11 Reasons Why Instagram is the Best Social Media Platform

11 Reasons Why Instagram is the Best Social Media Platform

Here I want to give you 11 Reasons why Instagram is the Best Social Media platform.

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However, first let me give you a bit of history behind the “Instagram story”

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Instagram Launches

Instagram was launched October 6, 2010.

It was initially created by founder Kevin Systrom to be a simple photo sharing platform. Systrom came up with the name using a combination of the words “instant camera” and “telegram.” 18 months later on April 9, 2012, Facebook bought Instagram.

The first Instagram logo (see below) was made to look like a One-Step Polaroid camera. This was Systrom's initial idea. 

Original One-Step Polaroid camera

If we look back at the beginnings of Facebook and Instagram it will give us some insight into what drives each of these social media platforms and how they differ.

Facebook was launched as TheFacebook on February 4, 2004. Originally TheFacebook was a network initially limited to Harvard students; it later expanded to other colleges, and beyond.

In 2005, “The” was dropped from its name after purchasing the domain name facebook.com for $200,000. Since that day, it has become the Facebook we know today.

There are affiliate links within this post. What this  means is that if you decide to purchase anything through one of my links, I'll be rewarded with a small commission at absolutely no extra cost to you. This small commission helps me run and maintain my website.


11 Reasons why Instagram is the Best Social Media platform on your phone

Instagram: My Review

Within this review, I will be giving you the 11 reasons why Instagram is the Best Social Media platform,

Look out for my next IG article, where I will further explain to you in detail the LATEST features of Instagram, how to use Instagram Stories, Instagram LIVE, IGTV, hashtag and growth strategies, and ways to monetize your following.

If you'd like more training on IG, sign up for FREE on my #1 recommended platform

In order to get further visibility on Instagram, you should use all of its features, and this includes using Instagram Stories.

Here are some of the topics I will be covering in my next IG article:

  •  Best practices for your Instagram posts
  • How to grow your following and to get discovered on Instagram
  • What are some of the newest features just introduced to Instagram?
  • New and lesser known features of Instagram Stories
  • Special tips for Instagram Stories
  • Hashtag and growth strategies to increase your followers
  •  Instagram Live vs. IGTV
  • Ways to monetize your following
11 Reasons why Instagram is the Best Social Media platform app

Many of these same concepts have been taught by Felicia Lin, an Instagram strategic expert who has now been doing an IG Live seminar at least once per month for the entire past year in NYC.

LEARN WHY WEALTHY AFFILIATE IS MY    #1 RECOMMENDATION

However, for now in this article let’s stick to my review of the 11 Reasons why Instagram is the Best Social Media platform.

Instagram:  My Review Summary

Product Name:  Instagram

Founders:  Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger

Product Type:  Social media

What Is It:  A photo and video sharing social network service 

One of the Most Honest Computer plugin Reviews

Made By:  Instagram

Price: Free

Perks:  IGTV,  Instagram Stories, and many more

Best For:  Anyone and everyone who wants to share their experiences through photos and videos and build their Brand

Summary:  The Best Social Media Platform.  Period.

Rating:   95 out of 100

Recommended:  Yes


DSLR camera recording11 Reasons why Instagram is the Best Social Media platform

My 11 Reasons Why Instagram is the Best Social Media Platform


1. Instagram Engagement:

Instagram by far has the Most Engaged Users

Currently with over 1 billion active users, Instagram has the highest interaction rate per follower of all social media platforms at 2.2%. Facebook's is just 0.22%.

If you know how to use it, your content can be easily discovered by people outside of your personal network, and even worldwide because 80% of Instagram’s users are outside of the U.S.

Whereas on Facebook, the people liking or commenting on your posts are friends, and friends of friends. Facebook is about connecting with the people you already know, have just met, or reconnecting with people you have met in the past.

With Instagram, you will be constantly engaging with new people who are interested in your brand. These same people may become future customers, and even collaborators and business associates.

2. Instagram Hashtags:  On Instagram, people are actively searching for specific content or topics that interest them, thanks to hashtags, geotags and mentions.

Hashtags work like keywords. When you decide which hashtags to use, think about what keywords apply to your business, brand or niche. Then use hashtags associated with those keywords.

