A quick look around Instagram reveals the end of the service as we know it. No more stills, now only reels. Algorithmically chosen feeds have replaced chronological ones. …and I could go on and on.
But will these modifications be enough to make customers go elsewhere? And if so, how does this affect your efforts to promote your business via social media?
Is Instagram on the verge of extinction?
When a social media site “dies,” it usually means that it is losing ground in numerous important metrics, including the number of users, the amount of time they spend on the site, and its overall importance.
Is this true of Instagram as well? Basically, the answer is not. Instagram is here to stay. Not necessarily for anybody.
Now, I am not claiming that Instagram is the most popular platform or that it is without flaws. The platform, however, has a long way to go.
Accumulation of users
The number of Instagram users is enormous and rapidly expanding.
It just hit two billion active users per month, putting it in illustrious company like Facebook and WhatsApp. It keeps growing each year, and by 2025 it’s projected to have 1.44 billion users.
It may not be expanding as rapidly as it did a few years ago, but it looks like it will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Power over today’s youth
For today’s youth, Instagram is where it’s at. It lacks the stability of Facebook while lacking the hipster appeal of BeReal or TikTok.
Millennials make up a sizable portion of Instagram’s readership, and the platform was recently named the generation’s preferred social networking tool. (Gen Z agreed).
Instagram is still popular among users under the age of 35, even if it has lost ground to competing networks. The difficulty is in maintaining the interest of the platform’s core demographic while also attracting new users of a different generation. (but more on that later).
So what’s the deal with disinterest?
Brands, influencers, and regular Instagram users all complain of low engagement. It’s disappointing, because it illustrates that old Instagram strategies no longer function.
Instagram has made it clear that they place a premium on short videos. In the end, it has to contend with TikTok and Snapchat. However, your engagement will remain low if you keep using Instagram like it’s 2012 (valencia filter and everything).
We’ve entered Instagram’s next iteration, where traditional photographs are being replaced with dynamic Reels and Stories. Since 2019, when Reels first appeared, static photo interaction has dropped by 44%.
For those who have shifted their focus to Reels, engagement has stayed high and, in some cases, skyrocketed.
HubSpot talked to Kar Brulhart, a creative who posted Reels and earned 13,000+ followers in a month. She thinks that 75% of her readers are attracted by this kind of material.
All this goes to show that Instagram has evolved significantly over the past decade. Marketers need to stay up with the always shifting algorithm and the kind of content that generate the most interest.
That’s fine, but has Instagram lost its appeal?
To be alive, social media platforms must maintain some connection to the real world. The “coolness factor,” as I like to call it.
Many believe Instagram is no longer relevant since it has lost its “coolness factor.” Even while Instagram isn’t as widely used as it once was, the company doesn’t need to win hearts and minds to survive.
Go ahead and check out Facebook. Many have predicted Facebook’s demise over the past decade. Despite this, it has more than 2.89 billion monthly active users, making it the most popular social networking site in the world. Yes, it’s losing popularity with the younger generations, but it still resonates well with the Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers who make up its core group.
According to HubSpot’s 2022 Consumer Trends Report, an astounding 91% of Baby Boomers, 88% of Millennials, and 83% of Gen X-ers have used Facebook within the last three months.
Instagram has to continue to succeed by appealing to its core user base while also developing in ways that keep it competitive and draw in new users. If they are successful, only time will tell.
In 2023, will Instagram still be a relevant marketing platform?
In its infancy, Instagram maintained a largely ad-free environment. However, with Facebook’s 2012 acquisition of the service, the social media giant’s advertising efforts ramped up significantly.
Instagram has become a marketing gold mine despite the fact that its commercialization has been frustrating to some.
Over half of Instagram users say they’ve been swayed to try a new brand thanks to seeing adverts for it there.
A recent study found that 90% of Instagram users follow a brand.
Influencer marketing on Instagram is also quite successful. Instagram dominated the market for influencer marketing in the United States in 2018, and this trend is only expected to increase in the coming year and beyond.
In addition, Instagram was voted the greatest platform for return on investment, engagement, and lead generation by more than half of marketers in 2017.
Synthesizing the Whole Thing
Instagram notifications shouldn’t be set off just yet. Its user base is expanding and it is especially popular among those under the age of 35. There’s no disputing that Instagram has reached its end, and businesses will need to change their strategies accordingly.