Instagram, defined as the app that generations cannot live without has changed over the years. Not quite a decade old yet, but this phenomenon has genuinely changed the world we live in and how we see it. Born in 2010, a simple app created by two Stanford students has turned into the most used app among teens, and has over one billion users! Instagram has had it’s ups and downs, updates, new ownership, and has overall changed the advertising game for companies across the world. In April of 2012, they were just a four-person team with four million users. That is incredible! This app has allowed users all over to showcase their life only by sharing a photo. Instagram went from a caption to a caption with hashtags, to an explore tab where you can see the most engaged and favorite images. Today, you can follow hashtags and personalize your feed to cater to your interests. Remember those days early on when you posted a picture using the grainy filters? Since then, Instagram has included new and improved filters and editing features.
After just 18 months since the app launched, the owners of Instagram, Kevin Systromand and Mike Krieger sold their masterpiece to Facebook. 2012 was a big year for Instagram. Not only did they merge with Facebook, but they also improved the camera quality, hit 80 million users, and the infamous badges were released. In 2013, Instagram finally introduced to the Web. You can now go to instagram.com and check out your feed, explore, but you cannot upload photos or stories. That year was also the year they brought to us direct messaging. Let’s fast forward to 2015, the year of the Layout app which is for collages, improved editing features, and the one and only Boomerang. Little did we know that the next year was going to be the year of change. The year of 2016 was all about real-time posting with Instagram Stories and upgraded their look to be more modern. You may have noticed around this time that your feed changed from chronological order to a mix of who you engaged with more. The algorithm movement has changed over the past few years and has impacted how brands are utilizing each social media platform when posting and creating ads.
And we are LIVE! Instagram introduced live videos in 2017. A tool used to show events, news, you name it. Not to mention later that year Instagram hit 700 million users worldwide. From then on we now have IGTV which you can upload longer videos, new face filters for our stories, we can follow hashtags just like when we follow people on Instagram, and they are continually integrated new ways for us users to interact with our friends, family, favorite celebrities, and brands. Instagram is pushing the IGTV onto our feeds in hopes that we will turn to this app over Youtube. Selena Gomez continues to be the most followed person on Instagram with over 145 million followers. Brands are continually using this platform to grow their following and drive sales which have become a beneficial form of advertising. Micro and macro influencers are on the rise and continue to be building. Brand and influencers are creating more content to be interactive and engaging. Through the last nine years of Instagram’s existence, we are excited to see the new features that come to help improves brand awareness, sales, and an entertainment platform for all generations.
If there is one thing to know, Hubbard Interactive loves learning new ways to help our clients improve their presence on Instagram and reach their goals!