Last week I noted the disruption shaking up social media with the exodus from Twitter, now irrationally called X, to other platforms, notably Bluesky. At this point in the holiday season, small business owners, while testing the new social channels, should not forget to invest in the tried and true, like Instagram.
Sociallyin, a social media marketing agency, reveals critical insights into user behavior, engagement, and marketing potential, in its comprehensive analysis of Instagram’s global digital landscape, which contains vital information business owners can use for the holiday season.
Key Findings
- Instagram boasts 500 million daily active users and 2 billion monthly users, 70% of whom actively seek purchase inspiration from the platform
- 90% of Instagram users follow business accounts, with the highest engagement among 18–34-year-olds.
- Average daily usage: 33.9 minutes
User Demographics: Age
- 18-24: 31.7% users (53 minutes daily) (Largest demographic)
- 25-34: 30.6% users (37 minutes daily)
- 35-44: 15.7% users (28 minutes daily)
- 45-54: 8.4% users (27 minutes daily)
- 55-64: 4.3% users (26 minutes daily)
- 65+: 2.6% users (20 minutes daily)
User Demographics: Gender
- Males: 50.3%
- Females: 49.7%
# of Users by Country
- India: 360 million
- United States: 169 million
- Brazil: 134 million
- Indonesia: 100.9 million
- Turkey: 57.1 million
- Japan: 55.45 million
Peak Engagement Insights
- Best times: 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Best Days: Tuesday and Thursday
- Lowest Engagement: Sunday
Content Interaction Highlights
- 4% post/share photos and videos
- 8% seek entertainment content
- 7% follow/research brands
Performance Metrics/Average Post Engagement
- Comments: 15.66
- Likes: 513.37
- Saves: 19.79
- Reels Reach Rate: 30.81%
Consumer Behaviors
- 90% follow at least one business account
- 70% use Instagram for purchase inspiration
- 35% prefer short narrative-type stories
To get the most out of your Instagram holiday marketing, Sociallyin recommends small business owners:
- Optimize content for the 9 am – 1 pm timeframe
- Create narrative-driven visual content
- Prioritize Instagram Stories and Reels
- Target the 18-34 age demographic, if appropriate for your products/services
Rieva Lesonsky is President of Small Business Currents, LLC, a content company focusing on small businesses and entrepreneurship. While you can still find her on Twitter @Rieva, you can also reach her @Rieva.bsky.social and LinkedIn. You can email her at Rieva@SmallBusinessCurrents.com.
Instagram picture created by ChatGPT.