One can still remember jaws dropping when Facebook made an offer to buy Instagram for $1billion. The platform had hardly any revenues and didn’t even work on Android smartphones and only some urban kids used to love it for the retro filters that could be used to transform the photos. Today the scenario is vastly different, Instagram is among the top-rated social media platforms with more than 1 billion monthly active users and brands are falling over themselves to connect with the young and affluent users. A quick look at the reasons for its unimaginable success:
Why Is Instagram So Successful
Perhaps the first reason for Instagram’s wild success is that it was there at the right time for the right people. Users for the very first time could shoot a photo, edit it, and upload it to the platform all on the go. The fact that you did not have to transfer it to editing software on the desktop and then upload it made life so very easy for users that it attracted them by the millions.
Another reason for its success was the smart design choices that it made; even the much-ridiculed hipsters sense of aesthetics, as well as a throwback to the days when Polaroid prints ruled by the use of filters available as a built-in feature in the platform, resulted in users being able to post pictures of themselves and others as tranquil representations of an idyllic life. Consequently, Instagram became intimately connected with people’s aspirations as users tended to show off a polished and curated version of their lives. Virtually everyone using Instagram is inclined to use it to show how perfect their lives are.
Instagram’s Impact on Business
Instagram has grown to become such a huge phenomenon that it has had an impact on many types of businesses. Art shows, cafes, and fast food joints are extremely conscious that they will be featuring a lot on Instagram, courtesy of users clicking countless photographs of them having a good time; so their concepts of interior décor have also changed so that they look good in the posts. Virtually each and every business joined in the scramble to attract followers, both organically and with the help of special marketing agencies like stormlikes.com. It is the very same focus on aspiration and aesthetics that has resulted in the platform being used by both home businesses and large companies. Businesses, that have visually appealing products and services like travel and fashion, have taken to Instagram in droves, while the rest have been extremely creative about engaging with the customers. Now with Instagram users being able to shop directly on the platform, the way forward for businesses to leverage its engagement with followers is much more direct and clearer.
Conclusion
By facilitating the monetization of its huge user base, Instagram is finally poised to generate revenue of the order that nobody except Facebook had the courage to imagine. What started out as a simple photo-sharing app is finally becoming a huge money machine for both its users and its owners.