Dive Brief:

• Shoppers following top brands on Instagram like, share, and comment on posts 4.21% of the time, compared to .07% on Facebook and .03% on Twitter, according to a report by Forrester Research Inc. 

• Forrester’s report “Use Instagram Now” employed consulting firm Interbrand for an analysis of 50 retail brands’ social media activity. That included Apple Inc., Disney Store USA, Amazon.com, and Ikea, among others.

• Facebook’s filters mean that less than 20% of a company’s messages reach its followers. Instagram’s median user age is 27 years old, compared to Facebook’s 40 years old, the report found.

Dive Insight:

Right now, Instagram, owned by Facebook, offers retailers a premium possibility for engagement with users interested in their brands. Considering the social network’s growth, things will get more crowded on Instagram in the future, leading to Forrester’s sense of urgency that retail companies engage now, while the engagement is good.