This leads me to the next reason associated with hashtags.

3. Instagram Allows Strategic Engagement

Instagram allows you to engage strategically by liking or commenting on a post that uses a hashtag that you use that was recently posted.

This is very effective because the Instagram user that posted the post is likely to still be on Instagram, which means there’s a high likelihood that they will see your like or comment, and maybe even respond in return

4. Instagram Feed:  Besides posting a photo or video clip directly into your Instagram feed, there are 4 different types of posts that you can create.

The 2 types of posts for photos are: Carousel and Layout

You could create a carousel post with up to 10 photos in 1 post or a collage of several photos and images together using Instagram’s layout app.

The 2 types of posts for photos for video: Boomerang and Hyperlapse.

Boomerang is a cool short video where the video capture you create moves backwards and forward in time over a short period.

Hyperlapse is a feature where you can speed up or slow down a sequence that simulates quick or slow motion. An example would be speeding up the 10 minute preparation of a meal in 30 seconds.

Instagram Stories is one of 11 Reasons why Instagram is the Best Social Media platform

5. Instagram Stories:  Instagram allows you to share your passions through simple photos and 15 second stories.

Instagram Stories is essentially a slide show of visual content and 15 second video clips that disappear in 24 hours. If you have archiving turned on for your Stories, they can be turned into highlights that appear below your bio on your Instagram profile.

What I’ve come to love so much about Instagram Stories is that you can save and repurpose your Instagram Story. Here is how.

6. Instagram Highlight:  You can also bring your Instagram Stories back to life as a “Highlight” on your Instagram profile

A Highlight, which appears right under your bio is a short video reel that tells those who visit your profile something about yourself.

7. Instagram Repost: You can repost an Instagram post as an Instagram Story. You can also do the reverse. In other words, you can use the Instagram Story editor to create an image and then use it as a post.

When editing a photo or video for your Instagram Story, you are no longer limited to Instagram Stories’ predetermined color palette

You can pick and use a custom color from within the photo or video you’re adding to your Instagram Story.

8. Instagram LIVE: allows you to live broadcast for up to an hour. Immediately after streaming you will have an opportunity to save the Instagram LIVE to your camera roll or to rebroadcast it one more time within a 24 hour period. It’s important to save your Instagram LIVE right after broadcasting because unlike Facebook LIVE videos, Instagram LIVE videos do not stay on Instagram.

Discovering 11 Reasons why Instagram is the Best Social Media platform at home

9. IGTV: Anyone with an Instagram account can create an IGTV channel where they can upload video content that is up to 1 hour in length. With IGTV, you can also include a link in your channel without any minimum limit of followers.

This is great when you want to link to a website or a YouTube channel.

10. Instagram Geo-Tagging:  Allows you to Geo-Tag your posts. People do search for content based on location. Geo-tagged posts can get up to 79% more engagement than those that are not geo-tagged, according to this Inc. article.

11 Reasons why Instagram is the Best Social Media platform Quick Replies

11. Instagram Quick Replies: A new feature called Quick Replies was just added to Instagram business accounts.

Essentially it works like canned responses in Gmail. You can create and save a Direct Message to send in response to common questions or comments you get on Instagram.

11 Reasons why Instagram is the Best Social Media platform conclusion

Conclusion: 11 Reasons why Instagram is the Best Social Media platform

I hope my review on the 11 Reasons why Instagram is the Best Social Media platform has convinced why you should be using Instagram today to grow your online business.

Posting great content on Instagram leads to better engagement, and better engagement leads to more customers.

No doubt you will find that Instagram is the best social media platform to scale up your business.

Instagram on your phone

Once your content us on Instagram, you can repost that same content onto other social media platforms, but that is beyond the scope of this article.

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This information will be included in a future IG post.

Thank You for reading this post, and please feel free to engage with your comments below.

About the Author

KAJU is the band leader and founding member of OFF THE HOOK, one of the premiere dance party bands in the New York Tri-State Area. After contracting a mysterious hand disorder, Kaju now writes to help other musicians and artists deal with disabilities. Currently he is a Full-time Affiliate Marketer and 1-on-1 mentor at Wealthy Affiliate, a community that can help anyone start an online business without prior experience. This is where he teaches others how to make a great passive income. Read more about his story here!

