Today, almost everyone has a social media account. It allows them to connect with their friends and be updated with any current events. And as the world of social media emerges, Instagram is now making a mark by being one of the most influential platforms on the internet today.
Instagram allows people to post content, from photos to videos to stories. It’s a platform that has enabled its users to engage with each other continuously. And as a result, it created an online community where everyone can interact and exchange stories.
With the benefits Instagram brings to the table, below are some ways how it changed the game in the social media world:
1. Capturing Moments
Aside from simply being a platform where people can communicate and engage, Instagram also allows its users to capture special moments in their lives and post them on their feed.
For instance, it can be a photo of you and your friends or a video of your beloved pet munching on their favorite snack. Instagram enables you to share such a beautiful moment with the world. Or perhaps, you could also upload an image of the pasta you’ve just finished preparing as stories. These stories are only visible within 24 hours of their posting, and Instagram had this feature long before other social media platforms added it to theirs.
Users generally have the option to keep their profiles either public or private. With a public account, anyone can visit your profile and view the photos or videos you’ve posted and what you’ve been up to. On the other hand, a private setting limits your content to people who you know and who you’ve allowed to have access to your profile.
And suppose you’re following an account that is set to private. There are various ways how to view private Instagram accounts, enabling you to see anything they post, even if you’re not their follower. However, try to set your limits as they’ve set their Instagram accounts private for a reason.
2. A Platform To Make Connections
As mentioned, Instagram has cultivated an online community where users can freely and conveniently interact with each other. This can be beneficial in fostering relationships with friends whom you already know personally. Or perhaps people whom you have lost contact with over the years. With Instagram’s direct messages feature and comment section, people can easily interact and re-connect.
In addition, since there are a lot of Instagram users, it can help you discover and connect with people who have the same interests and tastes as you. You can see many people commenting and discussing things in the comment section when going through different posts. Instagram made it easier since they have an “Explore” feature which shows posts that might interest you. You can discover new users and profiles and easily connect with them should you find anything interesting that resonates with your passion.
3. Personal Branding
Each person has their own unique style and personality. And having your own Instagram account allows you to curate your feed in a way that speaks about who you are and your style. For instance, your posts have a specific theme that when people see them, they automatically know it’s your post. This can be known as your personal branding.
Instagram allows you to explore your branding and what image you want to be perceived by your followers. You can refine your profile, depending on your creative or professional goal, and make sure it’s set up for success. After all, personal branding can be a wonderful way to present yourself to people and gain their trust.
4. A Place For Adventurers
Being a photo and video sharing app, Instagram has been an excellent platform for sharing all your travel escapades and the amazing places you’ve been to. Allowing you to post multiple photos in the form of a slide reel, you can summarize your adventure with a single post. You can be unique in whatever you post since it is your post and your page. You can freely share your travel photos on a single platform.
5. Can Be For Personal And Commercial Use
When scrolling through your feed, chances are, you’ve seen people posting and capturing the things they love, sharing videos that they find funny all the time. But there may also be instances wherein you’ve seen posts by different companies promoting their products. This is because Instagram is now a platform wherein you can see a mix of personal and commercial posts.
This can benefit both parties. As users utilizing Instagram for personal use, you can gain information about products or services you’re interested in with just a few taps on Instagram. You can conveniently connect with the business you’re interested in, ask your queries, and even place an order. For business owners, Instagram gives them a platform to easily engage with their audience and expand their reach.
6. Rise Of Influencers
Considering how it caters to both personal and commercial use, Instagram has also paved the way for the rise of social media influencers. Influencers are people who already have a massive number of followers who create and post relevant content that aims to promote and spread awareness about a product or service. They usually have varying niches or fields, such as fashion, sports, food, travel, and other hobbies and passions.
And businesses today implement various digital marketing campaigns, such as collaborating with influencers to promote their brand and convert followers to boost online sales.
7. Advocate For Mental Health Awareness
While it’s without a doubt how social media benefits its users, it’d be worth noting, too, in some cases, it has its drawbacks. And one of them is its impact on people’s mental well-being. Many studies suggest that the psychological effects of social media include loneliness, anxiety, and depression, among others.
With that, Instagram took a huge leap to help fight the increasing mental health concerns and raise strategies that can help create a better digital environment for people to continue to explore and enjoy. Instagram is the first platform to remove and hide the number of likes on posts. They did this to create a stress-free venue for their users. This way, they no longer get to see how many likes their posts have and prevent them from comparing their number of likes to other people and more so comparing their lives to others.
Takeaway
Instagram is getting more popular each day as it’s now more than just a social media platform.
It gave people a venue to capture moments in their personal lives and allowed businesses and influencers to expand their reach. And more so, it aimed to promote a psychologically safer digital environment users can be in.
And with the continuous advancement of technology, there might be more things and features Instagram has to offer that can change the world and how people will interact.
