In just 10 years, Instagram has grown into a powerful marketing tool used by savvy entrepreneurs. From December 2020...

• Instagram has over 1 billion active users---which means your market is almost certainly using Instagram--and so are your competitors.

• 67% of US adults use Instagram, so while it doesn't have the reach of Facebook (yet), it's definitely a platform worth using.

• A younger crowd – more than half of Instagram users are between 18 and 29 – if that's your market, Instagram is the place to be.

• 63% of users check their Instagram feed at least daily – that's a lot of eyeballs on mobile!

Not only that, but the platform has enjoyed double-digit annual growth and shows no signs of slowing down. Clearly, it's time to embrace Instagram and the power it promises as part of your overall marketing plan.

Instagram is like a simplified version of Facebook with an emphasis on mobile visual sharing. As with other social networks, you interact with other users on Instagram by following, following, commenting, liking, Instagram Followers tagging, and private messaging them. You can also save the photos you see on Instagram.

Because Instagram is so visually oriented, it has several filters that you can use to enhance your photos and videos. Other photo editing options allow you to straighten the image, adjust brightness and warmth, and overlay color. You can mute videos, choose a cover frame, and if you're using the iOS app, you can crop videos.

Unique challenges

However, Instagram presents some unique challenges that might make you wonder if it's worth your time. The main ones are:

1) First, it's completely smartphone controlled. Unlike other platforms, you can't post on Instagram from your computer. In fact, you can't even post to it from third-party apps. It is fully designed to attract mobile phone users. So in markets where mobile usage is high (and let's face it, it's pretty much everywhere), Instagram is a no-brainer.