Instagram, The Accurate Engagement Figures

In the top three of Internet users’ favorite social networks, Instagram continues to gain power. With a constantly evolving algorithm and the disappearance of the number of likes that caused a lot of noise last year, what remains of the notion of engagement on Instagram today? Thanks to a massive analysis of 80 million posts and 1.6 million accounts, a report published by Hubspot & Mention gives us some insights. What are the engagement numbers?

Engagement On Instagram, The Major Trends

In 2020, an image posted on Instagram generated 23% more engagement than on Facebook, although the number of monthly users is half as much. For brands, this observation reveals a more substantial commitment from audience communities, less passive than with their Facebook feed. Engagement today is more oriented toward the frequency of interactions between the brand and its subscribers than the volume of subscribers. 

The diversity of formats offered by Instagram also goes in this direction. Previously limited to likes, engagement now also includes the number of views, shares, direct messages, and, obviously, comments. However, the notion of Like remains an essential factor because, unlike other formats such as stories, the Likes associated with posts allow for more sustainable data collection.

1. Images receive, on average, 27.55% more likes than permanent videos and 13.55% more than carousels.
2. The median number of likes per post is 3,600 (on a sample of very influential accounts!)
3. Videos are now taking a back seat to photos, mainly due to the increased number of stories.

At the same time, comments are gaining ground, mainly since the number of likes on posts has disappeared. They thus become a new indicator of engagement.

1. Top influencers collect, on average, 285 comments per post.
2. However, the median number of words is 106.

Instagram, Do Hashtags Still Generate Engagement?

Initially intended to categorize content, hashtags have gradually become contextualizers for posts. They are mainly used to target a particular audience and to promote the discovery of related posts. Many brands also use them as markers to unite their community around a theme and, as a result, encourage them to create content linked to these same hashtags.

If Instagram allows you to insert up to 30 hashtags per post, it is strongly recommended not to reach this volume. Including more than six hashtags would hurt engagement. Furthermore, the influencers generating the most attention do not systematically use hashtags.

1. An average Instagram post contains ten hashtags
2. The median number, however, is six hashtags.

Beyond the number, the choice of hashtags seems more decisive for those who wish to increase their engagement rate. So, specific hashtags garner more engagement than generic terms. Another essential element is location hashtags, allowing users to recognize each other in a certain proximity on a global platform. 

Finally, campaign hashtags explicitly developed by a brand remain very popular. Identification via posts would now be much more effective in generating engagement. It is, moreover, constantly growing. In 2020, 40% of posts published use this technique, which directly reaches the ego and the community concerned.

Instagram, A Jumble Of Key Figures

From this vast study, we have extracted some figures, some of which seem more achievable to us for an average account, at least for anyone who is not Jennifer Lopez!

1. 52.35% of Instagram accounts have less than 1000 subscribers: + 46.6% compared to last year
2. 37.4% of accounts bring together between 1001 and 10,000 subscribers
3. 5% of accounts exceed 50,000 subscribers
4. In 2019, influencer marketing increased by 48%
5. Nano-influencer accounts record the highest engagement: between 5 and 6%, compared to 1% for accounts with 50,000 subscribers. In question, the greater visibility, as well as the proximity to the community.
6. Posts with a location indication get up to 79% more engagement than others.
7. 58% of users consult stories daily, 22% if they are stories published by brands
8. 19% watch stories from start to finish
9. 44% of brands use stories to promote their products, 11% include a link to the purchase page
10. 64% of Instagram users are between 18 and 34 years old, 52% are women

Instagram is an essential Social Ads lever for brands. Contact the SMA JVWEB center to develop a 100% performance strategy!

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