History in the Making

In my past few blogs I have mentioned several basic attributes of Instagram and provided information on the latest news and updates. Now I’d like to give a brief walk-through on how Instagram has really established itself and evolved overtime. Instagram was created by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, and launched in October 2010. On January 2011, Instagram introduces hashtags to help users discover each other and make it easier to search for photographs. On February 2011, Instagram made an announcement of raising $7 million from a variety of investors which helped fund some of their operations. On April 2012, Instagram had been downloaded more than one million times as it releases software to make android compatible. The following week Instagram raises $50 million from venture capitalists which made them valued at $500 million and ranked fifth app ever to reach one million ratings on Google Play. On April 2012, Facebook acquires Instagram for approximately $1 billion which resulted in Systrom receiving $400 million based on his ownership stake in the business. On December 2013, Instagram added Direct, a feature that allowed users to send photos to specific people from the app which helped Instagram compete against messaging services. On August 2014, an announcement was made in regards to a new position for Instagram, the Company’s Global Head of Business and Brand Development, which was filled by Facebook’s former Regional Officer James Quaries. James Quaries now manages Instagrams revenue strategy in which he will help develop new monetizing products.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram

Instagrams Financial Report

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Several people may be wondering “How does Instagram make money?” Well the answer to that would be like many social media sites where a lot of their revenues come from advertisement. In a recent article, Instagram was projected to make $700 million this year which would eventually grow to $5.8 billion by 2020. By comparing the usage rate between Instagram and Twitter, it’s clear to say that Instagram has really captured the majority of the market and benefits heavily through these advertisements.  Instagram is all about capturing as much users as possible which subsequently brings their acquisition value up. Some of the other sources that Instagram has interest in doing that will make them more profitable are monetizing their services, charging subscription fees, and selling photo products. These are all some low-risk options that have been suggested but not exactly incorporated into the business model. However, Instagram has really moved towards wanting to monetize their services in a way that would allow consumers (users) to get something in exchange for their photos being used for ads and other uses. Regardless of which option route that Instagrams decides to take their main priority is to make a decision in which consumers are not affected heavily and limit any possibilities of users moving their services elsewhere.

Reference: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/how-instagram-can-make-money-without-alienating-users/

Things you need to Know about Instagram

Over the last few years, Instagram has become one of the most popular websites in the world.  Today, Instagram isn’t just used to post pictures of “selfies” but also assists in promoting brands to help companies reach more customer base and network with individuals. The 10 most popular brands that are currently using Instagram to promote their products are: Nike, Starbucks, NBA, Adidas Originals, TopShop, Forever 21, Vans, NFL, Michael Kors and GoPro. These companies have Integrated Instagram into their business model for the sole purpose of capturing potential customers. Some interesting statistics include the average time a user spends on Instagram which is 257 minutes (4.2 hrs.), 8500 likes per second, and 1000 comments per second. All these statistics are from year 2013 so just imagine what the actual numbers are in this present moment. Another interesting statistic is the fact that 90% of Instagram users are under the age of 35. Most of us wouldn’t be surprised by this number as we see how technology has affected our latest generations but still 90% is an overwhelming number. To conclude some of the interesting facts on Instagram, what would you guess as to be the busiest day on Instagram in terms of traffic and activity? Search “30 things you absolutely need to know about Instagram” on Google to find out! 

Reference: http://www.searchenginejournal.com/30-things-absolutely-need-know-instagram/85991/

Instagrams Relationship with Facebook

Many might have not known that Instagram has become Facebook’s largest acquisition which has helped increase Instagrams popularity substantially. On April 2012, Facebook acquired Instagram for approximately US$1 billion in cash and stock. Facebook believed that Instagram was creating a lot of buzz but had no real business model so its main focus was to commit building and growing it. Before Facebook’s acquisition, Instagram had used Foursquare API to provide named location tagging. Foursquare is a mobile app integrated with local search and discovery service to provide tailored experience for its users. However, after Facebook’s acquisition, Instagram switched to using Facebook places instead which is a feature of Facebook that allows users to “check in” in order to see a friend’s location at the moment. What seemed to be fascinating the most between Facebook and Instagram was the idea that the correlation of the two has compromised one to grow quicker than the other.  After the acquisition, Instagram grew by 23% while Facebook only grew by 3%. The difference in growth has been formulated mainly due to Facebook realizing how popular Instagram was getting and making sure to take full advantage of the market share.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instagram

Introducing video on Instagram

In the first few years of its establishment, Instagram has provided a successful platform to the community for the purpose of sharing photos with one another. These early days of constantly improving the users experience has really benefited the company among its competitors. In June 2013, Instagram completely changed the game by allowing users to take up to fifteen seconds of video through the Instagram camera. Instagram realized that having the ability for users to bring static images to life would bring a more unique experience to its users. Having the ability to broadcast your talents as well as share unique life experiences brings a whole new meaning of visual communication. People are essentially tapped into real life experiences that are experienced by other individuals as if they were there. Imagine being able to follow your favourite role models experience and get a visual of their lifestyle and some of the practices that they prepare for. Whether it’s your favourite singer, professional athlete, or even favourite movie actress, you are essential visualizing their experiences at the palm of your hands. When you post a video, you have the options of adding filters that are created specifically for videos and you also have the ability to select your favourite scene from what you recorded as your cover image. These cover images are created to give a better visual of the video when they’re not playing.

