When was Instagram Created? The Evolution of Instagram
Instagram: The Evolution of a Visual Social Network
In the modern world we live in today, social media sites have become really important.
They help us connect with people all around the world using technology.
One special platform that changed the way we share pictures is Instagram. It started as Burbn and later got bought by Facebook.
Instagram has had an incredible journey.
In this blog post, we'll learn about how Instagram began, look at important moments in its history, and talk about how it got acquired and faced competition from other platforms.
Part 1: The Birth of Instagram (Burbn):
Two people named Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger came up with the idea for Instagram.
They made the app and released it in October 2010.
But actually, the beginning of Instagram can be traced back to an earlier app called Burbn.
Burbn let people send pictures that would disappear, kind of like what Snapchat does now.
Systrom and Krieger saw that a photo-sharing app could be even better, so they decided to change and improve the app and give it a new name: Instagram.
Part 2: Instagram Timeline:
a) 2010-2012: Instagram's Launch and Early Growth
After changing the name to Instagram, the app was released in October 2010, but this time it was available only for iOS devices.
It became very popular right away and quickly got more than a million users in just a few months.
People liked Instagram because it was easy to use, the design was simple and friendly, and it had special filters that made photos look better and more interesting.
b) 2012: Android Release and Rapid Expansion
In April 2012, Instagram made a big step by releasing its app for Android devices.
This meant that many more people could use Instagram, and it became even more popular.
Lots of Android users started joining the platform. To handle all the new users, Instagram made its infrastructure bigger and better.
They also added new features to make the app more enjoyable, like hashtags (which let people find and organize similar photos) and Explore (which helps users discover new and interesting content).
c) 2013-2015: Introduction of Video and Advertising
In June 2013, Instagram made it possible for users to share videos that were 15 seconds long.
They did this to compete with Vine, another app that was popular for short videos.
People really liked the new video feature, and it made Instagram even more popular.
It showed that Instagram was one of the top social media platforms.
In 2015, Instagram did something important by allowing businesses to advertise on the platform.
This gave brands new ways to reach the people they wanted to connect with and make money through Instagram.
The advertising options, like sponsored posts and carousel ads, were successful and helped Instagram grow even more.
d) 2016-2019: Stories, Live Videos, and IGTV
In August 2016, Instagram introduced a feature called "Stories."
It let users share pictures and videos that would disappear after 24 hours, which was similar to what people could do on Snapchat.
Even though some people were upset about the similarity to Snapchat, Instagram Stories became really popular and is now a common part of the platform that people enjoy using.
In November 2016, Instagram added a new feature called live video streaming.
This allowed users to share videos in real-time and interact with their audience as they were broadcasting.
It was a way to connect with people instantly.
In 2018, Instagram decided to try something new by creating a separate app called IGTV.
It was made specifically for sharing longer videos in a vertical format.
This gave users more options for creating and watching videos on Instagram.
Part 3: Launch to Acquisition and Competition:
a) Facebook Acquisition:
Instagram's success and popularity caught the eye of Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook.
In April 2012, Facebook bought Instagram for about $1 billion.
This was done to make Facebook's mobile presence stronger and to compete with other social media platforms that were becoming more popular.
b) Competition and Rivalry:
Instagram faced competition from different platforms as its popularity grew.
One of its main competitors was Snapchat, which focused on disappearing content and messaging that didn't last long.
Snapchat's unique features and younger users made it challenging for Instagram to maintain its dominance in the visual content world.
In order to keep up, Instagram introduced features like Stories and improved its messaging options to appeal to Snapchat's audience.
Another significant competitor that emerged was TikTok, a platform known for short videos.
TikTok became very popular, especially among younger people. The creative and addictive video content on TikTok posed a threat to Instagram's video-sharing features.
To tackle this, Instagram launched Reels in August 2020, giving users the ability to create and share short videos in a format similar to TikTok.
This was Instagram's way of competing with TikTok's appeal and keeping its users engaged.
Part 4: Instagram's Continued Growth and Evolution:
a) User Base Expansion and Monetization:
After being acquired by Facebook, Instagram kept growing really fast.
By 2017, more than 800 million people were using the app every month.
This made Instagram one of the most popular social media platforms in the world.
Instagram worked hard to make sure users had a great experience by adding new features, improving how the app worked, and making sure people saw content that was interesting and relevant to them.
b) Embracing E-Commerce:
Instagram noticed that more and more people were using social media for shopping, so they added features to help with that.
In 2016, they introduced something called shoppable tags.
This let businesses tag their products in posts, so users could easily buy things they liked right from the app.
It made shopping really convenient.
After that, Instagram added more ways to shop on the platform.
They introduced Shopping in Stories, Checkout, and Instagram Shops.
These features made it even easier for businesses to sell their products and for users to buy things they saw on Instagram.
It made the whole shopping experience smoother and more enjoyable.
c) Emphasis on Authenticity and Influencer Marketing:
As Instagram became more popular, people wanted to see content that felt real and relatable.
This led to the rise of something called influencer marketing.
Influencers are individuals who have a lot of followers on Instagram, and they work with brands to promote their products and services.
Instagram noticed this trend and started offering tools and analytics to help influencers and brands connect with each other.
They made it easier for influencers to track how well their collaborations were doing and to understand the impact they were making.
It was a way for influencers and brands to work together and make sure their partnerships were successful.
Summary:
From starting as Burbn to becoming one of the biggest social media platforms in the world, Instagram has changed a lot.
It has gone through an amazing transformation. Instagram stayed popular because they kept coming up with new ideas, buying other companies, and changing along with what people liked.
They always found a way to stay important in the world of social media.
As we think about what's to come, it will be really interesting to see how Instagram keeps growing.
They will probably use new technologies and find ways to make their diverse group of users happy.
The future of Instagram is something to look forward to!