For a lot of verticals, Instagram must be an important a part of their digital advertising technique to assist develop their viewers and their model. With over 2 billion month-to-month energetic customers, Instagram is a powerful social media channel the place manufacturers can join with their viewers.
Nevertheless, when constructing your following on Instagram, don’t fall into the entice of chasing numbers. Engagement counts.
Engagement is a a lot better measure of your model’s affect. It tells us how properly your content material was obtained, how energetic your viewers is, and the way these interactions translate to conversions or loyalty.
We reviewed the engagement charges for a number of the prime manufacturers on Instagram to see who’s partaking their clients and never simply shouting right into a void.
To attain engagement, the manufacturers beneath aren’t simply posting randomly or continuously – they’re leveraging storytelling, leaping on well timed tendencies, and cultivating communities.
By the tip of this text, you’ll have actionable insights and inspiration that might assist your advertising workforce rethink methods to join along with your clients on Instagram.
Word, the next manufacturers are grouped by theme and never ordered by engagement fee*.
12 Manufacturers & Their Successful Methods On Instagram
Storytelling & Model Id
1. Nike (@nike)
- Followers: Roughly 302 million.
- Engagement Fee: 0.03% (Whereas this appears low, this measurement is “common” given its large variety of followers, and the identical goes for the massive manufacturers listed beneath.)
- Common Likes: 103,000.
- Goal Viewers: Millennials and Gen Z, aspiring athletes from all generations.
Nike’s bio – “You may’t win. So win.”– units the tone for its total Instagram presence, mixing in excessive black-and-white photos and motivational quotes. Their Instagram posts really feel like a troublesome however encouraging coach, pushing followers to attempt for extra.
That is all exemplified of their current put up: Nike teamed up with Grammy-award-winning rapper Doechii to voice their new mantra, that includes highly effective girls in varied sports activities difficult what they’re advised they’ll’t do and breaking free from societal expectations.
In the meantime, high-energy neon colours deliver sneaker photographs to life. Nike is doing an superior job inspiring its viewers with its motivational content material.
The flood of feedback are jam-packed with flame emojis, trophies, and applause fingers – clearly exhibits the deep connection they’ve constructed with their viewers. Their highly effective messaging actually resonates and hits the mark.
2. McDonald’s (@mcdonalds)
- Followers: 5.3 million.
- Engagement Fee: 0.93%.
- Common Likes: 49,000.
- Goal Viewers: Quick-food lovers, Gen Z, Millennials, and nostalgia-driven shoppers.
McDonald’s Instagram takes audiences straight again to the ’90s with its use of vivid, daring colours, disposable camera-style photographs, and the return of McDonaldLand characters.
Its technique blends product promotion with collaborations with culturally related manufacturers, just like the Pokémon Comfortable Meal, to enchantment to Millennials.
It additionally faucets into current tendencies, utilizing popular culture memes associated to their fast-food staples, reminiscent of one referencing the long-lasting Kendrick vs. Drake rap battle.
Creating user-centric content material – like polls, memes, quizzes, and teasers – for established manufacturers like McDonald’s goes a good distance.
With solely 360 posts, it has an engagement fee of 0.93% in followers prior to now month, averaging 882 feedback per put up.
This success isn’t simply as a result of its fame however as a result of it persistently produces easy but partaking content material that resonates with Gen Z and Millennials. Quick meals manufacturers can take a cue from McDonald’s.
Consumer-Generated Content material (UGC) & Group Constructing
3. GoPro (@gopro)
- Followers: 20.8 million.
- Engagement Fee: 0.07%
- Common Likes: 14,800.
- Goal Viewers: Journey seekers, excessive sports activities athletes, and content material creators.
It’s straightforward to see why GoPro has 20 million followers – their account is stuffed with immersive, adrenaline-pumping POV photographs. However that’s not all.
By showcasing actual consumer expertise via UGC and contest giveaways, like its #GoProLineOfTheWinter winners’ put up, the model is partaking its viewers of GoPro customers and thrill-seekers whereas providing a transparent demonstration of the product in motion. And that may be a technique you’ll be able to replicate to your product.
