Page 208 - Social Media Marketing for Dummies

Recognizing the Basics

First and foremost, Instagram is a mobile application. You get started by
downloading the app to your mobile device. There is an app for iOS, Android,
and the Windows phone. You can also view your pictures from your computer, but
only after you have set up an account. We look at websites that help you manage
your account in the section “Using tools to manage your account from your
computer.”

But before you do download Instagram, you want to determine whether Instagram
users match your target demographic. So who uses Instagram? While you can find
the official statistics on the Instagram Press page (https://instagram-press.
com/our-story/), it’s worth noting the following:

» Instagram has 1 billion monthly active users.
» The average user spends 53 minutes a day on the site.
» Thirty-seven percent of U.S adults use Instagram.
» Seventy-one percent of U.S businesses are on Instagram.

In its report called “Social Media 2013 Update,” Pew Research says that

» Sixty-three percent of Instagram users visit the site at least once a day.
» Fifty-two percent of Instagram users are females and 42% are male.
» Seventy-two percent of teens use Instagram.

Does this sound like your audience? If so, you need to get on Instagram right along
with the 71 percent of U.S businesses who consider this user group valuable
because of their high interaction with brands.

According to a study by L2-Intelligence (http://L2ThinkTank.com), 93 percent
of prestige brands such as Chanel, Estée Lauder, and Cartier can be found on
Instagram. If you are wondering why, just look at an image from one of these
brands. For example, Cartier gold jewelry, shown in Figure 12-1, requires no
explanation. The images say it all.

Signing up

To sign up, first download the app from your device store — iTunes (https://
itunes.apple.com/us/app/instagram/id389801252?mt=8), Google Play (https://
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instagram.android), or the

192 PART 3 Reaching Your Audience via Mainstream Social Platforms