Metricool, a social media management platform, published its fourth annual Instagram Benchmark Report. The 2024 report showcases data on how Instagram’s different content formats — Reels, Carousels and Stories — perform in terms of engagement and reach, and provides year-over-year comparative data.
Research shows that Instagram is dominating Facebook, its Meta sibling, when it comes to brand marketing spend. As brands and creators seek greater visibility on the social platform, understanding the differences in reach and engagement between the various posting methods offered on the app is crucial for effectively reaching target audiences and social campaign goals. Metricool’s study is designed to help social media managers, marketers and creators make informed decisions by comparing account sizes (measured by number of followers), benchmark average data, and identify areas of improvement such as posting frequency, reach, interactions, etc.
Stories are Brands’ Most Popular Format
- Metricool found brands published more than 23 million Stories, representing 71.92% of the data set, making it the top-used format in 2024. Accounts with 50K+ followers published Stories most frequently, exceeding 45 posts per week.
- Lasting only 24 hours, Stories prompt immediate engagement and are increasingly used by brands to foster loyalty and familiarity through relatable content and timely memes and trends. Additionally, Stories present an opportunity for brands to drive traffic to respective websites, blogs, online stories and profiles.
- While the reach of Stories is steadily increasing compared to 2023, the weekly posting frequency has risen more than25% across all account sizes. For accounts that have up to 500 followers, Stories are particularly effective, with a42.51% increase in weekly posting compared to last year.
Reels are the Star of Reach
- Reels reach the highest percentage of Instagram users at 37.87%.
- Unlike Stories, Reels can appear in the “Explore” section of Instagram, boosting visibility from non-followers and increasing follower count.
- Across all account sizes, weekly posting frequencies increased by more than 40% compared to 2023, especially if they were posted on the main profile feed. Smaller accounts (500-2K followers) saw the most significant growth with a 32.62% increase in reach year-over-year.
Carousels Lead Engagement
- Carousels attain thehighest engagement rate at 10.15%, above all other formats, meanwhile Reels have the lowest at 6.27%.
- This format enables brands to share up to 20 images or videos within a single post for effective storytelling, providing diverse content options such as product samples, tutorials, lists, tips, etc.
- Carousels’ reachsignificantly decreased by nearly 60% from 2023.
Best Time to Post
- The highest average number of connected users are online at 8 pm globally, unchanged from 2023. Meanwhile, the ideal time to publish content is between 7 pm and 9 pm.
- The best days are now Wednesday and Friday, whereas Metricool’s 2023 study identified Monday and Thursday as optimal.
“Based on the data we find in our annual reports over the years, by 2025, Instagram Reels will no longer be nice to have, but will be vital for brands to reach new users, while Stories will help retain and convert followers,” said Juan Pablo Tejela, CEO and Co-Founder of Metricool. “Social media managers, marketers, and creators should carefully consider how each posting format contributes to their goals of reach and engagement, and use these findings to craft impactful social strategies.”
In addition to the key findings, the report includes “Best Practices” for social media managers, marketers and creators to easily adapt to their brand or client’s strategy. To view the full 2024 Instagram Study, please visit: https://metricool.com/instagram-research-study-new/
Methodology
Metricool analyzed 391,490 professional Instagram accounts that range from businesses to creators between January to June 2024, looking at feed posts, reels, stories, images, carousels, and reels from feed. This data was also compared to Metricool’s 2023 Instagram Study.
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