Instagram achieves the 500 million active users milestone written

Instagram, the company ran by Facebook, has recently made an announcement that they have achieved the 500 million user base milestones. It is the highest number of users on the site, and it will continue to grow in popularity over the coming years. The social site was bought by Facebook in 2012 for about a billion US dollars. Essentially, the backing from Facebook proved essential in its growth. During the initial days of the application, over 24,000 users downloaded it on the first day. Currently, the application is part of a small, elite group of apps with the likes of WhatsApp, WeChat, Facebook and even Messenger, the messaging application owed by Facebook.

The company was considered as an expensive venture during its purchase. It was a time when the company had less than 22 million active users daily. In the past several years, this has changed as the company has more than tripled its user base. The increasing popularity of android OS and smartphones has made the site accessible to millions of people. It is popular in many countries, and users transcend any cultural or regional boundaries. The application has over 100 million active users in the US, and over 80% of active users reside in most countries worldwide.

Users on the social site post about 95million pictures and videos in a day. It is the primary medium for socializing with friend and family, and users share various interests such as fashion, landscapes, outdoor adventures, food and even sports. The co-founder, Kevin Systrom, considers this a great achievement for the site. Instagram, which traces its origins as an Android and iPhone app, has become more popular than Twitter. The growth has been momentous as more high profile celebrities and personalities joined the site. Additionally, the ease of sharing pictures has been an attractive attribute for the users. Instagram also has non-intrusive ads. Advertising campaigns have been integrated into the site in a beautiful manner that does not offend users. Moreover, many corporate organizations and individual can use the medium for marketing activities.

Despite its growth, the company is facing intense competition from Snapchat. It is a social site that also relies on sharing pictures, but functions differently Snapchat currently has over 100 million active users. It also faces stiff competition from sites such as 500px where individuals share professional videos and pictures. The company has also suffered from its fair share of controversy. In 2012, the company made changes to its terms of service. The new conditions angered users as it was seen as a ploy for the company to sell content from users to advertisers. Within a few days, the changes were revered. The company insisted that the issue was lack of communication and not a mischievous plan.

The company has made many efforts to improve its application. Since the beginning, the app has undergone many iterations to ensure that it is attractive to users. The current version has a simpler user interface, and the application was changed as part of a revolutionary change for the company. It entails the use of a rainbow colored icon that replaced the old camera icon. The company has also gained from many social trends such as self-obsession. Essentially, the application is the choice for many individuals who want to share selfies.

The increasing number of active users is expected due to the usability and attribute of Instagram. Instagram is a new and innovative way for sharing pictures and videos. In this regard, the company will continue to grow in the foreseeable future.