For a lot of verticals, Instagram needs to be an important a part of their digital advertising and marketing technique to assist develop their viewers and their model. With over 2 billion month-to-month energetic customers, Instagram is a robust social media channel the place manufacturers can join with their viewers.
Nonetheless, when constructing your following on Instagram, don’t fall into the entice of chasing numbers. Engagement counts.
Engagement is a significantly better measure of your model’s impression. It tells us how nicely your content material was acquired, how energetic your viewers is, and the way these interactions translate to conversions or loyalty.
We reviewed the engagement charges for a few of the high manufacturers on Instagram to see who’s participating their clients and never simply shouting right into a void.
To attain engagement, the manufacturers beneath aren’t simply posting randomly or regularly – they’re leveraging storytelling, leaping on well timed tendencies, and cultivating communities.
By the top of this text, you’ll have actionable insights and inspiration that might assist your advertising and marketing group rethink the right way to join along with your clients on Instagram.
Observe, the next manufacturers are grouped by theme and never ordered by engagement price*.
12 Manufacturers & Their Profitable Methods On Instagram
Storytelling & Model Id
1. Nike (@nike)
- Followers: Roughly 302 million.
- Engagement Charge: 0.03% (Whereas this appears low, this measurement is “common” given its huge variety of followers, and the identical goes for the large 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 whole Instagram presence, mixing in excessive black-and-white photos and motivational quotes. Their Instagram posts really feel like a tricky however encouraging coach, pushing followers to try for extra.
That is all exemplified of their current publish: Nike teamed up with Grammy-award-winning rapper Doechii to voice their new mantra, that includes highly effective ladies in numerous sports activities difficult what they’re instructed they’ll’t do and breaking free from societal expectations.
In the meantime, high-energy neon colours convey 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 palms – 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 Charge: 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 brilliant, daring colours, disposable camera-style images, and the return of McDonaldLand characters.
Its technique blends product promotion with collaborations with culturally related manufacturers, just like the Pokémon Blissful 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 great distance.
With solely 360 posts, it has an engagement price of 0.93% in followers prior to now month, averaging 882 feedback per publish.
This success isn’t simply resulting from its fame however as a result of it constantly produces easy but participating content material that resonates with Gen Z and Millennials. Quick meals manufacturers can take a cue from McDonald’s.
Consumer-Generated Content material (UGC) & Neighborhood Constructing
3. GoPro (@gopro)
- Followers: 20.8 million.
- Engagement Charge: 0.07%
- Common Likes: 14,800.
- Goal Viewers: Journey seekers, excessive sports activities athletes, and content material creators.
It’s simple to see why GoPro has 20 million followers – their account is full of immersive, adrenaline-pumping POV photographs. However that’s not all.
By showcasing actual consumer expertise by means of UGC and contest giveaways, like its #GoProLineOfTheWinter winners’ publish, the model is participating 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 on your product.
The mix of professional suggestions to modern product photographs, seamlessly tying in dynamic POV footage and images from customers in opposition to beautiful landscapes drive real engagement with its viewers – they’re genuinely excited, as proven on this product publish of Go Professional Hero13 that acquired 8,000 feedback.
Social media managers ought to keep in mind to collaborate with, not in opposition to, their followers, rewarding their efforts and protecting company branding to a minimal.
4. Shopify (@shopify)
- Followers: 1.6 million.
- Engagement Charge: 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 brief on time or annoyed potential enterprise homeowners who lack motivation to lastly open up store.
The model’s content material is transient, academic, and conversational, like this publish about their bundles’ characteristic, which generated over a thousand feedback. It additionally recurrently addresses subjects that resonate with its viewers, reminiscent of restocking points, cart abandonment, and influencer collaborations.
Comparable 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 Charge: 0.36%
- Common Likes: 160.
- Goal Viewers: Customer support professionals/groups, small- to medium-sized companies.
Zendesk’s Instagram seems like a small, welcoming group of customer support professionals. Every publish characteristic 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 “ultimate maintain music” are conversational and approachable, serving to construct rapport with assist professionals slightly than focusing solely on product specs.
This strategy fosters genuine connections and conversations, which might finally result in conversions, making its buyer support-focused feed each helpful and real.
SaaS manufacturers would do nicely to take this humanized strategy to allow them to demystify their know-how whereas present a protected area 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 Charge: 0.24%
- Common Likes: 11,932.
- Goal Viewers: Millennials, Gen Z, different life-style shoppers.
Undoubtedly standing out from the group, Liquid Loss of life feels extra like a heavy steel band than a beverage firm.
Whereas it might look like an alcohol model at first look, its non-alcoholic drinks carve out a singular area of interest as an alternative choice to 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 and marketing 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 area, Liquid Loss of life has skyrocketed in recognition due to its intelligent, viral advertising and marketing – amassing thousands and thousands of views on TikTok and tens of hundreds on YouTube – proof that unconventional approaches can have interaction and create new communities, too.
For entrepreneurs constructing new manufacturers and even current ones, that is proof that unconventional methods can work, particularly when tailor-made for particular social media platforms.
The hot button 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 and marketing group.
7. Duolingo (@duolingo)
- Followers: 4.2 million.
