The Fall of Instagram?

Apr 9

Just because all things come to an end, doesn’t mean that end will come suddenly.

Instagram is a case in point.

Meta’s popular photo and video sharing app has gone through tremendous changes over the past couple of years. And although it is may be going through a rough patch, the fall of Instagram isn’t close in sight.

The History of Instagram

Instagram started with humble beginnings. It was founded by Kevin Systrom in 2010, and was purchased by Facebook (now Meta) in 2012. Instagram then launched a viral rebrand in 2016. Led by designer Ian Spalter, it completely altered its logo to the gradient one that is still in use today. The rebrand garnered many mixed reactions, but eventually found favor with the public.

The company has started introducing new features over the past couple years, such as Stories. When TikTok started to rise in popularity, Instagram released Reels in 2020. Instagram — and Meta in general — are known for copying feature for other apps. But such action have gone in Instagram’s favor.

According to Mashable, “Like it or hate it, Instagram's copycat strategy works — and its dedication to stealing features from other apps is helping to fuel its ability to overtake TikTok.” With the introduction of Reels, Instagram also became more relevant than ever before. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, the use of Instagram Reels have increased by 57.4% every year.

Instagram in the Now

Over the years, the user base of platform has only increased. The latest data from seo.ai shows that Instagram’s user base is not experiencing decline. On the contrary, it is actually growing. In 2023, Instagram had 2.115 billion users, and it is expected to grow to 2.4 billion this year. This puts Instagram on par with two other Meta apps – Facebook and WhatsApp – to have reached more than 2 billion users. According to Statista, 2 billion people use the app on a daily basis.

In a 2024 Social Media Fact Sheet, the Pew Research Center says that “YouTube and Facebook are the most-widely used online platforms” and “About half of U.S. adults say they use Instagram.” And for comparison, that’s more Americans than TikTok or LinkedIn, which they say have “smaller shares” of individuals. It is still ranked as the “4th most visited website in the world” and the “4th largest social media network” according to SocialPilot.

What Does It Mean for an App to Die?

Apps die all the time. Some live for a long time, while others flop on the spot. In my previous blog, I wrote about the rise and fall of the Twitter video sharing platform, Vine, back in the 2010s. Many other social media platforms from my childhood have died, such as MySpace, Friendster, and Google+.

According to Hubspot, an app is dying when “it signals a decline in several key areas — namely, user growth, engagement, and relevancy.” Instagram is not experiencing a significant decline in any of these aspects, but is some decrease in terms of engagement.

Is Instagram Still Engaging Users?

Marketing professional Jack Willoughby has noticed the decline of engagement on Instagram. “Brands, influencers, and everyday users alike have all noticed low engagement on the platform,” writes Willoughby. “And this isn't a good sign, showing that the tactics that used to work on Instagram are no longer effective.” Willoughby also cited a 44% decrease in feed engagement from Later Social Media Management. Additionally, Instagram Reels engagement dropped 25% in 2023.

But despite the decline in engagement, Instagram still has a strong content game in some areas. “In previous years, people were largely using Instagram to post or share photos and videos,” writes SproutSocial. “The numbers aren’t changing much in 2024 with the Kepios report showing that 70.4% of users are using the platform for this reason.”

While photos and videos remain popular, the Stories feature is what is losing the attention of users. SproutSocial references a Rival IQ study showing that “After a major dip from the first two frames, the median retention rate remains at 81% by the fourth frame. Story retention rate starts to dip below 75% after the seventh frame.” So while Instagram is good for your images, graphics, and Reels, using the Stories feature might require a bit more effort, especially after the first slide.

The App is Still Relevant

Hubspot notes how Instagram algorithms affect how content gets seen, and determines what type of content is relevant. “Instagram decides how “relevant” every piece of content is” writes Hubspot. “This includes an analysis of where it fits with trending topics as well as the timeliness factor (recent posts are considered more relevant than older posts).” As long as you strategize your content and pay attention to relevance, Instagram is still a relevant channel to use.

Relevance can also be determined by the types of users on the platform. In Instagram’s case, that includes users from 18-34 years old, according to The Social Shepherd. If you’re aiming to target that audience, Instagram is a great place to be.

Instagram Is Alive and Well

By Hubspot’s definition, and according to the statistics, Instagram is nowhere near its death. Although engagement seems to be going downward, the use and relevance of the app still remains heavily strong. Instagram has a long history of changing things up, and it has generally gone their way. If you’re coming up with a social media strategy in the coming years, Instagram is a platform that should remain on your list for the long term.