It’s no secret that visual content is king online, garnering engagement levels that can be around three times higher than that of other content. The success of sites like Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube are testament to that, but so also are the changes implemented by Facebook and Twitter to favour images and videos over other content types.

But big pretty pictures aren’t the only reason why you should be using Instagram. We’ve compiled our 6 reasons why you shouldn’t be missing out on Instagram:

1. There are 200 million monthly active users

Instagram has a healthy following of active users. This figure places Instagram just below Twitter who have 271 million. Instagram is an established social media site and one of the big players. As it is owned by Facebook, this is hardly surprising but what that means is that having a presence on there is most likely a must for your brand and for integrating your marketing online.

2. Instagram’s mobile app use grew 25% from Dec ‘13 to May ‘14

Instagram’s user base is continuing to grow and as smart phone access to the internet eclipses that of desktop access, Instagram has seen a huge surge in mobile use. This means that users can access the site (and your content) at all times. Its popularity as a site means that there is greater scope for getting your business in front of your target audience.

3. 17% of all adults online use Instagram 

Let’s break this one down a little bit further. That’s:

37% of 18-29 year olds

18% of 30-49 year olds

6% of 50-64 year olds

Instagram can offer new and creative ways to market to your audience, so check whether your target market are using the site. To put the above statistic into context, 18% of all adults online use Twitter, so if you’re on there you should get on Instagram as well!

4. Instagram Engagement is 15 times greater than Facebook

This is a huge, huge reason to get on Instagram. As we have seen over this year organic reach for Facebook business page posts is declining as Facebook attempt to enhance the user experience (and get more money from paid advertising). Engagement levels are what marketeers are always trying to raise, so with Instagram being 15 times higher than that of Facebook, it makes a lot of sense to start getting your content out on that channel and reaching your audience.

5. 93% of prestige brands use Instagram (63% increase from July 2013)

Everyone’s doing it. A good indicator of whether a social media site is really taking off is whether the big brands are getting involved. And they really are! Big brands have recognised the value of visual content and the power of Instagram and are making sure they are a part of it. Again, it can be a really useful site to try something a little different and to get a conversation going with your audience, so have a look at what the big brands are doing to get some inspiration.

 6. 57% of Instagrammers use the site every day

It’s all well and good knowing how many people go on a site per month, or how many people are signed up, but knowing how often they use it is also key. When you’re creating content for specific social media sites you want to be sure that someone is going to see it. Instagram has a healthy percentage of its users who go online every day to check, upload and engage with content, so you can be assured that yours won’t go to waste!

What do you think? Let us know in the comment box below.

By Harriet Thacker

Harriet is a marketing expert, social media enthusiast and Shake Social’s champion blogger. Struggling to maintain your own blog? We can help!