The mix of professional suggestions to modern product photographs, seamlessly tying in dynamic POV footage and photographs from customers in opposition to beautiful landscapes drive real engagement with its viewers – they’re genuinely excited, as proven on this product put up of Go Professional Hero13 that obtained 8,000 feedback.
Social media managers ought to keep in mind to collaborate with, not in opposition to, their followers, rewarding their efforts and preserving company branding to a minimal.
4. Shopify (@shopify)
- Followers: 1.6 million.
- Engagement Fee: 0.08%
- Common Likes: 1,012.
- Goal Viewers: Ecommerce entrepreneurs, on-line enterprise homeowners, and small enterprise startups.
Shopify’s strategic use of blue, inexperienced, and yellow neon accents enhances its visually interesting feed. With carousel tutorials and reels that includes entrepreneurs, it caters to on-line store homeowners who’re quick on time or annoyed potential enterprise homeowners who lack motivation to lastly open up store.
The model’s content material is temporary, instructional, and conversational, like this put up about their bundles’ function, which generated over a thousand feedback. It additionally repeatedly addresses subjects that resonate with its viewers, reminiscent of restocking points, cart abandonment, and influencer collaborations.
Related platforms may benefit from emulating Shopify’s optimistic branding on Instagram in order that customers are enticed to demo their merchandise. Takeaway: clearly upbeat messaging not solely attracts customers to strive your product but additionally builds a group of hopeful enterprise homeowners.
5. Zendesk (@zendesk)
- Followers: 46,000.
- Engagement Fee: 0.36%
- Common Likes: 160.
- Goal Viewers: Customer support professionals/groups, small- to medium-sized companies.
Zendesk’s Instagram appears like a small, welcoming group of customer support professionals. Every put up function a white textual content overlays that clearly introduce the subject, from buyer success recommendation to considerate discussions on AI integration.
For instance, posts in regards to the “good service buyer voice” or “superb maintain music” are conversational and approachable, serving to construct rapport with assist professionals relatively than focusing solely on product specs.
This strategy fosters genuine connections and conversations, which may finally result in conversions, making its buyer support-focused feed each helpful and real.
SaaS manufacturers would do properly to take this humanized strategy to allow them to demystify their expertise whereas present a secure house for his or her customers, on this case, customer support professionals and SMBs.
Humor & Relatable Content material
6. Liquid Loss of life (@liquiddeath)
- Followers: 5.1 million.
- Engagement Fee: 0.24%
- Common Likes: 11,932.
- Goal Viewers: Millennials, Gen Z, different way of life shoppers.
Positively standing out from the group, Liquid Loss of life feels extra like a heavy metallic band than a beverage firm.
Whereas it could seem to be an alcohol model at first look, its non-alcoholic drinks carve out a novel area of interest as a substitute for mainstream alcohol and sugary iced teas.
On Instagram, the model embraces edgy aesthetics, that includes metallic gold accents, darkish colours, and daring typefaces.
Its brash, in-your-face advertising technique drives engagement – evidenced by its collaboration with The Deep (from Amazon’s The Boys), which racked up 24,000 feedback.
Since launching in 2019 within the extremely aggressive F&B house, Liquid Loss of life has skyrocketed in reputation because of its intelligent, viral advertising – amassing thousands and thousands of views on TikTok and tens of 1000’s on YouTube – proof that unconventional approaches can interact and create new communities, too.
For entrepreneurs constructing new manufacturers and even present ones, that is proof that unconventional methods can work, particularly when tailor-made for particular social media platforms.
The secret is guaranteeing model identification interprets seamlessly throughout channels with out sacrificing originality, so don’t be afraid to brainstorm “refreshing” concepts along with your advertising workforce.
7. Duolingo (@duolingo)
- Followers: 4.2 million.
- Engagement Fee: 7.14%
- Common Likes: 316,000.
- Goal Viewers: International language college students, meme lovers, and Gen Z.
