Bob Hutchins
If you love “brand-watching,” then this won’t surprise you. We’ve all sensed it on the horizon… and now it’s happened. Instagram usage has officially overtaken Facebook usage in the U.K., reports Adweek’s Social Times: “According to data from GlobalWebIndex, Facebook usage in the U.K. is down 7 percent over the past 12 months, while Instagram has seen an 18 percent rise in active users over the same time period.”
Looking at Instagram’s recent growth figures, we expect it’s only a matter of time before we see the same trend take place in the U.S. You might remember this recent tidbit from the BuzzPlant blog:
From 2013 to 2014, Instagram saw the second largest usage increase of any social network: +76.31%. That’s 67,000 photo uploads per minute! (via How the World Uses the Internet In 60 Seconds)
Instagram, The Rise of Mobile & The Visual Web
To start with the obvious, Instagram is primarily a mobile platform, and mobile usage is quickly accelerating in the U.S. But for many users, mobile isn’t just a secondary way to access the web and social networks. You might be surprised that 30 percent of Facebook users access the social network exclusively through their phone.
As social media users increase their mobile usage and their mobile exclusivity, Instagram presents itself as a very natural social media network. Furthermore, Instagram thrives on the visual web (see #4 here). What’s hot?
Big images and niche interests packaged into byte-sized form and presented in an easy-to-navigate grid style in an environment that supports connectivity and communication.
What else could a user want?
Improving YOUR Brand’s Instagram Strategy
In working on your Instagram strategy this year, keep the following facts in mind. As a side note, Instagram is one of the top platforms we leverage for our BuzzPlant clients. These are a few of the fundamental principles we follow here, in-house.
- Users spend 2.5 hours a day on Instagram – compared to 1.6 hours on Facebook.
- Instagram users are more socially connected than Facebook users. (7.8 average accounts per IG user v. 4.0 average accounts per FB user)
- Instagram users are more likely to be active on those accounts, too. (Active on 5.6 social accounts, compared to Facebook users, who are active on just 2.7 of their accounts.)
- Lastly, one of the biggest demographic differences between the two is that Instagram users are by and large younger than Facebook users.
Instagram Usage In the U.K. – View the Stats
Check out the numbers for yourself below. What stands out to you? Will you be implementing an Instagram marketing strategy this year?
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