Recently, with the rapid spread of the Internet environment and the increase in the number of smartphone and tablet users, the number of users using SNS on a daily basis is increasing.
Among them, Instagram is a social networking site that is highly popular among people of all ages and genders.
Instagram now has a large number of users and is growing year by year to become an indispensable part of our lives.
In this article, we will introduce the basic knowledge of Instagram and its differences from other SNS in detail, starting with the question “What is Instagram?”
What is Instagram?
First, let’s explain the basics of Instagram.
Instagram is an SNS (social networking service) provided by the world-famous Meta Platforms.
With the development of a stable internet environment and the rapid spread of smartphones and tablets, Instagram has now gained tremendous support from many users around the world, and the number of monthly active users in Japan has now exceeded 33 million. It is growing.
Instagram is mainly for enjoying posting photos and videos, and it is possible to share your favorite photos and videos and the fulfillment of your lifestyle with other users.
A long time ago, Instagram’s function was limited to posting photos, but as the times have changed, various updates have been made on a daily basis, such as the ability to enter text and post videos, making it even more convenient. An environment where people can enjoy Instagram has been steadily developed.
There is also a phrase called “Instagrammable.” “Instagrammable” is also a key point that has accelerated the popularity of Instagram, and by discovering photogenic spots and subjects hidden in daily life and creating them yourself, many users can empathize with them and post them. This leads to an increase in their own satisfaction.
There are cases where users who are ordinary consumers are accepted by the public as celebrities by attracting attention from many users. Opinion leaders who have a strong influence on consumers are active as influencers, and in the case of Instagram, they are called “Instagrammers.” In addition, when acting as a “symbol” of a company, we will carry out public relations and dissemination activities as an “ambassador.”
Nowadays, in addition to enjoying posting photos and videos, the ways to enjoy them and the purposes for which they are used are diversifying, and in particular, there is a growing trend to use Instagram as part of its search function. . There has been a major change in the way people use it, especially among the younger generation. In this way, as the times change, the purposes for which SNS tools are used are diversifying, which may be an interesting feature unique to modern times.
The hidden origins of Instagram
Did you know that the word “Instagram” is an abbreviation of “Instant Telegram” and is a coined word that did not originally exist?
This has been officially revealed by Instagram.
Also, the word “instant” means “immediately, right away, on the spot.” And the word “telegram” means “telegram.”
For this reason, the word “Instagram” had a deep meaning hidden in it, which involved instantly transmitting photos and videos as if they were telegrams.
Features seen on Instagram
As mentioned above, Instagram is an SNS tool that allows you to enjoy communicating with many users, specializing in photos and videos.
Images and videos are displayed large on the timeline part of the screen that everyone actually views, and the design is distinctive for visuals.
Nowadays, as the video playback environment has been improved, there are more users than ever who enjoy posting videos in addition to images.
Additionally, you can easily and consistently edit, correct, and process images and videos within the app. One of Instagram’s unique features is that it has a wide variety of filters to accommodate various shooting scenes and the visuals that the poster wants to express.
In addition, in recent years, many SNS have been created, and we see cases where various users use their favorite SNS according to their own hobbies and tastes. Isn’t it still fresh in your memory that the word “buzz” was born during this time, especially with Twitter and YouTube?
“Buzz” refers to the fact that posted content spreads explosively and becomes a big topic when many users view the post.
On the other hand, one of the characteristics of Instagram is that the probability of the “buzz” (explosive spread) described above occurring is low. This is because Instagram’s functionality is affected by the lack of an information dissemination function called “sharing.”
As I will introduce later, Instagram has a feature called “Stories.” “Stories” has now grown into a feature that many users take for granted, but basically it is a feature that allows posting users to display their posts to their followers. Let’s understand.
Therefore, we recommend using Instagram as a communication tool between close friends and acquaintances, or as a communication tool between users with the same hobbies and interests.
Reasons why Instagram is supported
One of the reasons Instagram is popular around the world is that it is easy to collect and disseminate information.
Rather than forcing the use of long text or carefully selected text, it is an SNS with a strong visual element centered on images and videos, which can be said to be a factor in attracting a large number of supporters from young and old alike. Probably.
You can enjoy visuals from a wide variety of genres in the photos and videos posted. By displaying images and videos that match your hobbies one after another, you will be able to fully enjoy your entertainment time on Instagram without getting bored.
In addition, there is no need for interaction between users such as chat or phone calls, and you can connect with users all over the world by simply tapping the “Like = ♡” button on users or posts you are interested in. One of the charms of Instagram is that you can experience connections that you would never experience in your daily life.
When you receive likes and comments from overseas users, you can feel as if you are in the same country without feeling the time difference.
