Today we’re celebrating that the community of businesses on Instagram has grown to 25 million, the vast majority of which are small businesses. That’s up from 15 million in July.
As 800 million use Instagram each month to discover and follow their passions, more and more people are using it to connect with businesses they love. In fact, over 80% of accounts on Instagram follow a business,[1] while 200 million Instagrammers actively visit the profile of a business every day.[2] As a result, the Instagram community is helping spur small business growth in big ways.
“Two-thirds of profile visits to businesses come from people who aren’t following that business.”
— Instagram data, Nov 2017
Through the visual content they share, businesses are making valuable connections and sparking conversations with people like never before. Instagram is increasingly becoming the primary digital presence for these businesses – like shoe retailer AMAZARA (@amazara.id). Based in Indonesia, AMAZARA uses Instagram as its primary channel for engaging with customers. Through eye-catching posts, Instagram Stories and Direct, the stylish brand has been able to grow its business to over 70 employees in just two years.
And that’s because Instagram is no longer considered just a stop along the mobile journey. With one in three small businesses on Instagram saying they built their business on Instagram,[3] it’s become a destination where businesses are not only discovered, but where business is done.
With the expansion of shopping on Instagram to even more businesses in the US, we’re seeing retailers like Man Outfitters (@manoutfitters), WYLDER (@wyldergoods) and Letterfolk (@letterfolk) use shopping tags to help people discover new products they love. And with new insights,[4] businesses will now be able to see exactly how they’re being discovered on Instagram – whether through feed, location tags, hashtags or explore.
“When you only have milliseconds to capture the attention of your customers organically, the ability to directly connect them with products that pique their interest is priceless. Customers who follow business accounts for quality content can now easily be guided to products without disrupting their natural browsing habits, and even those with little interest in promotions can’t help but take notice. We no longer have to deal with customers commenting ‘Where can I find this shirt?’ on a promotional post – everything they need to find their product is right there with shopping on Instagram.”
— Joe Nullet, VP of Branding & Marketing, Man Outfitters
The holidays are the busiest and most crucial time of year for small businesses everywhere. That’s why we’re sharing resources for small businesses with tips and tricks on how to use Instagram this holiday season – including answers to frequently asked questions on how to best leverage your business profile.
Businesses from all over are turning to Instagram as a one-stop visual shop, given its image-first, look and feel. To learn how Instagram can help your business grow during the holidays and beyond, find out more here.
Sources
[1] Instagram data, Mar 2017
[2] Instagram data, Nov 2017
[3] Morning Consult conducted its first state-level surveys in the US in May 2017, surveying 100 small and medium-business leaders per state. Morning Consult then conducted a follow-up national survey in August 2017 among a diverse sample of 1,000 small and medium-sized businesses in the United States with fewer than 500 employees, where respondents were either employed full-time or were self-employed. The interviews were conducted online and the results were weighted based on the number of employees at the small or medium-sized business. Morning Consult also conducted a survey in August 2017 of 5,000 adults in the United States. The interviews were conducted online and results were weighted to approximate a target of adults in the United States based on age and gender.
[4] Will be available globally in the coming weeks.
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