Instagram Study 2014 Q4 by Simply Measured

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Simply Measured Q4 2014 Instagram Study

Transcript of Instagram Study 2014 Q4 by Simply Measured

Simply Measured Q4 2014 Instagram Study

Simply Measured Q4 2014 Instagram Study 2

Introduction Instagram is one of the fastest growing, most exciting social networks in history. The mobile photo- and video- sharing app, which launched in October of 2010, now boasts 300 million monthly active users, 70 million photos posted each day, and 2.5 billion Likes per day.

This incredible growth has shaken up the way social marketers think about visual content, marketing to mobile audiences, and the possibilities therein. Today, 86% of top brands have Instagram accounts, up from 71% last year.

This study analyzes the top brands in the world, and how they use Instagram to promote themselves and engage their audiences. Stay ahead of the curve by learning about the successful (and unsuccessful) tactics these brands employ, as well as trends and results.

300 million

2.5 billionLikes per day

monthly active users

photos per day70 million

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Methodology This study looks at the Instagram activity of the Interbrand 2014 Top 100 Brands.

The Interbrand 100 is an industry standard and the standard for all Simply Measured network studies. This list is analyzed because the companies included are the best in the world at building and maintaining a brand, which is a prerequisite to a successful social media strategy.

Statistics cited in this study are based on data from Q4 2014 (10/1/14 - 12/31/14).

All data was analyzed using Simply Measured’s industry-leading social media analytics and reporting platform.

6,293 posts by 82 brands

1,414,536 comments

129,447,565 Likes

THIS STUDY ENCOMPASSES:

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ADOPTION

More Top Brands Have Significant, Active Audiences Top brands are posting frequently and enjoying healthy audiences on Instagram. At the end of Q3 2012, only 13% of the Interbrand 100 had 100,000 or more followers. Today, 42% of the Interbrand list has 100,000+ followers on the mobile network.

Key Findings• Active brands (brands who post at least once a quarter)

have almost doubled since Q3 2012.

• 3 out of 4 Interbrand 100 brands post at least one photo or video per week.

• Over the course of Q4, the number of top brands with 20,000 followers or more grew by 6%, while the number of top brands with 100,000 followers or more grew by 8%.

• Total brands with more than 100,000 followers has more than tripled since Q3 2012.

Takeaway The rapid growth in brands joining Instagram and maintaining active accounts has slowed, but brands are still dedicating resources to maintaining a healthy presence on the network.

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ACTIVITY

Brand Activity Is Shifting The number of brands who post 30-40 times monthly has grown four times since Q3 2013, but most posting frequency categories are seeing relatively minor changes.

Key Findings• Between Q3 2013 and Q4 2014, the number of brands

who post more than 10 times per month has grown by 17.

• The number of brands posting 40-50 times per month has gone from an empty category to including four brands in a little over two years.

Takeaway An increasingly normalized and frequent posting cadence highlights a more sophisticated approach to the network. Brands recognize what’s working and have adjusted tactics accordingly.

While not every Instagram marketer boasts an audience the size of those among the Interbrand 100, top brands’ posting cadence can act as a reference point for success.

per Month per Month per Month per Month per Month per Month

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ACTIVITY AND ENGAGEMENT

Active Brands Are Driving More Engagement Heightened activity among top brands means more substantial engagement on Instagram.

With more brands engaging larger audiences, more posts being published, and better targeted tactics entering the scene, users are encountering brand content more frequently and with greater warmth on the network, giving large brands a better return on their investment.

Key Findings• In Q4 2014, the Interbrand 100 received over 130 million

total engagements (Likes and comments), with photos accounting for 93% of those interactions.

• As brand adoption reaches its max, engagement is growing at a greater rate than new brands are adopting the network.

Takeaway Engagement continues to climb on Instagram. Photos are more popular than videos but as audiences become more receptive to branded content, the potential for high engagement, exposure, and experimental content continues to grow.

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ENGAGEMENT: AVERAGES

Average Engagement per Post Is Increasing More users are engaging with each post as the Instagram user base increases and becomes more comfortable with branded content.

Key Findings• The average engagement per post grew by 83% in

Q4 2014 compared to just over one year ago.

• In Q4 2014, Interbrand 100 posts averaged 20,795 Likes and comments each, an 11% increase from Q3 2014.

Takeaway The ability to make an impact with a single piece of content is growing rapidly, and giving the visual network real, measurable value for brands. Top brands are steadily growing per-post engagement.

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ENGAGEMENT: TIMING

Top Brand Posts Age Well High-engagement posts see comment volume grow over a longer period of time, while low-engagement posts peak earlier. Engagement is not as front-loaded as it was last quarter.