Academic expertise needn’t be boring, and Duolingo’s Instagram web page is something however. It has capitalized on how customers have a love-hate relationship with Duo, its ubiquitous inexperienced owl mascot, and its infinite reminders to take their subsequent language lesson. And so it has ‘killed’ er, introduced the hen is useless.
With posts stuffed with Gen Z/Millennial humor and commentary on present tendencies, it manages to maintain a really excessive engagement fee (the best on this checklist as seen above and a whopping 265% enhance in followers prior to now month), and but nonetheless reminds everybody to make use of the app and proceed the educational course of.
In response to Meme Advertising and marketing: Era Z Client Conduct on Social Media,
“Profitable and viral memes ought to match their pursuits and values, reminiscent of leisure, informative, development–related, and replicate the distinctive traits of tech–oriented, progressive, curious Era Z.”
Social media managers of EdTech ought to be taught to talk the slang of their target market on Instagram as it really works. Total, playful content material with cultural memes and trending occasions combined with schooling connects with youthful, digital natives – use memes to your benefit to extend your model consciousness.
8. Ryanair (@ryanair)
- Followers: 1.6 million.
- Engagement Fee: 0.16%
- Common Likes: 2,500.
- Goal Viewers: Price range vacationers, frequent flyers, and meme tradition fans.
Ryanair’s Instagram bio reads, “Catch flights, not emotions with Europe’s favourite airline.” It completely sums up its model and units the tone for the whole web page – which means it’s not afraid to poke enjoyable at its viewers.
It posts hilarious quick movies, and each put up to the left on its grid contains a relatable flying meme in its signature royal blue branded template.
Infrequently, it mixes in beautiful hen’s-eye photographs of unique locales. It additionally caters on to finances vacationers with frequent flight offers and bulletins.
Price range journey apps and websites ought to take observe: Realizing your target market and tailoring your messaging, whether or not humorous or critical, is essential. They change between humorous and sensible content material with out dropping their model character.
Ryanair’s Instagram works as a result of it has mastered content material that resonates with finances vacationers who simply need to be entertained and on the similar time, decide up helpful journey data.
Influencer & Partnership Methods
9. Vans (@vans)
- Followers: 16 million.
- Engagement Fee: 0.06%
- Common Likes: 10,000.
- Goal Viewers: Skate boarders, streetwear followers, and music tradition fans.
Vans appeals to numerous teams of individuals around the globe as a way of life selection as an alternative of only a shoe model.
Loyal followers flock to its web page to test if previous favorites have been restocked. Style manufacturers managers, you must pay attention to showcasing your model as a way of life for and to ensure that this technique to work, fastidiously select collaborations that characterize their target market.
Its success on Instagram is partly as a result of strategic collaborations with musicians like The Paranoyds and rising membership DJs for the model’s Premium Outdated Skool Music Assortment, which contains a daring leopard print.
It additionally collaborates on shoe designs with skaters, surfers, and athletes, just like the Skate Outdated Skool 36+ that includes Olympic athlete Zion Wright.
Vans mixes grainy, quirky product photographs with way of life imagery and behind-the-scenes takes that make viewers really feel like they’re a part of the membership.
It has achieved this over the previous decade, but this technique nonetheless works to interact folks subconsciously, with seemingly low-effort content material, however the attraction takes some effort to tug off.
10. Purple Bull (@redbull)
- Followers: 26 million.
- Engagement Fee: 0.33%
- Common Likes: 85,000.
- Goal Viewers: Excessive sports activities followers, journey seekers, and adrenaline junkies.
As anticipated from the world-famous power drink, Purple Bull’s Instagram is full of adrenaline.
Living proof: multi-gold-winning bike athlete David Godziek using on prime of a shifting prepare! That is simply one other day for the model, because it has featured Adam Snosler leaping his snowmobile over a bus.
Purple Bull’s Instagram showcases jaw-dropping feats by legendary athletes doing the seemingly not possible, with practically each put up being a collaboration.
Like Vans, Purple Bull highlights a variety of sports activities and stunts – on foot, two wheels, or 4 – and can also be well-known for its F1 workforce, Oracle Purple Bull Racing, with some posts devoted to pushing velocity boundaries.
