With the rise of social media, branding changed forever. Suddenly, the potential to reach large audiences with engaging content has never been easier. So a company must have some social media accounts. Not all, but some. But that begs the question. 

Is there a social media platform that every company should have? Well, yes! That winner goes to……Instagram!!

So let’s explore why Instagram is a social media that every company needs.

Instagram is Targeted for the Best Audiences 

One of the most important aspects of Instagram is its demographics. SproutSocial found that over 60% of the 2 billion users are between 18 and 34 years old. And this is a big deal because the 18-24 and 25-34 age ranges are the most common groups on social media. Facebook and Twitter have the 24-34 age range, and TikTok has the 18-24 range, but none have both. The fact that Instagram equally targets both means both younger audiences and older audiences at the same time, increases the chance that someone will buy your product. 

A fun example is Nike. Nike’s demographic is Gen Z (9-25) and Millennials (26-41). With Instagram, they can target more than half of their demographics at the same time. It’s also likely that the younger demographic of 13-21 will be targeted too, as Instagram also has a percentage for that around 15%.

The Perfect Mix of Visual, Video, and Written Content

Another major advantage of Instagram is the amount of content that can be created. On the platform, you can create/post:

• Short Videos (Reels)
• Photos
• Multiple Photos (Carousel) 
• Short or long stories/text
• Hashtags 
• Live content (photo or video) 

Combined with the fact that Instagram focuses on visual and creative media, the content businesses can create is unlimited. Hootsuite explains some of the benefits that come from this social media content for businesses, like how short-form videos bring great brand awareness or how visual imagery helps catch people’s attention. 

This does prove to be successful, as seen in Chapter 5 of Social Media Strategy, where an eMarketer survey found social media ads are one of the top ten most effective marketing tactics. 

What Makes Instagram Who They Are

Finally, I found that Instagram has also had the potential to grow as well. As a member of Gen Z, it’s quite interesting to see how Instagram has progressed throughout my life, like when they added reels to the app in 2020. The fact the app can still progress to me is crazy. And if they truly continue to change and add to their app, I think Instagram will continue to be one of the best apps a company can use for their social media.