Have you been on Instagram for a while but feel like you’re getting nowhere? Or perhaps you just put your business on there or are “thinking about it.” While I understand that it’s easy to get overwhelmed at the idea of YET ANOTHER social media platform, here are four reasons why you should SERIOUSLY CONSIDER marketing your business on Instagram.

It’s MASSIVE and still growing.

While Instagram may never have more users than Facebook, its numbers are still impressive. As of December 2016, Instagram had 600 MILLION users, with the last 100 million joining in just six months. That’s some SERIOUS GROWTH!

And while I’m a big Twitter fan, the reality is that Instagram’s popularity now exceeds both LinkedIn and Twitter. It even surpassed Pinterest to become the second-largest social media network in the U.S. While that should be motivation enough to put your brand on Instagram, if you need another reason…

Instagram users are ENGAGED.

How much engagement do you get on Facebook, really? Be honest. Do your followers even SEE your content?

60% of Instagram users say that they learn about products and services on Instagram and 75% say that they visit a company website or take some kind of action after seeing a business’s post.

Need further proof that Instagram users are actively engaging? How about the fact that Instagram records over 4 billion likes each day?

Instagram Insights lets you learn more about your audience.

Instagram now offers business accounts access to analytics data. You’ll be able to see reach and impressions as well as basic demographics for each post. You do have to have a business account to access your Insights, but once you do, you’ll be able to get a better idea of the best days and times that you should be posting to your account, as well as finding out which posts your audience engaged with the most (so you know what to create more of).

Especially impactful for key demographics.

The reality is that not EVERY business is going to have success on Instagram – honestly, there are some businesses that just aren’t meant for social media. (I don’t think you’re going to sell a lot of hip replacements for seniors on any social media platform, for example.)

That said, Instagram is extremely popular for 18-49-year-olds (over half of all 18-29-year-olds have an IG account), and the vast majority of businesses do target people who are spending time on Instagram. There are plenty of them who lend themselves to visual platforms – restaurants and coffee shops, fitness, travel, fashion, etc.

If you are trying to target people under the age of 49, focus on really appealing visual content and the right hashtags and you’ll find you can easily build an engaged audience.

The Time to Start is NOW!

Instagram, along with Snapchat, is emerging as one of the most popular social media platforms. It would be a good move to get your business established on the platform now, before the space gets even more crowded.

If you’re ready to get started, I recommend taking my FREE 7-day Instagram challenge, where I’ll teach you the basics to building an Instagram account that people will want to follow and engage with. I’ll be teaching things like how to craft a strong bio, create beautiful content and grow your following. Jump into the challenge today!