It’s An Instagrammable World

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and with 800 million monthly active users, there’s no denying people are drawn to the imagery of Instagram, reports assistant editor, Ann Ruppenstein in this week’s digital edition of Canadian Travel Press.

Seeking more insights into its users, Susan Rose, director of product marketing at Instagram, says the social media app commissioned a research company to run a study on how people are influenced by content pertaining to their interests and passions.

“People come to Instagram to discover and share their passion, whether that’s travel, food, shopping, restaurants, whatever it may be, there’s such a diverse range of passions,” says Rose, who was in Toronto recently from the company’s headquarters in California.

The results found that while many also used the app to get updates from their favourite sport teams or players, make car decisions or get style inspiration, travel was a key interest among users.

“62% use Instagram as a tool to build excitement for upcoming trips,” she says. “I think we’ve all had that experience where we see our friend on Spring Break in some beautiful place and then you look out the window and think I need to be there now.”

Not only do people use Instagram to discover places they want to visit, but they’re also using it to check out places to see (even restaurants to try) while they’re in other destinations.

“It’s a mix of aspirational travel as well as practical tips,” she says.

For the full story, check out this week’s digital edition of Canadian Travel Press.