Instagram has solidified its place as one of the leading platforms for visual marketing. With nearly a billion active monthly users, it offers an exceptional opportunity to promote your business and connect with new audiences.
It’s also highly cost-effective. Spending just six hours per week on Instagram can lead to increased brand recognition, web traffic, and sales—with minimal financial investment. In today’s digital world, building a base of real Instagram followers should be a core part of every business’s marketing strategy. It’s a critical factor in driving business growth and long-term success.
Instagram Delivers Exceptional Engagement
Instagram leads the pack when it comes to engagement among social media platforms. Unlike platforms where users may simply scroll past content, Instagram users are far more likely to interact with ads—and remember them.
On average, Instagram accounts see an engagement rate of 4%. This figure varies by industry, with retail brands and public figures seeing different results, but Instagram still outperforms competitors across the board.
A Forrester study found that ad recall on Instagram is about 2.8 times higher than on other platforms. Users are 58 times more likely to engage with branded content on Instagram than on Facebook and 120 times more than on Twitter.
Instagram also stands out for attracting new visitors who spend more time browsing business profiles than on other platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest—making it a strong source of referral traffic to your website.
Instagram Significantly Increases Brand Awareness
Social media remains one of the most effective ways to expand your brand’s visibility. Instagram stands out by giving businesses access to millions of users through its visual-first design and discoverability features.
Users can easily discover new photos, businesses, and trends through hashtags, the Explore tab, and curated suggestions. To get started, create a business profile, begin posting regularly, and engage with your audience. Encourage employees, brand partners, and sponsors to share your content. Every share opens the door to new potential customers.
A compelling 91% of marketers report seeing positive results from Instagram in terms of growing their following and increasing brand exposure. Simply maintaining a consistent presence on the platform can help you bring in new followers while keeping existing ones engaged.
Access to Advanced Facebook-Powered Targeting
Instagram’s acquisition by Facebook gave it access to some of the most sophisticated ad-targeting tools available. Today, marketers can target audiences based on location, age, interests, and online behavior—just as they would on Facebook.
As marketing expert Michelle Thomson points out, accurately defining your audience is crucial for campaign success. Instagram also supports retargeting, a powerful feature that allows businesses to re-engage people who have already interacted with them—such as website visitors, email subscribers, or users who clicked on a previous CTA.
This means you can build retargeting audiences from Instagram post engagement, email lists, and other first-party data. This level of control gives marketers exceptional flexibility when designing Instagram ad strategies.
Instagram Ads Deliver High ROI
With its outstanding engagement metrics, Instagram offers excellent returns on advertising. Its ad-targeting capabilities combined with its active user base make it one of the most effective platforms for paid promotions.
Instagram ads can be designed to direct users to your website, mobile app, or messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Messenger. Facebook Ads Manager gives you nine marketing objectives to choose from when creating a campaign.
For broad visibility, you might choose “Reach,” which displays your ad to the maximum number of users. “Brand Awareness” takes things a step further by optimizing for users who are most likely to remember your brand—making it a smart choice for lasting impressions.
It’s also worth noting that while Reach is based on impressions, Brand Awareness focuses on actual recognition, which can lead to better long-term results.
Instagram Drives Purchase Behavior
At the end of the day, the goal of any marketing strategy is to drive sales—and Instagram excels at converting engagement into real purchasing behavior.
According to reports, nearly one-third of the most-viewed Instagram Stories are published by brands. More than one-third of users have purchased a product directly through the platform. Instagram users are 70% more likely to buy online than non-users.
Moreover, 75% of Instagram users take some kind of action after visiting a brand’s profile—whether it’s visiting a website, clicking a CTA, or making a purchase. A well-placed “Shop Now” button supported by engaging content and strong metrics can turn profile views into sales.
Organic Reach Builds Loyal Communities
While Facebook requires ad spend to grow reach, Instagram still offers significant opportunities for organic growth. That means brands can develop long-term, authentic relationships with their followers without having to pay for visibility.
Organic reach fosters genuine connections. Ads can sometimes feel intrusive, but content discovered naturally tends to resonate more. When someone follows your business on Instagram, it’s a clear sign of interest—and an opportunity for you to build trust and loyalty.
Unlike passive views, a follow represents a deeper level of engagement. As a marketer, it’s your job to nurture this interest into an ongoing relationship that leads to repeat business.
Final Thoughts
Instagram continues to dominate headlines for having the highest engagement of any major social media network. However, gaining followers can be more challenging in certain niches.
Still, Instagram remains the most advantageous platform for businesses looking to grow online. Its advanced targeting tools, strong organic potential, and unique ability to drive real engagement make it a cornerstone for any marketing strategy.
Success will come down to the time and creativity you invest. Continually test new tactics, split-test your content, and iterate based on performance to get the best results.
Author:
Isabell Gaylord is a Chicago-based professional content writer, journalist, resume expert, and digital marketing specialist. She focuses on business management, startups, finance, and career development. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry, cycling, and working on her personal business blog.
