Instagram Success: Is It Really Instant? [Infographic]

Some of the most appealing titles for social networking professionals are titles that promise instant social media success. It’s natural really. People like things that yield the most results with as little work as possible. It’s the human brain working its magic. But social media is an organism that doesn’t bend easily to commands or dreams. You have to approach it from a clever and unique angle in order to gain real success. Social media has become so big because it’s instant, and it levels the playing field equally for everyone. However, there are of course social networking platforms that are more successful than others. Instagram is an example of one, but is Instagram success really instant?

Instagram has no doubt marched onto the social networking scene in an impressive fashion. It didn’t exactly make it less successful when Facebook purchased it either. Now more and more people are uploading photos to Facebook through Instagram, and there is no sign of it stopping anytime soon. But Instagram success for individual users has long been questioned. I see people sharing their awesome photos through Instagram on a daily basis. I am always inspired to start sharing photos myself, but time is never on my side unfortunately.

Instagram has an advantage over other social networking services though. It is way more visual, and even though you might compare it to Pinterest on a content level, they are miles apart. People can gain a huge number of followers on Instagram by sharing the most epic, fun, romantic or heartfelt pictures a camera can take. That’s really what makes it so addicting. The filters available are another factor that can really push you and your pictures to Instagram success. What looks lame and empty on your screen can be put through a ton of filters and come out breathtakingly beautiful. The control is in your hands, and I guess that is the difference between an ordinary Instagram profile and Instagram success.

This fresh infographic presented by Boot Camp Digital, called Does Instagram Mean Insta-Results?, aims to educate us when it comes to Instagram statistics compared to other social networking services. Some data suggests that Instagram’s success is partly because of the high number of users who like to engage and comment on photos shared. With more than 50 million users, Instagram produces 575 likes and 81 comments every second. That’s an insane amount when you start to think about it.

To me, that suggests that Instagram success really is instant. But there is a difference between overall data and Instagram success as a user. You have to share pictures that really capture the viewers enough to make them follow you and engage. Building up content awareness as a user takes time. It’s a trial and error process, and all of sudden we’re back to square one. Suddenly Instagram success isn’t instant at all, or at least it can feel that way. Well, it of course depends on the frequency that you share photos too. A busy Instagram user is bound to achieve Instagram success instantly. What is your experience? Have you had success or are you still struggling to build a larger following?

Boot Camp Digital’s Instagram Success Infographic