When Instagram company head Adam Mosseri announced this year that Instagram was no longer a “square photo-sharing app,” he was really just stating the obvious: one look at thi year’s Instagram statistics and it’s clear just how far it’s come from its humble roots.

Over the past decade-plus, Instagram has evolved, and so has its user base, its business features, its algorithms and technological capabilities. So as you plan your Instagram marketing strategy for 2022, it’s important to know the latest facts about all things Insta. To make sure you’re working with the right information, we’ve compiled all the most important Instagram stats you need to be aware of this year.

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General Instagram statistics

1. Instagram is celebrating its 12th birthday in 2022

Instagram is practically a teenager at this point (at the very least, a lovably moody tween) so if your marketing team is still considering the platform to be a flash in the pan, we’ve got news for you: your girl isn’t going anywhere.

Of course, the platform has evolved considerably (hello, Reels!) since it first launched back in October 2010 with a filtered pic of the founder’s dog, and will continue to do so. Make sure you’re up to date on the latest Instagram trends and features as it ventures deeper into its second decade of existence.

2. Instagram is the 7th most visited website in the world

According to Semrush, based on total website traffic, Instagram is one of the world’s top 10 most-visited websites globally, with 2.9 billion total visits per month. That’s a lot of eyeballs.

Importantly, while most users login through the mobile app, this stat is a good reminder that people may be viewing your posts on their desktops or laptops, too: make sure those images are looking good at any scale.

3. Instagram is the 9th most-Googled search term

What’s easier than typing “instagram.com” into your browser? Letting Google take you there.

Facebook, Youtube and “weather” all beat out Instagram, but considering that Insta is primarily accessed through the app, this is an impressive showing and more proof that your audience might be viewing your content through a browser — whether a mobile one or via their computer.

(Weird fact: the number one Google search query is “google.” We don’t understand, either.)

4. Instagram is the 4th most-used social platform

Only Facebook, Youtube and WhatsApp beat out Instagram in terms of daily active global users, but Instagram clocks in an impressive 1.3 million.

That’s a lot of eyeballs. At this point, it’s beating out TikTok, Twitter, Pinterest and Snapchat, so if you’re looking for the most bang for your buck in terms of audience reach, Instagram may be a stronger option.

5. Just 0.1% of Instagram users only use Instagram

The likelihood that an Instagram user also has an account on another social platform is 99.99%. 83% of Instagram users, for example, also use Facebook, while 55% are also on Twitter.

What does this mean for marketers? You’re likely reaching the same people across different platforms, so try not to repeat yourself to make sure your content is unique and engaging, wherever your followers are encountering it.

6. Instagram is the second most-downloaded app in the world

Only TikTok beat out Instagram in downloads in Fall 2021 — pretty impressive, given that the app has been around for 12 years. Stilllll got it.

You probably already assumed that most of your Insta audience was experiencing your content through their phones, so please, kick back and enjoy this statistic that proves just that.

Instagram user statistics

7. 1.22 billion people use Instagram each month

In case it’s not clear: Instagram is very, very popular. That’s still only half as many people as Facebook and Youtube each have logging in each month, however.

8. 18 to 34 year olds make up the biggest share of Instagram’s audience

This key demographic accounts for about 60% of Instagram’s audience.

9. Instagram is Gen Z’s favorite social platform

Global internet users aged 16 to 24 prefer Instagram to other social platforms — yep, even ranking it above TikTok. If that’s an age cohort you’re looking to reach, Insta is apparently the place to be.

10. Gen X males are the fastest growing Instagram audience

Last year, the number of 55 to 64 year old males using Instagram grew by 63.6%. So, yes, it’s a place where the kids are hanging out, but don’t discount the fact that you can find other generations represented here too.

11. Instagram’s audience is split pretty evenly between males and females

Unfortunately, we don’t have any stats at this point on users who fall outside of the gender binary, but according to what Facebook’s reporting tools can tell us, Instagram’s audience self-identifies as 50.8% female and 49.2% male.

12. India has the most Instagram users in the world

This is a great reminder that Instagram offers access to a global audience, with 201 million users logging in from India (followed by the U.S. at 157 million). In the third place spot, you’ll find Brazillians, with 114 million users, followed by Indonesia and Russia.

This is important information when thinking about how to define your target audience on Instagram, and what kind of content to create.

13. India is also Instagram’s fastest-growing market

Increasing its audience by 16% quarter-over-quarter, India is the fastest growing region for Instagram currently. If this is a market your brand is looking to target: congrats! Now you know just where to find ‘em.

14. 5% of U.S children under 11 use Instagram

That’s despite Instagram user guidelines that require users to be 13 years old before they can create an account. Among kids aged 9 to 11, 11% use Instagram.

15. 14% of U.S. adults have never heard of Instagram

Keep in mind that while Instagram does have a huge reach in the U.S., it does not reach everyone. That’s why understanding your audience is so important.

16. Instagram saw 17.0% user growth in Western Europe in 2020

The region will end 2020 with 132.8 million users, eMarketer predicts. That’s an increase of 19.3 million users since 2018.

Before the pandemic, eMarketer had predicted only 5.2% growth for the region. They revised their estimate upwards twice this year.

17. The country with the highest Instagram percentage reach is Brunei

Brunei might not have the most Instagram users, but it is the country where Instagram reaches the highest percentage of the population: 92%, to be precise.

Rounding out the top five countries with the highest percentage reach are:

• Guam: 79%
• Cayman Islands: 78%
• Kazakhstan: 76%
• Iceland: 75%

If you’re marketing to people in these countries, Instagram could be an especially effective platform for both organic content and paid Instagram posts.