In addition to the visual display on the timeline, Instagram also has a post format called the “Stories” feature. This “Story” feature has a restriction that it can only be viewed for 24 hours, so it can be said that it is a post with more limited elements compared to posts on the timeline. The “Story” function, which promotes a sense of exclusivity, is being used increasingly as a source of real information while giving many users a sense of specialness.
As mentioned above, the number of users using Instagram to search and collect information has increased significantly in recent years. In Japan, Google and Yahoo! continue to be the two largest
search engine
tools, but search methods called “# = hashtag search” and “tagging” are commonly used, especially among young people. Now it looks like this.
Utilizing the #search function within Instagram will lead to displaying search results that are specific to the user’s interests, and the search results will include images and videos, as well as actual sales and services. It has a feature that allows you to easily display location information of brands and stores on the screen. The advantage of being able to collect more realistic information in a shorter amount of time by displaying visual-based search results rather than text-based search results is also a factor in its popularity among young people. You can think about it.
As the times change, various updates are being implemented on Instagram every day. Among these, the AI functionality within Instagram has improved significantly, allowing users to enjoy many benefits. Even when you are casually browsing Instagram every day, the artificial intelligence installed in Instagram uses high accuracy to demonstrate its maximum power. It takes into account the interests of users who use Instagram and provides posts and recommended users one after another with content that best matches the user. When actually using Instagram, some users may have had the experience of “For some reason, posts and users related to themselves are displayed”.
By understanding the existence of Instagram’s AI function that provides useful information from various perspectives without making users feel stressed, many users will discover new ways to enjoy Instagram. It may be connected.
Differences between Instagram and other SNS
From here, we will introduce the differences between Instagram and other SNS. Among these, we will focus on the differences between Twitter and Facebook, which are two of the world’s leading SNS.
About the difference between Instagram and Twitter
The biggest difference between Instagram and Twitter is the structure, which is centered around visuals or text.
At first glance, it is easy to think of both as similar SNS, but there are major differences between the two.
In fact, on Twitter, it is possible to post images and videos in addition to text, but the real appeal of Twitter is “posting text”, and users are free to post images and videos together with text. It is.
On the other hand, on Instagram, the presence of images and videos is essential depending on the post. From this perspective, we can clearly understand that Instagram is “a place to post visuals.”
There are also some differences in how users use them.
On Twitter, the word “tweet” has become popular, and users can easily post their thoughts “now and at that moment.” Because it is easy to use, users are increasingly using it in a highly “real-time” manner.
On Instagram, there is a tendency to post mainly visual images and videos in a manner that matches the interests of users. Therefore, it is important to understand that there are characteristic ways of using it that center on sensitivity to interests.
About the difference between Instagram and Facebook
The major difference between Instagram and Facebook is the “anonymous system” and “real name system”.
When using Instagram, there are no particularly difficult settings required, and you can open and use an account anonymously. On the other hand, on Facebook, real name registration is set as a condition of use, and if you ignore real name registration, restrictions will be imposed on your use, and in the worst case scenario, your account may be frozen.
Unlike Instagram, where you share contacts with users with whom you have no real connections, Facebook is widely used to link to real friendships. Therefore, there are many cases where Facebook is used in business situations, such as within companies, between companies, and with business partners. A December 2021 survey by Tanabe Management Co., Ltd. revealed that all companies that answered “SNS (excluding advertising)” are using “Facebook” in their current sales promotion measures. It has become.
Additionally, as mentioned above, Instagram has a predominantly visual structure, whereas Facebook posts often have a text-based structure, which can be seen as a difference between the two.
How to enjoy Instagram
In recent years, Instagram has undergone various updates and added many features, but it has never become difficult to enjoy, and anyone can easily enjoy Instagram.
Here’s a quick introduction to the basics to get the most out of Instagram.
Enjoy photos and videos, the best part of Instagram
First of all, let’s start by casually posting images to experience the basic way of enjoying it.
You can use the provided filters, but we recommend that you try posting before getting too involved in editing or editing. By repeating your posts, your own preferences and preferred processing will naturally emerge, so don’t rush and enjoy each phase.
Also, try using the “#=hashtag” along with images and videos to create viewing opportunities for more users. By using the “#=hashtag”, there is a possibility that it will lead to unexpected contact with users and increase attention.
enjoy communication
On Instagram, you can show that you are interested in posting users by tapping the heart mark button called “Like = ♡” for users with similar interests. In addition, by repeatedly tapping the button, the AI function analyzes posts by other users similar to your post, and posts with a high possibility of matching are automatically displayed on the timeline. There are temporary features.
One of the appeals of Instagram is that by proactively building contact with other users, the way of enjoying it changes from just viewing to one where you can communicate.
summary
In this article, we have introduced the basic knowledge of Instagram and its differences from other SNS, starting with “What is Instagram?”
Updates to Instagram’s functionality will continue to attract many users. At this stage, deepen your understanding of the basics of Instagram and start preparing for further evolution.