Top 2018 Instagram Trends for Business Use

Instagram is one of the most popular social channels available to businesses today. It’s growing quickly and evolving to meet the needs of its users. So for brands that use the platform, it’s essential to keep up with what’s happening.

2018 Instagram Trends

If your business has an Instagram presence or if you’re thinking about starting one this year, here are some of the top statistics, updates and trends from 2018.

Instagram Popularity

Instagram had about 800 million worldwide users earlier this year. That number has since grown to over 1 billion.
In fact, the app has more than 1 billion downloads on Google Play alone.
95 million photos and videos are uploaded to the platform daily.
53 percent of those who use social media have an account on Instagram.
And 61 percent of Instagram users said they used Instagram more often this year than they did during the previous year.
It’s also especially popular with young people. 50 percent of Gen Z social media users are on Instagram.
And it’s popular with consumers who are willing and able to spend; 31 percent of adults on Instagram earn at least $75,000 annually.

Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories has more than 200 million daily active users.
Earlier this year, Instagram unveiled a new shopping feature within Stories that lets business users tag products so they can easily purchase.
Instagram also added the ability to include music in Stories.
You can also include a box that lets you ask open ended questions. This can be particularly beneficial for businesses looking to increase engagement.

Instagram Engagement

Instagram users are fairly active. The platform has more than 500 million users daily.
In fact, Instagram users like more than 4.2 billion posts every day.
Additionally, Instagram has 58 times more engagement per post than Facebook.
While much of that engagement is between individuals, a lot of it goes to business accounts. Half of the users on Instagram follow businesses.
Additionally, 70 percent of Instagram users have searched for a brand on the platform.
And 68 percent of Instagram users said they interact with brands regularly.
Research has found that posting a video at 9 p.m. leads to 34 percent more interactions than content posted at other times.

Instagram Marketing

There are more than 25 million business users on Instagram.
Those users can take advantage of several different advertising options on the platform. But many don’t. There are more than 2 million advertisers on Instagram.
The market for influencer marketing on Instagram is projected to grow to $2.38 billion by 2019.
The market for freelancers and gig workers is also increasing. Gig spending on Instagram quadrupled between 2017 and 2018.

Instagram Updates

This year, Instagram introduced a number of changes that could impact business users. For example, the app now alerts users when they’ve seen every post in their feed.
It is also adding usage statistics that could be beneficial for businesses.
In addition, Shopify added a new Instagram integration early this year that could benefit small ecommerce shops.
Finally, Instagram also introduced “Instagram Lite,” which takes up less space and is perfect for users with low end devices or spotty connections.

More Resources

It’s important to stay informed about the latest updates and trends related to Instagram. This information can help small business users make the most of the platform and effectively connect with potential customers. But it can also help to follow expert tips and tricks. If you’re interested in improving your Instagram presence toward the end of 2018 and beyond, check out these additional resources.

Photo via Shutterstock

This article, “Top 2018 Instagram Trends for Business Use” was first published on Small Business Trends