  • Jane says:

    I have recently put up my business account, but not been doing much on it. It’s just chilling. I never seem to get time for it. Besides, I really didn’t think that it could do my niche any good. I was wrong!
    Now its time to get to work!
    Thanks, Kaju!

    • Kaju says:

      Jane there are so many things to do, I can understand that. But you are learning everyday you have “more in the tank” than you ever believed possible! And I am learning this too.

      Next stop, Instagram my friend. It’s the Best — you will Love it!

  • FlorencioQ says:

    To be honest with you Kaju, I’ve always been against all social media platforms, I’ve heard so many bad things about them.

    I guess it all depends on how or what you use the platform for. Everyone has their own agenda.

    I’ll have to give Instagram a closer look, seems like it could benefit my business. I just want to make sure I use it correctly.

    Thanks for the info Kaju, it was very helpful!

    • Kaju says:

      Whether social media works for you or not is your own choice, Florencio. I can easily also say we don;t need social media to be successful, becaus there are many ways to achieve success. Through leveraging your website traffic, through affiliate marketing, to running a brick and mortar business, to having a successful Shopify store – there are so many ways to GET there. It is up to how the individual is most comfortable to get there.

      One thing is apparent, is that social media – whether it be Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or other – has become the de facto way to increase engagement. So would definitely try Instgram or other social media and see if you can become comfortable with it.

      Thank You are openness and willingness to explore – I salute you!

  • Jessica says:

    I didn’t realize Instagram had so many video based features. I can imagine this is one reason it is so popular now and why it is good for business. Video is the way to go now if we want to be successful reaching people online so therefore Instagram is a logical choice of social media platform.

    Thanks for explaining this Kaju. I have shied away from Instagram since I already tried other social media platforms and just ran out of time. I know I need to really decide which one or two to pursue and then do it well. There is not time to do all of them well if you have a life and other job outside of your online business. I think the advice to pick one and become an expert in it is good. So far I have stuck with Facebook and Twitter but I don’t post very often. I rely on organic traffic for the bulk of my traffic. I also like Quora (which is more of a forum) since the answers you write get found months or even years later and still bring traffic to your site.

    If I want to get serious about social media I will try Instagram however. Thanks for the great description!

    Jessica

    • Kaju says:

      It’s no accident that Instagram is currently the social media platform with the most engagement Jessica. Currently with over 1 billion active users, Instagram has the highest interaction rate per follower of all social media platforms at 2.2%. Facebook’s is just 0.22%.

      VIDEO is indeed the WAY. I love doing Instagram Stories, which are essentially 15 second video “stories” that share your personal experience with the viewer. They disappear after 24 hours. Right now Instagram stories are EVERYWHERE! And now that IGTV came out last summer, IG is even more interactive with video. With IGTV you can record videos up to 60 minutes long, and you can include a link on the video.

      Thanks for reading and commenting Jessica, I must say, IG is a younger and more engaged audience that gives you the most mileage for your time!

  • I have an IG account but not sure how to use it, I did not see anything about using IG from my desktop, can that be done, or only a phone I am excited to learn that I will be able to upload my youtube video to IG when that time comes, Thanks for the information.

    • Kaju says:

      Thanks for a great question Ruth. YES, it can be done, but it is not the preferred method. There is a problem called “Bluestacks” you can upload the program to your computer (not sure what the price is..Google it) so that you can post using your computer to IG. Personally I have never used it, but have heard of others who have.

  • Monica Bouteiller says:

    I have to admit I’m not a fan of social media but have been doing a wee bit of researching so I’m glad to have come across your post.

    However, I’m a member of Wealthy Affiliate and am in their Super Affiliate Challenge. I know very soon I’m going to be encouraged to use social media.

    Facebook is definitely not what I want to get into but Instagram seems to be a lot more professional about how they do things, rules and all.

    I know I can increase my traffic using social media so with that in mind, I can see why I should to get into it. Your reasons have convinced me that I should go with Instagram.