This technique ties in completely with Purple Bull’s distinctive promoting level and sparks engagement from followers, who fill the feedback with witty jokes, like on this skydiving put up.
Between these stunt posts, it mixes in product updates, like new flavors or pop quizzes. It’s an excellent instance of sticking to what works, showcasing what your product is thought for, and increasing your expertise community to enchantment to an lively viewers.
Beautiful Visuals & Interactive Content material
11. The Sill (@thesill)
- Followers: 734 million.
- Engagement Fee: 0.08%
- Common Likes: 551.
- Goal Viewers: Houseplant lovers, dwelling decor fans, and younger professionals.
Like their emblem, The Sill’s Instagram web page feels balanced, that includes eye-catching florals, lush greenery, and chic, cozy dwelling gardens.
Its branding is robust throughout the board, with posts highlighting its on-line store – like this carousel of a red-and-pink pigmented plant formed like a coronary heart as a part of its Valentine’s Day providing. Scroll previous the primary picture and also you’ll see a number of shut up slots of violet-tinged leaves and flowers – it simulates receiving a bouquet of flowers and admiring them individually, making it artistic.
How would you like your model to come back throughout? What would you like your clients to really feel after they try your web page – energized or relaxed?
Each image on The Sill evokes heat, sunshine, and varied shades of inexperienced.
To make sure clients get pleasure from visiting their web page, social media managers of small manufacturers ought to prioritize high-quality visuals over inventory photos. Don’t scrimp on the finances for artistic shoots. Put money into them and over time, your Instagram web page can evoke a soothing ambiance, too.
Particularly for B2Cs, no matter your model sells, showcasing it fantastically on Instagram with a mixture of close-ups, overviews, and quick movies is essential to sustaining engagement and consciousness.
12. Nationwide Geographic (@natgeo)
- Followers: 279 million.
- Engagement Fee: 0.03%
- Common Likes: 84,500.
- Goal Viewers: Nature lovers, photographers, and academic content material shoppers.
Wildlife content material takes the highlight on Nationwide Geographic’s Instagram, with each different put up that includes enjoyable details about animals, the surroundings, or notable figures.
For instance, this put up about first-documented encounter with a deep sea fish: the black seadevil is accompanied by detailed scientific descriptions. The identical goes for this listicle of 5 enjoyable reality about feminine samurai, that includes colourful drawings and well-placed picture captions with arrows to assist accessibility.
Whereas prolonged, it successfully engages customers within the feedback part, who share their information and opinions in regards to the topic.
This works as a result of Nat Geo’s viewers enjoys exploring and studying in regards to the world. There’s no must model each put up, however the delicate use of a yellow rectangle and yellow font helps viewers acknowledge the model.
Media and publishing firms can thrive on social media, utilizing it not only for leisure but additionally as an academic platform for shoppers who could not watch TV.
Proceed adapting your documentaries, interviews, and extra into digestible codecs on social media. Make each put up as accessible as you’ll be able to for viewers of all ages and develop your web page into an academic hub the place folks foster studying from one another within the feedback part.
Degree Up Your Instagram Technique This 2025
Whilst you can emulate these manufacturers above, true engagement will at all times come out of your model’s authenticity.
Preserve authenticity by being clear along with your model identification and values.
Participating content material is feasible in any area of interest, whether or not B2B SaaS, multinational meals & beverage, journey, or schooling.
Even subjects that Gen Z would possibly discover boring may be was bite-sized, entertaining codecs, and austere-sounding manufacturers can nonetheless humanize their content material by partnering with the fitting influencer.
Staying in tune with tendencies, together with key U.S. holidays and occasions, and short-form video codecs, while layering in your model identification and messaging may help.
When achieved proper, creating content material that resonates along with your viewers will end in real interactions and considerate engagement.
*All stats above are taken from Social Blade however the engagement fee has completely different benchmarks relying on the trade, so the order shouldn’t be a comparable measure for all of the engagement charges above. In response to the 2024 Social Media Business Benchmark Report from Rival IQ, 0.43% is the median engagement raacross all industries.
Extra Assets:
Featured Picture: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock
