There are 300 million monthly active users on Instagram. 300. MILLION. That's just 20 million shy of the entire population of the United States of America.

Originally starting out as an iPhone only app in 2010, Instagram has grown into one the most popular social media apps in the world. Need some more facts to prove Instagram's appeal? Let me drop some knowledge on you:

• Since 2010, Instagram users have shared more than 30 billion (that's with a "B") photos.
• An average of 70 million photos are shared per day.
• 70% of Instagram users come from outside of the U.S., but according to eMarketer, the user base in the U.S. will increase to 111.6 million users by 2019.
• Instagram will bring in $595 million in mobile ad revenues worldwide in 2015. By 2017? $2.81 billion in annual revenue.
• 85% of the top brands in the world use Instagram.
• Instagram's per-follower engagement rate for top brands is 58 times higher than on Facebook, and 120 times higher than on Twitter, according to Forrester Research, Inc.

I think that's enough, right?

The bottom line is this: Instagram is here to stay, and it's quickly becoming the most popular social media website out there.

Instagram can help your business propel sales and spur interest in your product like never before! Check out some of the easy to follow tips below to get started with Instagram.

Post Pics That Show Off Your Style

Instagram is a fantastic place for brands to show off their fun, interesting, and human sides. Oftentimes, a business is seen as an entity rather than a place with human beings working for it. With Instagram, you can post fun pictures, and behind-the-scenes photos to let customers know you're more than just an emotionless corporation!

Use Hashtags

Hashtags are what social media users use to tag their photos, so other people can find them. For example, using the hashtag #selfie, comes up with millions of results of photos that have been posted by users who have used that hashtag. Businesses can use this to implement branding campaigns, such as Coca-Cola’s #ShareACoke, to get users involved and interested in what they’re promoting!

Don't Over Edit Your Pictures

No one likes over-edited photos; it’s a big turnoff for social media users. Over editing can mean adding the wrong filter to a photo, cropping a pic unusually, adding a lot of text over the photo, or making the brightness and contrast blown out to extreme degrees. Likewise, make sure to upload high quality photos. Low-resolution pics can also turn people away from your business. It's all about pretty and clean pics on Instagram!

Use It For Cross Posting

Cross-posting is when you share the same content on multiple social media sites. Instagram makes it really easy to share your photos on places like Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr, increasing the reach of your post, and preventing wasted time trying to post your content on a separate social website. Check out our previous post about connecting your Facebook and Instagram accounts!

Contests!

Consumers LOVE free stuff (I mean, who doesn't?) Instagram is a great place to post social media contests. Not only does this get people interested and invested in your brand, it also helps spread the word to other users who may not have heard of your business yet. Using hashtags, re-posting pictures, and tagging friends in the comment section under your pics are all great ways to get consumers involved in your Instagram contest.

Instagram is awesome, and your company should seriously consider using it in your social media strategy!