Instagram explained simply: app, users, marketing and the algorithm
Instagram at a glance – Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms for teenagers and young adults today. Instagram is a network with a focus on photo and video content. The core of the app is a mixture of blogs and audio-visual posts, where users can edit their content as they wish. For companies and businesses, Instagram offers a platform that can be used for targeted Instagram Ads (advertising on Instagram). You can find out how Instagram works and what’s behind the app in this article.
Instagram: Founders, features & reach
Instagram was founded in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. Instagram has been available free of charge since the app was launched. The app is financed exclusively through advertising. This also gives companies a huge platform to market their products. Instagram, like Facebook and WhatsApp, belongs to the parent company Meta. From an initial 1 million users, the number of users rose to 1 billion within 8 years. With almost 60 million daily posts, the platform is growing enormously every day.
- Founded in 2010
- Founded by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger
- Part of the Meta Group
- More than 1 billion users
- 60 million posts daily
Similar to Instagram, networks such as Facebook and Tiktok also offer companies the opportunity to engage in social media marketing. A special algorithm is used here, which collects user data based on parameters and thus shows personalized content to users. Read more in our articles on the networks.
App and registration: First step
This is what Instagram looks like at first glance on the screen. To log in (after registration) you need:
- Telephone number (user name or e-mail address)
- Password
Instagram registration: how it works
For the first registration you only need an existing e-mail address or a cell phone number. As Instagram is also part of Facebook, it is also possible to register with Instagram using your existing Facebook account.
The following data is required:
- Cell phone number or e-mail address
- Full name
- User name
- Password
Apps in PlayStore and AppStore
Click here to go to the website and the apps:
Functions: IGTV, Reels & Shops
Instagram’s many functions might put first-time users off. But once you understand the context and the thinking behind the features, it’s quite easy to understand how to use Instagram. From the initial Kodak and Polaroid-like square photos and videos, a lot has changed in a decade. In addition to many filter updates, there have also been some fundamental changes to the software over the years.
Let’s start with:
- Mark friends
- Instagram Direct
- Instagram Stories
- Instagram TV
- Instagram Reels
- Instagram Shopping
Mark friends in posts
In May 2013, the function was added that allows you to tag friends in your posts and display posts tagged by friends on your own page.
Write messages: Instagram Direct
At the end of 2013, Instagram introduced the function of contacting friends or subscribers directly via a messaging system for the first time.
Instagram Stories: sharing everyday things
Similar to Snapchat, the Stories function was introduced in 2016. These are posts that are arranged in a timeline and are only visible for 24 hours.
IGTV: longer videos
The IGTV feature was introduced in 2018. Videos with a length of up to 60 minutes can be published here. They are often used by content creators to share longer content with their subscribers.
Instagram Reels: The new Tiktok?
In 2020, due to the huge rush that Tiktok caused, Instagram also launched its own video section. Here you can endlessly scroll through videos and be entertained.
Instagram shopping: selling on Insta?
The network also introduced a shopping function. This has long been an issue for many brands. But the new, extremely increased presence of the shopping function within the app should definitely be worth an extra mention! Since this weekend, the shopping function on Instagram is more present than ever, directly in the main menu of the app, always and everywhere, no matter what you do on Instagram. Social selling is also extremely interesting for advertising on Instagram in conjunction with influencer marketing, with direct sales. More on this in our article.
Instagram functions at a glance:
- Mark friends
- Instagram Direct
- Instagram Stories
- Instagram TV
- Instagram Reels
- Instagram Shopping
How does Instagram work?
Instagram is used for communication and sharing posts. But it is also used by companies as a platform for marketing and advertising. Find out exactly how Instagram is structured, how to create posts and how to use the various functions to your advantage in this video.
Advertising with Instagram: how do ads work?
To be seen on Instagram and successfully turn your marketing strategy into reality, you need reach. In fact, no matter how “good” your content is, it is subject to certain algorithm limits. Instagram thrives on reach. Learn all about Instagram Ads in our article:
Users on Instagram
With just over 1 billion users, Instagram is one of the top 5 most used apps in the world. It is behind platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp. The ratio of female to male users is approximately 1:1, with most users aged between 18 and 34.
Top 5 social networks:
- Facebook: 2.7 billion users
- YouTube: 2.3 billion users
- Whatsapp: 2 billion users
- Facebook Messenger: 1.3 billion users
- Instagram: 1.2 billion users
The use of social media apps at a glance:
Instagram at a glance: Advantages, disadvantages
Let’s summarize Instagram once again. The Instagram platform serves as a social network with a focus on images and video content. Social media marketing plays a major role for companies and influencers. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of using Instagram?
Advantages of Instagram
In addition to the many advantages of the network, such as increased Instagram purchases, customer loyalty and marketing opportunities for companies, the app also brings negative problems.
The advantages of Instagram are:
- Social targeting options
- Growth in Instagram purchases
- Loyalty to customers (subscribers)
Instagram offers companies the opportunity to stay in constant contact with customers and subscribers through direct messages. In addition, the number of purchases made via Instagram continues to rise, which is also made possible by Instagram Shops.
Disadvantages of Instagram
The disadvantages of Instagram are:
- High time expenditure for growth
- Great competition from companies
The breadth of Instagram makes it difficult for companies to expand their reach quickly. Not only is the huge competition a problem, but Instagram also offers many content formats, which makes growing your reach very time-consuming.
One of the most expensive brands: Ranking & market value
Here you can see the ranking of the world’s most valuable brands by brand value in 2021 (in billions of US dollars). Instagram is in 19th place in the ranking with a market value of 32 billion US dollars after Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook.
Social apps worldwide: A-Z
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, messengers such as Whatsapp, Telegram or apps in Asia such as WeChat, Sina Weibo, Line, Snow, Youku, here you will find an overview of the most important apps from all over the world:
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