Instagram hit one billion monthly active users in 2018. With the highest user engagement rates of all other major social networks, Instagram is poised for even more growth. Here, Sara-Anne Mills-Bricknell, senior account executive at technical PR agency Stone Junction, explains why sectors beyond fashion and beauty should begin thinking about Instagram as part of their social media strategy.

Originally launched as a mobile photo-sharing social media platform, Instagram has since shown its dedication to increasing its reach and becoming a platform for all. Introducing video features, Stories and IGTV, the company is also expanding its advertiser options to help businesses increase its sales conversions through the platform.

While there are currently no advertisement features integrated into IGTV, Instagram has shared information about some of its newest updates that will be launching June 2019. This includes its shoppable Instagram stories feature, which will allow users to buy products that are marked with shoppable stickers directly through the app.

Unlike content shared through the platform’s traditional feed, Instagram’s stories are not influenced by any algorithm. This is good news for businesses because research recently found that Instagram Stories were the most popular type of content users interact with on the platform. So, when it comes to advertising, Instagram Stories is exactly what companies need to be targeting.

There are a surprising number of engineering accounts that are already making the most of Instagram’s tools to share information and updates about the latest technology — @insiderscience and @electronicsenthusiasts to name a few. As the year continues we expect more businesses to integrate Instagram into their marketing campaigns and if you’re one of them but not sure where to start, get in touch with me at sara-anne@stonejunction.co.uk.