What Kinds of Brands Use Instagram for their Social Media?

If you’re a brand looking to promote your business via Instagram, is the platform for you? To answer this question, you should look at what brands are using Instagram to promote their services.

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First, Let’s Look at the Statistics

Knowing some statistics is important to understanding what types of brands are using Instagram. Let's look at some of them.

Age

If you look at the age demographics, Instagram is still a platform dominated by Millennials, Gen-Z, and the rising Gen Alpha. Only 32.2% of users are over the age of 35, and only 7.5% are over 55.

Therefore, the brands that are on Instagram are those that appeal to teens, young adults, and adults who are a little older but not quite middle-aged yet. If your business is promoting retirement planning, you may not get many results. However, if your business involves fashion, food, and even real estate, you may get some bites.

Reason for Using Instagram

About 86% of people say they use Instagram for entertainment. This is the far majority, so if your brand focuses on entertaining people, you may find success. You may be an indie studio promoting its first video game or a theme park coming to town soon. Even if your business is boring, such as car insurance, you may find bites if you can make your content entertaining, funny, or relatable.

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What Media Do They Enjoy?

Most people enjoy Reels on Instagram. While photos do well and will continue to shine, Reels are more engaging these days. They are short-form videos similar to TikTok, lasting under 90 seconds.

Therefore, brands that can utilize snappy video editing will shine on Instagram. If you can catch a viewer’s attention in less than a few seconds, you will have a successful brand. Also, if you make Reels, learn how you can get more Reels views with ViralGrowing.

How Many People Are on the Platform?

Finally, one question you may have is, "How many people use Instagram?" It turns out a lot. Over 2 billion people have an Instagram account, which means that you can reach a good chunk of the world's population by being on Instagram.

However, this also means that you have much competiton. Therefore, brands that stand out can meet a need or offer something better than competitors can succeed. If you can make interesting posts and engage with your audience, you will stand out!

What Brands Do The Best on Instagram?

Finally, what are the brands doing the best on the platform? As it turns out, the top brands are closely related.

First is fashion at 12% of the top search category. Second is hair and makeup at 11%, and then 10% for interior design.

This makes sense. Many Instagram users are young and like beauty, so fashion, hair, and makeup are going to be on top. People on this platform are also fans of aesthetically pleasing homes, so interior design works well.

If your brand is any of the above, then great! If not, you can still do well if you can integrate a visual appeal into your brand.

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Some Brands That Do Well on Instagram

Now that we have listed some statistics, here are some big-name brands that are doing well on the platform:

Starbucks

Starbucks is a hit among college students, white-collar workers, and anyone who wants to sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee. Coffee is a type of drink that lends itself to lovely photography. Think of latte art or having a cup of coffee with a book next to you. Starbucks also integrates photos of its customers enjoying their products, adding a bit of user-generated content to there.

Red Bull

Energy drinks appeal to young adults who are trying to pull an all-nighter, so it makes sense why Red Bull would be on here. Their Instagram consists of extreme sports, which can be greatly entertaining and help illustrate the "Wings" that Red Bull gives you.

Lowe’s

If you’re a young adult moving into your first home, you may go to Lowe’s. Lowe's Instagram shows their products being used in homes and is full of interior decorating.

Sephora

Sephora is a large makeup store, and their Instagram would be doing well. Their account has makeup tutorials, new product announcements, and videos of people using their products. Plus, they have a bit of activism on their account, showing that they're more than just beauty products.

Liquid Death

Another brand that does well on Instagram is Liquid Death, a sparkling water company with a bit of an edge to its marketing. Its slogan is "Murder your thirst," and its cans have edgy artwork on them. As such, its Instagram is full of eyebrow-raising content and celebrity endorsements.

Oreo

Oreo is a beloved cookie that can get away with the "Don't advertise your product too much" rule. Each post they make features that famous cookie, usually accompanied by a meme or something relatable. Just looking at these posts for a few seconds will give you a craving for Oreos, so don't lurk on there too long if you're looking for inspiration.

Nike

Nike combines fashion with sports. Their Instagram account is filled with athletes performing well in their Nikes, aesthetically pleasing shots, and more. If you’re a fashion brand, it’s worth it to take a page or two out of Nike.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, many popular brands are doing well on Instagram. Instagram has a majority of young folks hooked, so if your brand can serve them in some way and you know how to reach your audience, you will succeed.

So start an Instagram and come up with a marketing plan. Have one that utilizes Reels, photos, and a variety of hashtags. If you keep posting, you will find your audience and can engage with them. As your audience grows, always look out for changing audience demands or opportunities to take advantage of. We hope this article helped.

By ML Staff. Images courtesy of Adobestock