INSTAGRAM: PLATFORM BASICS, CASE STUDIES AND RESOURCES
Curated by Rose Hayden-Smith, 2020 Technology in Extension Education Fellow
Platform Overview Instagram holds enormous potential for Cooperative Extension. There are 120M Instagram users in the United States. The platform is second only to Facebook in terms of active (engaged) users, and it ranks fifth overall in popularity. Our peers are using Instagram in exciting ways. Some are using the Stories feature to post demonstration videos (ex: plant propagation and food preservation). Many of us are increasing engagement with key audiences by holding photo contests and challenges. In this section of the publication, we’ll share case studies and practical resources to help you use this soci al media platform effectively.
Quick Notes About the Platform
Instagram is a mobile photo- and video-sharing social network platform. Instagram was launched in 2010; in 2012 it was acquired by Facebook. There is no charge for an Instagram account. The platform has 1B monthly users.
Who is using Instagram? At the time of this publication was produced, 37% of U.S. adults use Instagram. Here’s the age breakdown:
18 – 29: 67% 30 – 49: 47% 50 – 64: 23%
65+: 8%
Other facts:
Communities of color use Instagram at higher rates than other groups Rural residents use Instagram at lower rates than urban or suburban communities 63% of Instagram users login at least once daily Users spend an average of 28 minutes on the site each day Stories are one of the platform’s most popular features
Be sure to follow the link below for a comprehensive view of other social media platforms.
Source:
Pew Research. Share of U.S. adults using social media, including Facebook, is mostly unchanged since 2018
Technical Features
Features change frequently and it pays to follow the Instagram blog to stay abreast of changes. At the time this publication was written, key features include:
Photo sharing (via camera function in application or sharing from photo library) Editing Video (via camera function in application or sharing from photo library) Stories Live video (including Reels) Long form video Location tagging Messaging Tagging Search and Explore
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