Statistical evidence over the past few years has clearly shown that images and videos have a much higher engagement rate than pure text content on the social web. User engagement – including likes, shares, and comments – is one of the central KPIs when it comes to social media. True, engaged fans and followers are valuable for companies, and represent and essential factor in growing brand awareness. Studies have shown that Instagram comes out on top as the best platform for user engagement. One study by Forrester assessed the engagement rate for the biggest brands across social media platforms. They found that a brand page with one million Facebook fans can generate an average of 700 comments, likes, and shares per post. This equates to an engagement rate of 0.7%. And the micro-blogging service Twitter has an even lower rate, with just 300 interactions per tweet for Twitter accounts of the same size.
On Instagram, by comparison, you can expect an average engagement rate of 4.21%, making user engagement 58 times higher than on Facebook and 120 times higher than on Twitter. Instagram is also considered to be the network of the mobile generation. The importance of mobile use is enormous in all fields, but particularly so when it comes to search engine optimization. Last but not least: Young people and their relevant influencers are especially prominent on Instagram. The photo-sharing platform is the most popular and important platform for young people in the USA, making it an excellent opportunity if your target market is predominantly younger people.