What is Instagram?
Instagram is a social networking application mainly for smartphones that allows users to share photographs and videos. Instagram made its debut in October 2010. In just over 13 years, it has over 2.3 billion active users (August 2023). With social commerce penetration projected to reach 25% in 2024, Instagram’s viral trends and challenges not only connect users but also fuel its growing role as a key player in the social commerce landscape.
Whether it’s the Dalgona coffee trend, the “Rasode Mein Kaun Tha” meme, or the “Mannequin Challenge,” these trends have brought people together from different parts of the world. However, it’s important to remember that, like any other social media platform, Instagram has its pros and cons. Although these challenges can be entertaining, they can spread false information, which is a major drawback of social media platforms like Instagram.
“Instagram has transformed how we connect with customers, offering an unparalleled platform for storytelling and driving engagement,” says Victoria from Everbeam.
(Image Credit: Freepik)
Features of this application
Filters, video posts, Instagram stories, Instagram Story views, story highlights, Instagram Stories videos, Instagram live, AR filters, and IGTV are just a few of the user-friendly features available on Instagram. One useful feature is the ability to hide comments on Instagram live, allowing users to have a more focused and uninterrupted viewing experience. Certain well-known features demonstrate how social media has become a daily user usage app.
Some popular features include:
- Reels
- Stories on Instagram
- IGTV
- Utilize hashtags
- Boomerangs
Advantages and Disadvantages of Instagram
Instagram has some advantages and disadvantages, which are listed below:-
Advantages of Instagram
- Low cost or mainly free: The Instagram app is available for free download from the Google Play store. Anyone can sign up and make an account without paying anything. As a result, every smartphone user can access the software whenever they want.
- Sharing: The user can freely share every content on Instagram, whether made directly from the Instagram app or if the user creates Instagram deep links. Also, every user can share any content file on other social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and others.
- Instagram for Business: Market potential has grown due to the high number of people selling their services and goods on Instagram profiles. For those looking to formalize their business presence on the platform, forming an LLC can provide numerous advantages, including legal protections and tax benefits. Businesses now have additional market potential due to their capacity to promote their products and investigate consumer demand.
- Builds Contacts: It is a social networking platform that you may use to follow celebrities and stay in touch with your friends. Anyone who misses their friends can hunt them up on Instagram, and business owners can create profiles and ask for followers. In this approach, business executives and ordinary people can improve their interactions.
- User Interface: No matter how many features a Social Network has, it will never gain a large user base if it doesn’t have eye-catching visuals and isn’t easy to use. Instagram has the most users of any social network due to its incredibly engaging user interface and clever and efficient organization.
- Online Shopping: Seeing a visual of the product is one of the most crucial considerations when purchasing something online. As a result, Instagram is an ideal marketing tool. Many established stores and new ones use Instagram to market their products. Instagram enables better engagement between buyers and merchants. When businesses set up an Instagram Shop, they can seamlessly integrate their products into the platform, making it easy for customers to discover and shop directly from posts and stories. For example, if you’re searching for bachelor party shirts, Instagram can provide a visual preview and direct links to purchase the perfect shirt for your event.
- First Choice for Travelers: Instagram, like Bloggers, has become a hotspot for travelers. It features a geotagging option that works flawlessly! You may quickly put the location of your photo when you share it anywhere you go. There is also a slew of additional public accounts where people share their trip stories and images.
Disadvantages of Instagram
- Addictive: Instagram has become an addiction for consumers, and even now, young people frequently use it for entertainment. It’s an addiction to use with caution because it can cause many issues.
- Not compatible with all operating systems: Insta is only available and useable on iOS, Windows Mobile, and Android-powered mobile devices. Other mobile operating systems, such as LINUX and Blackberry, are not supported.
- False Ads: Someone occasionally publishes inaccurate advertisements to defraud many people. As a result of multiple fraudulent promotions, people no longer trust Instagram. Other businesses must suffer as a result.
- Image Stealing: Despite Instagram’s various security measures, it is a digital platform, and there is always the possibility that any professional and quality content added to Instagram may be “stolen” by another person without the consent of the user who has uploaded the content.
- Technical Issues: As I previously stated, Instagram has significant technical limitations. Because the platform is for mobile/Android, the web version could be better.
Final Thoughts
You must be aware of how many well-known Instagram users utilize this method to share their material and produce income; it’s a pleasant way to study and make money. If your purpose is clear, you can use Instagram to its maximum potential for videos and images. Aside from its benefits, Instagram has numerous significant downsides you should be aware of before using it. Depending on the intended application and your engaging talents, you should have several problems.
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