by Rachel Grate of Eventbrite
Instagram has been a social sleeper hit for event marketing. When the app was launched in 2010, it seemed like just a quaint way to share photos. But eight years later, and Instagram has become the brand-boosting powerhouse.
When Facebook purchased the platform in 2012, Instagram gained access to powerful audience targeting algorithms. And since then, the introduction of Instagram Stories, immersive full-screen ads, and business pages have created more dynamic marketing opportunities for event brands.
In a world where other social networks are limiting the organic reach of businesses, Instagram is the social network for event brands — and these 10 Instagram stats prove it.
1. Instagram has over 800 million monthly active users
That’s more than twice as many as Twitter and more than three times as many as Snapchat. On a monthly basis, 100 million new users join Instagram, making it one of the fastest growing social networks. (Source)
What to do about it: If you’re not on Instagram yet, it’s time. Learn how to craft an Instagram strategy that drives sales in The 2018 Guide to Instagram for Event Marketing.
2. Over 70% of businesses are using Instagram
And that number is growing swiftly — almost double from 2016. That said, only a quarter of the eight million businesses on Instagram take advantage of Facebook-powered advertising options. (Source)
What to do about it: Drive sales by getting in on Instagram advertisingin its infancy.
3. 59% of 18- to 29-year-olds use Instagram
Users under the age of 25 spend more than 32 minutes a day on the platform. If millennials and Gen Z-ers are important demographics for your event, Instagram is your milieu. (Source)
What to do about it: Millennials, incidentally, are huge fans of events. Dubbed the “experience generation,” they like to spend their money on creating memories and making friends. Learn how to design an event that appeals to millennials in how to craft the ultimate event experience.
4. Instagram video views increased by 80% in 2017
Instagram users are creating more and more video — four times as many videos as last year. Building on the momentum of live video across social channels, Instagram has introduced live video in Instagram Stories. (Source)
What to do about it: Learn how to use video as part of your event marketing strategy in this post. Then, take advantage of the various ways you can use video on Instagram Stories, regular posts, and paid ads.
5. Instagram Stories has more than 300M active daily users
Snapchat only counts 173M — and that’s the entire app, not just stories. For event brands, Instagram stories are a great way to engage your audience: one in five organic stories from a business gets a direct message (DM). Since you can’t comment on a story, those DMs signify strong engagement. (Source)
What to do about it: Make your stories more effective by embedding links to drive people to your ticketing page (which you can’t do in traditional Instagram posts). Stories can also be converted into paid ads for even more reach.
6. Posts that feature faces get 38% more likes than those without
Personality sells tickets — bland photos of a large crowd don’t. (Source)
What to do about it: Given a choice between posting a far-off crowd shot or a close-up of smiling faces showing emotion, go with the latter. Get more engaging event photography tips here.
7. 77% of people value user-generated photos over commercial photos when making a purchasing decision
You probably post plenty of pro brand-building shots on your Instagram feed. But equally important are the photos that your attendees post.
Instagram is such a powerful platform for event brands because it’s easy for other users to tag you in their own snapshots. Viewers browsing on Instagram then easily find all of these event-related posts through @ mentions, hashtags, and geotags. (Source)
What to do about it: Encourage attendee sharing by always using hashtags and geotags in your own posts, which connects you to the greater Instagram ecosystem. Then, you can screenshot attendee posts and share them in your feed or in an Instagram Story — always crediting the original poster, of course.
8. 7 out of 10 hashtags on Instagram were made by a brand
Hashtags are much more than a way to be cute in a caption. They can organize your posts into topical feeds and increase the trajectory of reach — posts with at least one hashtag average 12.6% higher engagement. And now, users can follow hashtags so they see every post that uses a particular one. (Source)
What to do about it: Hashtags are one of the main tactics brands use to get their posts and Stories in front of new followers. But don’t go overboard with the hashtagging. Five to ten is best practice, according to recent research.
9. 30% of Instagram users have made a purchase from a brand they first heard about on Instagram
Even when users don’t click right on your Instagram page to your event’s ticketing page, Instagram is an important touch point. It’s a step on their “customer journey,” where they develop curiosity about your event before buying.
But Instagram recognizes that measurable return on investment (ROI) is important. So the company is developing ways to turn user views into tangible conversions. For example, business pages with over 10,000 followers can now embed links directly to ticketing pages in Stories. (Source)
What to do about it: Choose a ticketing platform that makes it easy to track purchases made from each social network, so you can measure impact.
10. Over a third of Instagram users have made a mobile purchase
Even more remarkable? That number is 70% higher than the mobile-purchase number of non-Instagrammers. The Instagram crowd is mobile-savvy, and that’s fantastic news for event brands — if they have mobile ticket-buying options.
An equally impressive number: 75% of Instagram users take an action after looking at an Instagram advertising post. That action might be to click through to your web page… or it might be to buy a ticket on the spot. (Source)
What to do about it: Make sure your ticketing platform is built to work flawlessly on phones, so you don’t lose a single sale from Instagram.
These Instagram stats prove that the platform is a necessity in every event marketer’s toolkit. But attracting thousands of Instagram followers is not your ultimate objective. Your goal is to sell tickets — and that won’t happen unless you’re strategic about how you use the platform.
Find out how to use Instagram to drive real sales in The 2018 Guide to Instagram for Event Marketing.
Rachel Grate is a writer for Eventbrite, where she regularly interviews organizers of the country’s most popular events, from massive music festivals to small food & drink gatherings. She’s a live music lover, a foodie, and a big fan of smiles.