Key Findings• On average, posts by top brands garner 225 comments, with

50% of comments being posted in the first 10 hours and 69% of comments being posted in the first 48 hours. This reflects an even longer post shelf life than last quarter.

• Top brand posts have staying power. 10% of comments come after 19 days.

• High-performing posts (posts with double the average engagement) peak later, taking more than 19 hours to hit 50% of total comments.

• Posts with half the average engagement get 50% of their comments in less than three hours.

Takeaway High-performing content on Instagram has a longer shelf life than lower performers. This is an important reason to focus on quality. Instagram users scroll through a single stream of images and, as a post ages, it’s important to have content that will catch their eye.

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INDUSTRY ACTIVITY

Automotive Brands Are Most Present, But Media Brands Are Most Active The most active industry on the Interbrand list is media, even though automotive is still the most well-represented of the Top 100 List.

Key Findings• Only four media brands from the Interbrand list are active

on Instagram, but they average 47 more posts per month than the list average.

• The brands in the media industry average 20,742 engagements per post, roughly equal to the list average.

• Business services, home furnishings, and energy have the lowest percentage of brands represented on Instagram, a significant change from Q3 2014 when those slots belonged to business services, fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), and financial services.

• The automotive industry has the highest number of brands on Instagram (14), a 100% adoption rate by the brands within that category, an increase of one brand since last quarter. Other brand segments with a 100% adoption rate include luxury, alcohol, apparel, media, restaurants, retail, sporting goods, energy, and home furnishings.

Takeaway Brands from every category are now posting on Instagram. The FMCG and financial services industries are beginning to invest in the network with unprecedented zeal.

14

10

76 6 6

45

4 4 43

2 21 1 1

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TACTICS: CAPTIONS

Caption Length Does Not Significantly Affect Engagement Top brands on Instagram tend to keep captions short, but engagement isn’t significantly affected by caption length.

Key Findings• The average caption is 141 characters long,

including hashtags.

• There is no statistically significant correlation between caption length and engagement.

Takeaway Focus on caption content rather than length, and remember that your images are the root of user interest on this visual network.

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TACTICS: @MENTIONS

Caption Content Isn’t Going Unnoticed While caption length doesn’t impact engagement, caption content certainly does.

Key Findings• On average, posts that include another user

handle in the caption net 37% more engagement.

• Only 38% of all brand posts include at least one @mention.

Takeaway Not every brand is taking advantage of @mentions as a way of reaching and interacting with a wider audience, but the tactic continues to prove successful for those that have.

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TACTICS: HASHTAGS

Most Posts by Top Brands Have Few Hashtags Instagram limits hashtagging to 30 tags per post. Top brands keep hashtag use light and on-topic.

Key Findings• 86% of brand posts include at least one hashtag.

• 91% of posts by top brands have seven hashtags or less.

• The Interbrand 100 use an average of three hashtags in each post.

Takeaway Hashtags are a vital means of brand discovery on Instagram, especially with the network’s latest addition of a “People” tab to the “Explore” page, highlighting interesting accounts to follow. While they may not drive exponential engagement growth, hashtags are used by most top brands.

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TACTICS: LOCATION TAGGING

Location Tagging Tied to Engagement Growth Location tagging gives Instagram users another way to find content. Several third party apps exist that allow users to search by location, leading to increased engagement.

Key Findings• Of the 6,293 Instagram posts we studied, 417 had a location tagged.

• Posts tagged with a location receive 50% higher engagement.

• Facebook is the only brand on the Interbrand list that used location tags on all posts.

Takeaway Relatively few top brands use location tagging, but posts tagged with locations receive higher engagement. This indicates that location tagging is an untapped potential resource for many top brands.

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Conclusion Instagram enables visual brand storytelling with a full toolbox for brand experimentation. As the network’s ads and analytics grow more sophisticated, it is also experiencing record engagement and brand adoption. Marketers want to learn and implement best practices for driving meaningful engagement on Instagram, and converting its 300 million users to followers and customers by increasing activity and refining tactics.

The example set by the world’s leading companies speaks to the importance of an active, well-informed presence. Some of their top tactics include:

1. Publish at least one post per week.

2. Find your ideal posting cadence through experience and testing.

3. Don’t keep your brand off Instagram just because it’s not obviously visual.

4. Pay more attention to caption content than length.

5. Use @mentions as much as possible.

6. Employ hashtags to enhance brand discovery.

7. Test location tagging.

By following the example of these brands, you can develop a practical and sophisticated strategy, and make Instagram work for your brand as well.

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