John Egan says, “In less than five years, photo-sharing app Instagram has grown from Internet infant to social media star. New data from the Pew Research Center shows that among social media networks, Instagram has surpassed Twitter in popularity among U.S. adults. Pew’s report states that 26 percent of online adults in the U.S. used Instagram in 2014. That’s up from 17 percent in 2013 and 13 percent in 2012. By comparison, 23 percent of online adults in the U.S. used Twitter in 2014. Instagram co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom told TechCrunch that “what began as two friends... [...]

Rebecca Baines says, “As Instagram surpasses Twitter for monthly active users, I set the microscope on the social network and explore how brands should use the platform to tell their story visually in 2015. Perusing Instagram is one of my favourite pastimes (sad I know) and I am not alone. Since its conception back in 2010, Instagram has grown a huge global audience, from the postman to the supermodel, we’ve become a snap-happy, filtering human race, with 300m users documenting their lives, one photo at a time. That’s right, 300m. Instagram has started 2015 with a bang, surpassing Twitter’s... [...]

Alex Ditty says, “Here are the reasons you may not be finding success with your Instagram Marketing yet. Successful social media marketing on Instagram doesn’t have to be difficult. Whether you’re a social media marketing agency, a major brand or even a one-man marketing team trying to promote your app with Instagram, it’s possible for everyone to find success with visual marketing. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t take work. There are plenty of resources on how to grow your following on Instagram or how to increase your engagement, but if you’re finding yourself in a position where... [...]

Margot daCunha says, “Instagram recently announced that they’ve gained over 300 million users, even surpassing their much older cousin Twitter. “Over the past four years, what began as two friends with a dream has grown into a global community that shares more than 70 million photos and videos each day,” writes co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom of Instagram, a Facebook-owned social photo-sharing app born in 2010. Not to mention users tap the like button 2.5 million times daily, proving that I am not the only like-aholic out there“. 10 Instagram Marketing Tips To Make People Love Your... [...]

Lara O’reilly says, “Flickr CC/Henry BurrowsThe once-modest photo sharing app Instagram is beating Twitter on yet another front: Engagement. Earlier this month Instagram revealed it had overtaken Twitter in terms of users: 300 million to Twitter’s 284 million. Now there’s more evidence underlining Instagram’s dominant status versus Twitter. Data provided to Business Insider from social media analytics company Socialbakers shows Instagram is not only gaining traction in sheer numbers of users, but posts from the biggest brands on the photo app are receiving almost... [...]

Jason Abbruzzese says, “When Facebook bought Instagram for $1 billion in April 2012, the price tag came as a shock to many. A little more than two years later, Citigroup said Instagram is worth $35 billion, a number that the bank called “conservative” in a research note on Facebook issued Friday. It is another piece of good news in what has been a stellar 2014 for Instagram. The photo-sharing app recently hit 300 million active users, putting it ahead of Twitter. At $35 billion, Instagram would also be worth more than Twitter, which currently has a market cap around $23.3 billion”. Instagram... [...]

Lauren Orsini says, “Nine short months after the image-sharing site hit the 200 million user milestone, Instagram reports it now has 300 million users. “Over the past four years, what began as two friends with a dream has grown into a global community that shares more than 70 million photos and videos each day,” the social network’s blog post said. The latest numbers have prompted TechCrunch blogger Josh Constine to note that Instagram has now surpassed Twitter by user count, though keep in mind that Twitter has 284 million active users, while Instagram did not say which percentage of... [...]

Christopher Ratcliff says, “As Facebook continues to ease the way businesses pay-to-play on its network, its other social network Instagram has notoriously kept marketers at a much further arm’s length. Things are starting to change though. If you’re a Facebook user you will have been updated this week on its new terms and conditions. These relate mainly to privacy and giving its users more control over ads. Part of this control includes the introduction of a cross-device ‘opt-out’ button, which allows users to better manage the ads they see on mobile and desktop and location based targeting.... [...]

Jason Abbruzzese says, “If a picture is worth 1,000 words, a 15-second video has to be worth quite a bit more. Instagram has launched its first video ads, adding another entry into the lucrative but increasingly crowded market. Disney, Activision and Banana Republic are among the first companies to have autoplay videos featured on the Facebook-owned platform, according to Adweek. Brands have already been producing videos on Instagram that are seen only by those who follow their corporate accounts. Now, Instagram is pushing ads into feeds”. Your Instagram feed will now be filled with... [...]

Matt Close & Maureen Blandford say, “Sales and marketing alignment means different things to different people. The obvious goal is to get marketing and sales teams to agree on what constitutes qualified leads and form a relatively friction-free relationship in which everyone speaks the same language; however, the unfortunate reality is that intricacies specific to each effort require dedicated attention, and expected contention between the two divisions can prevent or delay progress. What often occurs is that the sales team complains that the marketing team isn’t generating enough... [...]