Social Media Habits of College Students by Platform: Instagram

Social media marketing plays a vital role in university advertising campaigns. To succeed in this arena, campus advertisers must understand where and how to use their digital media dollars. Join us as we continue to explore the social media habits of college students by platform, this time focusing on Instagram.

How prevalent is Instagram use among young adults?

Some recent Pew Research statistics provide valuable information on the social media habits of college students.

• 78% of U.S. adults ages 18-29 use Instagram. 
• Those with some college education and those with a college degree report using Instagram at higher rates than those with less education.

In addition:

• Instagram has 2 billion active monthly users.
• Instagram is the preferred platform of social media users aged 16-34.
• Instagram users spend 12 hours a month on the app.

Is Instagram a good use of my university advertising campaign dollars?

Instagram is both a passive and active marketing platform. It covers all stages of the customer journey, from awareness, to consideration, to conversion. As a campus social media advertising platform, it’s an excellent resource for lead generation and lead form fill-outs. 

+ Learn more about effective university advertising on Instagram. 

Reaching target audiences on Instagram is an extremely important part of building awareness and converting traffic. This isn’t surprising when you consider these facts:

• A recent report shows a 12.2% year-over-year increase in Instagram ad reach. 
• More than 500 million people can be reached with ads on Instagram Stories.
• 44% of Instagram users use the app to shop on a weekly basis.

+ Engage Gen Z and millennials with social shopping.

• 62.4% of social media users use Instagram to follow or research brands or products.
• Conversations with customers in Instagram direct messages convert 70% of the time.
• 2 out of 3 active users say Instagram allows them to build meaningful relationships with brands.

"It is more important to click with people than to click the shutter."

– ALFRED EISENSTAEDT

What are the most effective ways to use Instagram for campus marketing?

The social media behavior of college students (and other Instagram users) provides excellent direction on the best ways to use Instagram for university advertising.

• Instagram Feed ads have a higher click-through rate (CTR) than Stories ads. 
• Instagram users are primarily seeking content that’s funny, creative and/or informative.
• At 30.81%, Reels have double the reach rate of other Instagram content formats. 
• Reels also garner twice as many impressions as other Instagram post types.
• Reels make up more than half of content reshared in Instagram messages.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SOCIAL MEDIA HABITS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS

Social Media Habits of College Students by Platform: YouTube

Social Media Habits of College Students by Platform: Facebook

See our complete guide to advertising to university students.

Here at MSS Media, Inc., we’ve been providing Education, Government, Real Estate & Lifestyle clients with succinct, optimized, and successful marketing solutions for more than 15 years. Consider MSS Media, Inc. a full-service, one-stop shop for all your Media and Public Relations needs. Your goals are our motivation. And our mission is to propel your message, further and faster, to achieve the outcomes you’re looking for. If you found this blog post helpful, please share!