From humble beginnings in 2010 as a photo sharing platform, Instagram has grown to become a marketing and ecommerce behemoth that generates billions of dollars of revenue for businesses every year.
Small business guide to Instagram
Although Instagram has a powerful and wide-reaching presence in Australia, only 32% of small and medium-sized businesses use Instagram as part of their social media strategy. This presents a unique opportunity to businesses who are struggling to establish a presence on the crowded photo and video-sharing platform.
This page explores how Instagram is used in Australia, how it can benefit small business and the steps you can take to get started on the platform.
Instagram in Australia: key statistics
- There are approximately 45 million Instagram users in Australia. The most common demographic is women aged 25 to 35.
- 51% of Australian Instagram users log onto the app 3–5 times a week.
- The top three regularly-trending Instagram hashtags in Australia are #photography, #Australia and #Sydney.
- 40% of Australian social media users post photos of food.
- 22% of Australian small businesses advertise on Instagram.
- In Australia, Thursday (AEDT) is the best day to post on Instagram.
- Australians are more likely to view weekday posts than weekend posts.
Image content
At it's core, Instagram is a visual platform that engages through photos, videos and other images. To be successful on Instagram, businesses need to regularly post images in their main feed as well as using the stories function.
Hashtags
These are words or phrases you see on social media preceded by the hashtag (#) symbol. First debuted in 2007, hashtags are used to connect social media content to a specific topic.
When you hashtag a post, it becomes visible within that particular topic and accessible to anyone who searches the hashtag. The use of hashtags enables you to connect with new audiences interested in a topic niche through likes, shares, comments and new followers.
Setting up an Instagram account
Getting started on Instagram is a very straightforward process. Download the Instagram app for iOS from the App Store, Android from Google Play store or Windows Phone from the Windows Phone Store. Once the app is installed on your mobile phone, tap to open it and follow the instructions.
Last updated 30 March 2021
