A study on Instagram content reveals which formats perform best. Stories dominate in terms of numbers, but other options are more promising in terms of reach and engagement.
Instagram marketing is now an essential part of any successful social media strategy – after all, over two billion people worldwide use the app every month. But how should you use Instagram to achieve your social media goals? We provide you with well-founded insights based on the metricool Studyin which more than 360,000 professional Instagram accounts were evaluated over six months.
Stories: The all-rounder with FOMO effect
More than 70 percent of the content analyzed on Instagram is stories – they are the most popular format for brands. But why do so many companies rely on stories? A decisive factor is the FOMO effect: Since stories disappear after 24 hours, they create a feeling of exclusivity and urgency and thus trigger the fear of missing out in users. Stories are easy to create and are particularly suitable for publishing spontaneous content that still appears high-quality and exclusive. Stories also allow direct interaction with users via likes and reactions. The new comment function for stories also ensures even more engagement approaches in the cult format. Stories are also an effective means of directing traffic to external sites, be it a web shop, blog or landing page.
Reels: Reach Champion
Short videos dominate the reach on Instagram. According to the study, Reels achieve an average reach of 37.87 percent, making them the undisputed leader in this category. Due to their presence in the Discover feed and the possibility of posting them in both the Reels feed and the General feed, short videos offer enormous visibility. On Instagram, short videos are currently the format par excellence. They now make up 50 percent of the time spent in the app – and according to Meta’s management team, they are also immensely important for monetization. Reels have been Meta’s growth drivers for some time, on Instagram and Facebook. Earnings Call in Spring 2024 explained Metas CFO Susan Li:
Video also continues to grow across our platform, and it now represents more than 60% of time on both Facebook and Instagram. Reels remains the primary driver of that growth, and we’re progressing on our work to bring together Reels, longer-form video and Live video into one experience on Facebook (…).
Reels generate over 3.5 billion reshares per day and more than 200 billion views per day on Facebook and Instagram. Meta is using various measures to ensure that the format gains even more reach. For example, there is the option of setting up a Reels collaboration at a later date, the display of the CTA buttons “Watch More Reels” and “Share” in the Reels area, the test of an author prompt for Reels that encourages interactions and the option of giving Reels even more reach by displaying them to non-followers and testing with trial Reels. emphasized Instagram boss Adam Mosseri in additionthat the platform will continue to focus on short videos.
Additionally, choosing an attractive cover photo can help to capture users’ attention.
So if you want to expand your reach, Reels are the format of choice. The best times to post are Wednesdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., closely followed by 7 and 9 p.m.
Carousel posts: engagement winners on Instagram
In terms of engagement, the carousel format leads with a rate of 10.15 percent. Although less frequently used, carousel posts are extremely effective when it comes to generating interactions such as likes, comments and shares. An insider tip: Use the first of the up to 20 slides to attract the attention of your followers – this will determine whether users swipe through your carousel or scroll further.
A strategy that is still relatively unknown is to make the second image particularly interesting, because the app shows this image again in the feed after a few hours. This way, a carousel even gets two chances to be seen.
Quality over quantity
So what key takeaways should you definitely remember in order to shine in the next meeting with insider information and Instagram insights? Firstly: Stories make up by far the majority of posted Instagram content, but their reach is limited. Secondly: Reels achieve the greatest reach on the app. Thirdly: Carousel posts have the highest engagement rate. You can find detailed insights and further information directly at metricool.
Regardless of the key findings of this study, you should always create your content with high quality standards in order to increase your reach and engagement in the long term. Authenticity and content relevance are the most important factors. However, you can also rely on tips from Instagram and new features such as Trial Reels for non-followers.
New Instagram feature:
Create Reels from Feed Posts
Source: onlinemarketing.de