- Engagement Charge: 7.14%
- Common Likes: 316,000.
- Goal Viewers: International language college students, meme lovers, and Gen Z.
Instructional know-how 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 chook is lifeless.
With posts stuffed with Gen Z/Millennial humor and commentary on present tendencies, it manages to maintain a really excessive engagement price (the very 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 training course of.
In keeping with 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, pattern–related, and replicate the distinctive traits of tech–oriented, progressive, curious Era Z.”
Social media managers of EdTech ought to study to talk the slang of their audience on Instagram as it really works. Total, playful content material with cultural memes and trending occasions blended 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 Charge: 0.16%
- Common Likes: 2,500.
- Goal Viewers: Price range vacationers, frequent flyers, and meme tradition lovers.
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 all the web page – that means it’s not afraid to poke enjoyable at its viewers.
It posts hilarious brief movies, and each publish to the left on its grid includes a relatable flying meme in its signature royal blue branded template.
Every now and then, it mixes in beautiful chook’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 word: Realizing your audience and tailoring your messaging, whether or not humorous or severe, is vital. 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 wish to be entertained and on the similar time, decide up helpful journey information.
Influencer & Partnership Methods
9. Vans (@vans)
- Followers: 16 million.
- Engagement Charge: 0.06%
- Common Likes: 10,000.
- Goal Viewers: Skate boarders, streetwear followers, and music tradition lovers.
Vans appeals to varied teams of individuals world wide as a life-style alternative as an alternative of only a shoe model.
Loyal followers flock to its web page to verify if previous favorites have been restocked. Trend manufacturers managers, you need to pay attention to showcasing your model as a life-style for and to ensure that this technique to work, rigorously select collaborations that signify their audience.
Its success on Instagram is partly resulting from strategic collaborations with musicians like The Paranoyds and rising membership DJs for the model’s Premium Previous Skool Music Assortment, which includes a daring leopard print.
It additionally collaborates on shoe designs with skaters, surfers, and athletes, just like the Skate Previous Skool 36+ that includes Olympic athlete Zion Wright.
Vans mixes grainy, quirky product photographs with life-style imagery and behind-the-scenes takes that make viewers really feel like they’re a part of the membership.
It has performed this over the previous decade, but this technique nonetheless works to have interaction individuals subconsciously, with seemingly low-effort content material, however the allure takes some effort to tug off.
10. Crimson Bull (@redbull)
- Followers: 26 million.
- Engagement Charge: 0.33%
- Common Likes: 85,000.
- Goal Viewers: Excessive sports activities followers, journey seekers, and adrenaline junkies.
As anticipated from the world-famous vitality drink, Crimson Bull’s Instagram is full of adrenaline.
Working example: multi-gold-winning bike athlete David Godziek using on high 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.
Crimson Bull’s Instagram showcases jaw-dropping feats by legendary athletes doing the seemingly not possible, with almost each publish being a collaboration.
Like Vans, Crimson Bull highlights a variety of sports activities and stunts – on foot, two wheels, or 4 – and can be well-known for its F1 group, Oracle Crimson Bull Racing, with some posts devoted to pushing pace boundaries.
This technique ties in completely with Crimson Bull’s distinctive promoting level and sparks engagement from followers, who fill the feedback with witty jokes, like on this skydiving publish.
Between these stunt posts, it mixes in product updates, like new flavors or pop quizzes. It’s an amazing instance of sticking to what works, showcasing what your product is understood 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 Charge: 0.08%
- Common Likes: 551.
- Goal Viewers: Houseplant lovers, house decor lovers, and younger professionals.
Like their emblem, The Sill’s Instagram web page feels balanced, that includes eye-catching florals, lush greenery, and stylish, cozy house 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 inventive.
How would you like your model to return throughout? What would you like your clients to really feel once they take a look at your web page – energized or relaxed?
Each image on The Sill evokes heat, sunshine, and numerous 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 inventive shoots. Spend money on 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 brief movies is vital to sustaining engagement and consciousness.
12. Nationwide Geographic (@natgeo)
- Followers: 279 million.
- Engagement Charge: 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 publish that includes enjoyable information about animals, the surroundings, or notable figures.
For instance, this publish 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 data 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 have to model each publish, however the delicate use of a yellow rectangle and yellow font helps viewers acknowledge the model.
Media and publishing corporations can thrive on social media, utilizing it not only for leisure but additionally as an academic platform for shoppers who might not watch TV.
Proceed adapting your documentaries, interviews, and extra into digestible codecs on social media. Make each publish as accessible as you’ll be able to for viewers of all ages and develop your web page into an academic hub the place individuals foster studying from one another within the feedback part.
Degree Up Your Instagram Technique This 2025
When you can emulate these manufacturers above, true engagement will at all times come out of your model’s authenticity.
Keep authenticity by being clear along with your model identification and values.
Partaking 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 may discover boring could be changed into 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 can assist.
When performed proper, creating content material that resonates along with your viewers will lead to real interactions and considerate engagement.
*All stats above are taken from Social Blade however the engagement price has totally different benchmarks relying on the trade, so the order is just not a comparable measure for all of the engagement charges above. In keeping with 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
