The Transformation of Instagram





In October of 2010, Instagram was launched as a photo-sharing app that helped users engage with others through the sharing of pictures. In 2019, Instagram has become the most popular and powerful social media platforms not only for networking but also for businesses.

When Instagram was acquired by Facebook in 2012, it only had 30 million users. According to Pepe from Jumper Media [1], Instagram now has 1 billion active accounts. How is Instagram able to become so successful? It can be argued that it is post-Facebook acquisition that Instagram evolved into a Hybrid business model of Product/Platform. Additionally, Instagram kept differentiating its product with the creation of additional features. Examples provided from the article “Instagram-The Unstoppable Value-Creation Machine” [2] include Instagram Video and Direct Messaging in 2013, Instagram Stories and Business in 2016, IG TV in 2018 and the latest Swipe-Up and Shopping on Instagram features in 2019. These features have dramatically improved and simplified the experience for both the active users and the business who wish to have a more effective and transparent user experience. Instagram is a powerful tool that has dominated over social networking and online business for the past seven years, would its legacy continue? We’re about to find out.



Works Cited

      MAB. “Instagram – The Unstoppable Value-Creation Machine.” Digital Innovation and  
            Transformation, Harvard Business School, 5 Mar. 2018, digit.hbs.org/submission/instagram-the- 
            unstoppable-value-creation-machine/.
     Pepe, Gian. “33 Jaw-Dropping Instagram Stats for 2019.” Jumper Media, 8 May 2019, 
             Jumpermedia.co/powerful-instagram-stats/.



Comments

  1. Tija HawkinsJune 12, 2019 at 8:02 PM

    I really enjoy being on Instagram! It is not my favorite app; it stands under twitter and snapchat, but it is defiantly in my top three. I have been an avid user since I was in middle school. I have watched it evolve into this social powerhouse that allows one to stay connected to what is happening in popular culture. I think it will continue to dominate over social networking and online business for a long while unlike Facebook which I believe will soon die off. - Tijs Hawkins

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sofia RuizJune 12, 2019 at 9:19 PM

    Hi Yiting, I like how your blog mentioned a brief history of how Instagram originally began. I personally had no idea Instagram originally began in 2010 as a photo-sharing app; over the years I have seen it evolve into so much more. Instagram is one of the apps I use daily to keep up with friends, food, business and fashion. I can see how this app has really taken off compared to other apps and I believe it will only improve. –Sofia Ruiz

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