Reference: https://instagram.com/press/

Discovery and Caption Editing on Instagram

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Some of the more recent updates delivered by Instagram consists of improvements to the discovery tab which allows users to discover more effectively. In this update, users who click on the discovery tab (magnifying glass icon) will have the option of exploring two tabs instead of one: Photos and People. The photo tab remains the same which consists of a scrolling grid of photos and videos that users post. The second explore tab consists of a tab named “People” which displays a list of people who Instagram has recommended to you. This future displays a profile pic of several users as well as recent pictures or videos that they have posted. In addition to the new updates to explore, Instagram has also provided the ability for users to go back and edit captions on the user’s posts. In my opinion this was a great idea for Instagram to implement because I’m sure there has been a time where people have made a typo in their captions which now can be edited. Before this update, users would have to either delete their posts and upload a new one or just leave the typo where it is. This edit option has been one of the top requests by users in which has been brought forward to the company and has now recently been implemented.

Reference: https://instagram.com/press/

Introducing Instagram Direct

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Over the past few years, Instagram has really evolved in terms of visual communication. The large photo-sharing platform has inspired many users to share their stories and build a community of self-photographers. However, they’re moments in our lives where people want to share their stories with the more relevant group of people. In December 2013, Instagram announces the launch of Instagram Direct. Instagram Direct allows users to share photos and videos, through inbox, with the people they choose. Whether sending or receiving, the people that are selected within the inbox are free to comment and like the content that is being displayed. The comments are real time and work just like your typical messaging app would and also lets a maximum of 15 people connected at the same time . The introduction of Instagram direct was intended to help Instagram compete against messaging services such as Twitter and Facebook. They truly benefited as users exploded the social media scene providing their own announcement of the new feature and how much they liked it as a user of Instagram. For those new into Instagram or never used this feature, the direct feature can be accessed in the top corner of the home feed. 

Reference: https://instagram.com/press/

Bringing Authenticity into Instagram

What started out as a dream by two friends, Instagram has really evolved and continues to improve itself time-after-time. With now more than 300 million users, the platform shares more than 70 million photos and videos each day. It has been the place to go for finding anything that you can think of. Whether it’s following your favourite celebrities, keeping up with latest trends, or even making connections with people there has been multiple resources that are provided to its users. In the last few months Instagram has really focused on becoming more authentic as it continues to eliminate spam accounts that are posing as other people. The new feature will consist of verified badges for celebrities, athletes and brands, making it easier for users to follow authentic accounts. Instagram has been committed in removing spam and fake accounts as it launched a process of deactivating spammy accounts from Instagram on a daily basis to improve the user’s experience. From my own experience, I remember one specific time where many users were complaining about how many followers they have noticeably seen disappear from their accounts. It turned out to be the day where Instagram decided to remove spam accounts and clean up all the fake accounts. As the population of users continue to grow, you will see several improvements that will benefit Instagram and help continue its dominance in social media. 

The Basic Interface of Instagram

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Today, I’ll be discussing briefly some of the key features that Instagram has to offer to its users. The main interface consists of a: home tab, explore tab, camera tab, activity tab, profile tab and direct messaging tab. These features allow users to access secondary pages and explore beyond the main interface for a total unique social experience. The home tab shows a feed where you can view all of the photos you or the people you follow post. While navigating through the feed you have the ability of commenting or liking a photo, which is done by double-tapping the picture or clicking the heart symbol. The explore tab allows users to search and explore new people and view their photos or videos. This is a great way of meeting new people and exploring what the world has to offer! The camera tab allows you to take photos with the Instagram camera or share photos directly from your phones library. Once these pictures are uploaded, you can add effects and filters, and captions to enhance your photos before sharing. The activity tab shows likes and comments on your own posts, and lets you see what your friends are liking and commenting on. The profile tab shows your bio information and all of your postings where you can access settings and edit your profile information. Lastly, the direct messaging tab allows users to interact with friends through private messaging on an individual or group basis. All of these features create a fun sharing atmosphere that builds a complete social experience for its users.

Reference: https://help.instagram.com/371306456286878/

Introduction to Instagram & About Myself

Did you just come back from your dream vacation? Do you have a story to tell? Are you interested in what other people are doing? Welcome to one of the best photo-sharing apps in today’s generation; Instagram.  With technology exploding above the surface, several millions of users are uploading, customizing, and posting pictures on Instagram for the world to see! Let’s face it; most of today’s generation can’t go a day without wondering what people are doing or how people are living their lives. Instagram provides a platform where users can interact with one and another and share stories through photos and videos. 

http://instagram.com/kgabar/

Dear followers. My name is Khalid Abdel-Gabar (@kgabar) I’m a current student-athlete at the University of Windsor where I play on the men’s basketball team (currently ranked sixth in Canada) and planning on majoring in business finance. I have been a user of Instagram for about half a year and currently hold 49 posts, 406 followers, and following 390 users. The main purpose why I chose to become a user of Instagram was to provide the opportunity for my friends and family to see how my journey of becoming a professional basketball player will prevail. I have a great support system of friends who encourage me every day to achieve my goals and strive for the best. In the upcoming blog postings I will be going through several different aspects as to why people use Instagram and how the functions of Instagram work. I hope that I can provide you with some useful information and motivate you into using Instagram as a way to showcase and brand yourself to the world!