What is Instagram, and What is it Used for?

When it comes to sharing pictures and videos, you can argue that there is no better social media platform than Instagram. The name Instagram came out as a combination of instant camera and telegram. It was first launched as an iOS app in 2010 and received a massive response from the public, as it gained around 1 million registered users within 2 months. At first, Instagram just aimed to be a photo-sharing app, but its fortune changed after being bought for $1 billion by Facebook.

Mark Zuckerberg, the co-founder of Facebook, made it clear to handle and grow Instagram independently. This platform hit the 1 billion users benchmark in June 2018, and it reached this level due to continuous improvements and the addition of new features.

If you want to discover more about Instagram, then you are in the right spot. In this blog, we will be discussing the top features of this platform and areas where it’s being used extensively. So, let’s get started without any further ado!

 Top Features Offered by Instagram

As mentioned earlier, Instagram isn’t just a picture-sharing platform anymore, as it has included various features for its users. The top features offered by Instagram include the following: 

Editing Tools

Besides allowing you to share pictures, videos, reels, and stories, Instagram also offers editing tools that can be used to enhance quality. You can adjust the size of your post, crop it, amend its saturation and contrast, and do a lot more editing with the editing tools available on this platform.

Magic Filters

You can beautify your posts on Instagram by using the magic filters on Instagram. The Instagram filter library is jam-packed with astonishing filters that can be applied to posts with a single click. It also comes with augmented reality (AR) filters, like the ones you see on Snapchat.

IGTV

The IGTV feature of Instagram allows users to upload videos that are up to 10 minutes in length. The popular and verified accounts can even upload videos on IGTV of up to 60 minutes. On IGTV, users can automatically start viewing the videos instead of going to the posts individually to watch them.

Stories

View insta stories displayed right at the top of the news feed of every user’s account. On the story, the users are allowed to share text, pictures, videos, and reels and conduct polls. The difference between stories and other content on Instagram is that a story vanishes after the completion of a 24-hour time period since its upload. You can also create highlights for your vanished stories to make them viewable on your account. 

Reels

The reel feature came out due to the rising popularity of short-form video content. The reels have a specific button on the homepage of Instagram where you can view short videos uploaded by creators around the world. 

Direct Message

The direct message feature on Instagram allows you to interact with whomever you want. If you want to get into someone’s direct message, it’s essential for that person to follow you. Otherwise, the message you send will appear in the message request section and will stay there until the receiver accepts the request.

What is Instagram Used for?

Now that you have got to know what Instagram is and what it contains, let’s discuss the real-world applications where this platform is proving to be beneficial. 

Entertainment

On a personal level, Instagram is a great platform to entertain yourself. With various features and hundreds and thousands of posts, this social media app will never let you face boredom.

You can strengthen your relations with family and friends while using Instagram. It provides you with the option to like, share, and comment on the posts, videos, reels, and stories posted by the ones you’re following.

However, you won’t find an option to save the videos on your device directly from Instagram. For this purpose, you can get your hands on the Instagram video downloader. This facility can help you save videos from Instagram just through their URLs.

Building Connections

The success of companies that sell services is heavily dependent on the scope of their networks. Strengthening your network is the only way to thrive your agency that provides services. 

Instagram works as a great platform for such agencies, as it allows them to build connections with people who belong to the same community around the world. Undoubtedly, there are other ways to grow your connections, but nothing is as powerful as Instagram.

For instance, if your company is offering digital marketing services, you’ll need to portray why potential clients should hire you. 

Building your social presence on Instagram can work as an engaging way to achieve this goal. Through Instagram reels, videos, and posts, you can share the knowledge and strategies of this domain that businesses can implement to grow their brands.

Branding

Social media marketing is being widely used by businesses of all sizes to reach out to their targeted audiences and achieve their goals.

Instagram is one of the best social platforms that can be used for branding purposes. From boosting brand awareness to increasing sales, you can use Instagram for various reasons. 

Even the physical stores that we never thought would turn online have made their professional business accounts on Instagram to gain the maximum benefit of SMM.

Branding your business on Instagram has become more of a necessity than want. It’s because, in every other niche, you’ll come across hundreds of competitors that are already in the race on this platform.

 If you don’t show your presence on Instagram, the competitors will crush you, and you might not be able to revive again. 

Influencer Marketing

Content creators are widely acknowledged all around the globe as they have grown massive audiences on social media platforms through their content. These creators are busy creating content that entertains, educates, and raises awareness about societal issues. 

The presence of these creators on Instagram opens the gates for influencer marketing, which allows brands to reach their targeted audiences through popular influencers.

While using Instagram, you might have seen a popular social media personality telling the audience about using a tech gadget for a specific reason. 

It’s because the brand is paying him for influencer marketing. Similarly, every other brand contacts popular celebrities and asks them to market their products or services on Instagram.