    Do you have any training here on your site on how to set up Instagram?

    Thanks

    • Kaju says:

      Hi Monica, that’s Great! Instagram is definitely the social media platform to go with. And its a much younger audience that Facebook too.
      I currently do not have IG training on this website. Although I may publish some basic IG training here soon.

      What I would recommend is that you go to Instagram guru Felicia Lin’s blog. I will post the link on the bottom of this comment.
      Felicia will also becoming out with her online training course on Instagram later this year.
      http://www.felicialin.com/

  • Cheryl Brown says:

    Thank you for this post and yes I totally agree with all 11 points you have listed here. Since starting on Instagram both socially and for my Business Account I get a good steady flow of traffic daily on both pages. I don’t post as often as I used to but I need to get back to it. I have almost 2000 followers now which I reckon is good going. I do prefer Instagram to Facebook for sharing things.

    • Kaju says:

      Great input Cheryl, and a steady daily flow of traffic and over 2000 followers in great, You are doing fabulous, and you certainly provide proof why Instagram is the BEST social media platform.

      Thanks for sharing a great comment that both confirms and further validates this article:)

  • Saane says:

    You have convinced me. I am a slow learner when it comes to Social Media, and I have avoided Instagram at all costs, until now.

    Your review of the 11 reasons why I should utilize Instagram, has provided me, with all the information that I needed, to be brave enough to give Instagram a try.

    I can now see, how Instagram can explode my engagement with my readers/followers, using all the specifications you have detailed, especially, Boomerang and Hyperlapse, which I will be exploring, when I use IGTV.

    Again, I have enjoyed your excellent review.

    • Kaju says:

      Thank You Saane, I appreciate that you learned and enjoyed the vital information in my “11 Reasons review”.

      As you may already know, my partner is an Instagram GURU here in NYC, and gives monthly seminars on how to make the most of IG. I assist her in all of her seminars, some for SCORE NYC who she works with, one of the most reputable and long-standing mentorship organizations in the US, with multiple chapters aroun the country.

      Much of the information in this review I learned from working her seminars, and what she teaches is the “real deal.” IG can explode your engagement no doubt, and the younger audience is mosr engaged in IG. Boomerang, Hyperlapse, Instagram Stories, and IGTV are all awesome!!

  • John Stanley says:

    Thanks Kaju, this is a great post!
    I learned so many things, can I ask a few questions as a newbie to Instagram?
    I have only recently taken an interest in Instagram as a blogger. But I must admit I really don’t know the best approach. Can I ask a few questions:
    1. I agree that social media – whether it be instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, LinkedIn, or other – has become the de facto way to increase engagement. With engagement, how do you get people who like your images (easy for people to ‘like’ and get lots) to your blog traffic?
    2. Should a blogger use an instagram businesses account or personal account and why?
    3. When I get more advanced, where do you recommend – Stories Or going more with IG Live or IGTV?
    4. Also what do you personally do an Instagram to drive traffic to your blog(s)?
    Thanks John

    • Kaju says:

      Thanks for the strong compliment on this review John. All great questions, let me start answering these one by one as best I can.

      1.) From Instagram there are a few ways you can channel traffic to your blog. In IG, there is no option to include a link in any normal post. The only way to that is accessible for everyone is to include a Link in your IG Bio. Note this is the only place where you are given a link. Then in each post, in your post text you should write something to the effect of “Click Link in Bio.”
      You can also get a link in your Instagram Stories, but the prerequisite for that is to have at least 10K followers.

      2.) Use an Instagram business account. There are many reasons, too many to cover in a comment, but we can discuss these at a later time.

      3.) Start with Instagram Stories. For more information, click this link and visit my blog post here “What About Instagram Stories” https://myaffiliaterockstar.com/what-about-instagram-stories/

      4.) See Answer #1

      • John says:

        Thanks Kaju,
        Your responses show you are an authority. You’ve answered all my questions that I didn’t understand.
        I have bookmarked this page and its time to implement!
        Thanks so much, John

        • Kaju says:

          Thank You John, and that is awesome! I appreciate that bookmark and your very kind words. Go ahead and implement, and I am here to help if you need me:)

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