The study presents detailed data from 26 colleges and universities in the USA and Canada about their use of the free and paid capabilities on Instagram in their marketing programs. The study gives detailed benchmarking data on number of Instagram followers, likes and comments, spending and much more. The report presents specific data and, in some cases commentary, on the use of myriad Instagram features, with separate data sets or commentary on use of Hyperlapse, Boomerang, AR Filters, Product Tags, InstaStories, IGTV, Link Stickers, Instagram Live, Carousel Ads, Photography Ads, Video Ads, Reels, Alternative Text Description and much more.
The study also looks at trends in the use of staff time on Instagram vs. other advertising and marketing options. The report presents time series data on Instagram paid advertising spending in the past year, and plans for the upcoming year.
Data in the report is broken out by college/university size and type, by enrollment and tuition level, and by the personal characteristics of individuals primarily responsible for internet marketing, such as their age, gender and work title.
Just a few of the122-page report’s many findings are that:
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Female Instagram survey respondents outspent males by a factor of 5:1 on Instagram paid advertising.
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Mean spending on paid Instagram advertising for the colleges in the sample was $16,295.
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23.08% of those surveyed primarily used Instagram’s automatic alternative text description feature.
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Community colleges in the sample spent a mean of 800 total staff hours in the past year on Instagram advertising functions.