Instagram usage statistics

18. 59% of U.S. adults use Instagram daily

And 38% of those daily visitors are logging on multiple times per day.

Better give ‘em something to look at while they’re there: make sure you’ve got fresh content going up consistently. Even if you’re not able to log in every day, scheduling tools for Instagram—like, ahem, Hootsuite—can help you keep on top of your content calendar.

19. Instagram isn’t a popular source for getting news

Only one-in-10 U.S. adults say they seek out news on Instagram — and 42% say they straight-up distrust it as an information source. So if you’re in the business of disseminating important information, Instagram may not be the best place to get your serious message across.

20. Adult Instagram users are on the app nearly 30 minutes per day

They’re exploring not just their newsfeed, though: they’re scrolling through Instagram Stories, checking out Livestreams and watching Reels. Wise brands will deliver something satisfying across all the different features so that followers are entertained, wherever they’re spending those 30 minutes.

21. 9 out of 10 users watch Instagram videos weekly

Go beyond static images to delight the cinephiles scrolling through your feed. Here are our favorite tips for creating the best Stories, Reels and Instagram Live videos for your audience.

Instagram Story stats

22. 500 million accounts use Instagram Stories daily

Instagram hasn’t shared updated stats since 2019 (a lifetime ago in social media years) but it’s likely only gotten higher. What started as a SnapChat-inspired foray into video has become a staple of the platform, and one that offers lots of opportunity for brands to get creative. Check out our guide to using Instagram Stories for business here.

23. 58% of users say they’re more interested in a brand after seeing it in a Story

Stories have sticking power! And another 50% of Instagram users say they’ve gone ahead and actually visited a website to make a purchase of a product or service after seeing it in Stories.

Want to get in on this action? We actually know some hacks for scheduling Instagram Stories so you don’t miss a beat.

24. Brand Stories have an 86% completion rate

That’s just a small increase from 85% in 2019. Entertainment account Stories saw the largest increase in completion rate, from 81% to 88%. Sports account Stories have the highest completion rate, at 90%.

25. The most active brands post 17 Stories per month

Story frequency is generally up this year, so if you want to keep up with the top performers (and make sure your content isn’t lost in the ruckus), it’s wise to aim to post a Story approximately every other day.

26. Instagram Stories generate a quarter of the platform’s ad revenues

Despite the fact that they might not reach as far as posts, in 2022, Stories ads are predicted to bring in almost $16 billion in global net ad revenues.

27. #Love is the most popular hashtag

Maybe it’s a clue that people on Instagram want to keep things positive and light?

Instagram business statistics

28. 90% of Instagram users follow at least one business

Don’t feel shy about getting your brand involved in social: everybody’s doing it! As Instagram itself puts it, it’s a place to “grow your community and deepen your connection with current and future customers.” Insta regularly introduces new business tools—like shopping functionality and Instagram Live—to help support businesses, too.

Learn more about how to use Instagram for business here.

29. The average Instagram business account grows its followers by 1.69% each month

While every business account and brand is different, it’s helpful to know the general benchmark for growth, especially if that’s a cornerstone of your brand’s social media goals. Not hitting that number yourself? Check out our tips for growing your Instagram followers here.

30. Business accounts post an average of 1.6 times a day

To break that down even further: for the average Instagram Business account, 62.7% of all main feed posts are photos, while 16.3% are videos and 21% are photo carousels.

Again, every brand is different, but it’s helpful to see the the competition is (on average!) mixing things up with the types of content it posts.

If you’ve stuck steadfastly to a photos-only game plan, maybe now’s the time to start diversifying.

31. 1 in 2 people have used Instagram to discover new brands

It’s an incredible discovery tool: 50% of people use it to discover new brands, products or services. And 2 in 3 people say the network helps foster meaningful interactions with brands.

Your newest customer could be lurking around the corner… and ready to fall in love with you!

32. 57% of people like seeing polls and quizzes from brands on Instagram

Compared to other platforms, audiences prefer seeing quizzes and polls from brands on Instagram (and they’re easy to implement using Stories!), so go ahead and speak up: ask your customers what they want!

It’ll make them feel seen, and help you feel confident about your business decisions. Win-win.

33. The average engagement on Instagram business account posts is 0.83%

That skews a little higher on carousel posts and a little lower on video, but if you’re beating that benchmark of 0.83%, pat yourself on the back.

Interestingly, as brands grow their followers, engagement rates typically dip. Our digital trends report revealed that business accounts with fewer than 10K followers enjoyed higher engagement than brands with 100K followers. In other words: sometimes less is more.

Looking for inspiration to grow your engagement beyond that? We’ve got you covered with Instagram engagement tips right here.

34. 44% of people use Instagram to shop weekly

Instagram only introduced its shopping feature a couple of years ago, but it’s already taken the ecommerce world by storm. According to an Instagram for Business survey, 44% of people use Instagram weekly to shop using features like shopping tags and the Shop tag.

Ready to set up your own Insta commerce empire? School yourself with our Instagram Shopping 101 guide.

35. Instagram’s advertising reach has outpaced Facebook this past year

If paid reach is part of your social media strategy, it’s worth noting that Instagram’s ad reach is skyrocketing past Facebook’s right now. Facebook’s global advertising reach only increased by 6.5% this year, while Instagram’s grew by 20.5%.

Save time managing your Instagram presence using Hootsuite. From a single dashboard, you can schedule and publish posts directly to Instagram, engage the audience, measure performance, and run all your other social media profiles. Try it free today.

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The post 35 Instagram Stats Marketers That Matter to Marketers in 2022 appeared first on Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard.