Instagram launched in 2010 – only on iOS, with Android coming two years later, and by 2012, the photo-sharing service had been snapped up by Facebook.

Image-based, the early days of Instagram saw picture-only posts, with text included in 2015. Instagram became instantly popular, emerging as Silicon Valley’s brightest new app. By 2018, Instagram – or Insta or IG – had one billion users.

Instagram has repeatedly taken on other platforms by producing their versions of others’ USPs. Their introduction of 15-second videos rallied against the now-defunct Vine, while Instagram’s Reels, new in August 2020, seems to take on TikTok at their own game.

The number of people on Earth reached 7 billion in March 2020, which means that one in seven people on the planet are on Instagram. With such a large audience, Instagram shouldn’t be overlooked as a channel by any business who wants to connect with their audience – which is why the team at S9 have put together this infographic which includes general facts, data about its growth and marketing tips.