With over 500 million users and more than 80 million photos uploaded per day, Instagram is a place for brands to have a presence. And with that number in mind, brands are understanding the importance of having a presence on the heavily-used app. However, within that sea of users, it is very easy for your brand to get lost. Through these statistics found through experts like Simply Measured and Izideo, it will teach you how to optimize not only your post to the app, but also your brand.

1. The best time to post is Mondays and Thursday at 2am, between 8-9am and 5pm
   
   This is when you will see the maximum user engagement; however, it varies from industry to industry and who the audience of the account is. Avoid posting between 2-3pm because it has been shown that this is when people are finishing up last minute projects before heading home from work, and they are less likely to be using their phones.
2. Half of Instagram comments are posted in the first 6 hours.
   
   Instagram has created a new algorithm that shows photos based on who you interact with the most. The engagement of comments tends to die off after a few hours due to the length the post has been up for.
3. Instagram @Mentions in captions earn 56% more engagement.
   
   When other users search for the account mentioned such as @Nike, your post is more likely to come up in the search. By using other brands to collaborate, it has more potential for the maximum outreach.
4. Adding a location drives 79% higher engagement.
   
   Often times, other users in the area or other users who are interested in the area may search the location. For example, looking up “New York City” brings thousands of photos tagged with the location. It is a great way to gain higher engagement.
5. Open backgrounds and single dominant colors get more likes
   
   Curalate examined more than 30 image features across 8 million Instagram images to gather and collect data on what worked the best to gain the highest engagement. Here are the stats found:
   • High lightness generates 24% more likes than dark images.
   • A high amount of background space generates 29% more likes than those with minimal space.
   • Images featuring blue as the dominate color generate 24% more likes than images with predominantly red.
   • High levels of texture generate 79% more likes.

Use your Instagram photo to create an image for you or your brand. It is important to have the same aesthetics be represented throughout your account. By using these statistics, it can help ensure you to create the best possible brand for you or your company.

By using these statistics to your advantage, you can strategically make a plan for posting to your personal or company Instagram. Contact us today to learn more on blogger outreach and more about social media platforms like Instagram!