Featured image by Kindel Media

If you’re looking to build a thriving brand community, Instagram is likely your best bet, and it’s not just because it’s trendy. With over 2 billion monthly active users and a platform average engagement rate of 2%, Instagram combines powerful reach with robust engagement features that help brands create meaningful, two-way conversations with their audiences.

Whether you’re managing a startup, personal brand, or large organization, Instagram offers an ever-growing toolkit for building loyal, connected communities that go beyond likes and follows. Let’s dive into why Instagram leads the pack, and how you can use its latest tools to foster interaction, drive visibility, and deepen relationships with your audience.

 

The Case for Instagram: Where Engagement Thrives

Instagram isn’t just a visual platform: it’s a community engine. According to Marketing Charts, 45% of Americans use Instagram to interact with brands. For brands, this translates into more opportunities for connection, feedback, and loyalty-building.

More than half of Instagram’s users are under the age of 35, making it especially appealing for brands targeting Gen Z and Millennials. These two generations crave authenticity and community more than ever. Combine that with Instagram’s consistent rollouts of engagement tools (like Story stickers, Channels, and custom feeds), and it’s easy to see why the platform continues to lead the charge for community-driven marketing.

 

Driving Interaction with Instagram Story Stickers

Instagram Stories are a powerhouse of engagement, and the secret sauce lies in the interactive stickers. While the platform offers many sticker options, some are uniquely positioned to spark two-way conversations and gather audience insights in real-time.

• Add Yours: This sticker encourages user-generated content and creativity. By inviting your audience to “Add Yours” to a prompt (like “What’s your favorite productivity hack?”), You create a ripple effect that boosts visibility and engagement beyond your immediate followers.

• Reveal: The Reveal sticker is a newer addition that requires users to send a message or take an action to “unlock” hidden content. It’s a fun, gamified way to generate curiosity and reward engagement.

• Questions: Want to hear directly from your audience? The Questions sticker opens the door to ask-me-anything style content, customer feedback, and idea generation. You can later share responses and answer them publicly, reinforcing that you’re listening and responding.

• Poll: Simple and fast, the Poll sticker is great for quick feedback. Whether you’re choosing a new product color or gauging interest in an event, polls offer a low-effort, high-engagement way to gather input.

• Countdown: This sticker builds anticipation for product launches, live events, or announcements. Followers can opt in to receive a reminder when the countdown ends, which keeps your content top-of-mind and increases the likelihood of participation.

According to Meta’s data, one in three Story viewers becomes more interested in a product after seeing it in Stories. Stickers amplify that effect by moving users from passive viewers to active participants.

 

Instagram Channels: One-to-Many Messaging, Reimagined

A newer tool that’s building popularity is Instagram Channels, a one-to-many broadcast feature that lives in your followers’ DMs. Unlike group chats or traditional DMs, Channels let creators and brands send messages that include text, images, polls, and emoji reactions without worrying about the algorithm burying the post in a user’s feed.

What makes Channels special is that they feel personal. Users opt in to join, and once inside, they receive real-time updates right in their inbox. While they can’t reply directly in the chat, they can engage with emoji reactions, answer polls, and share the channel with friends. That makes Channels a hybrid of newsletter, group chat, and content hub, all optimized for intimacy and visibility.

Brands can use Channels to share behind-the-scenes updates, launch announcements, exclusive deals, or even community shoutouts. It’s a smart way to bypass content saturation and build a sense of exclusivity within your audience.

 

Customized Feeds: Favoriting for Focused Engagement

Instagram’s algorithm isn’t always predictable, but the platform gives users more control than you might think. The Favorites and Following feed options allow users to curate who they see most often, giving brands an opportunity to earn a coveted spot in someone’s daily scroll.

Encouraging followers to add your profile to their Favorites list ensures they’ll see your posts chronologically and more frequently. You can even guide them through how to do it via Stories or Reels. This form of feed curation benefits both users and brands: users get more of the content they care about, and brands have a better shot at meaningful engagement.

From a brand-building perspective, these tools allow for more consistent visibility without relying solely on paid reach. It’s an opportunity to turn casual followers into daily viewers, especially when paired with strong storytelling and high-value content.

 

Conclusion

Instagram continues to evolve, but its north star remains clear: connection. Whether you’re using interactive stickers, private Channels, or curated feeds, the platform empowers brands to build two-way relationships at scale.

More than just marketing tools, these features support real community development, something today’s consumers are actively seeking from the brands they follow. When your audience feels heard, included, and appreciated, they’re more likely to stay loyal and advocate for your brand.

If you’re not already leveraging these features, now is the time to start. Because in the ever-changing world of social media, the brands that win are the ones that build community first. If you’re looking to learn ways to engage your audience beyond Instagram features, check out our webinar Audience Engagement: Behind the Scenes of a Historic Mansion’s Social Media Platform Tactics, where we analyze a case study on audience engagement.

 

Author Bio:

Kassity Lee was a 2025 Social Media Strategist Intern at the National Institute for Social Media. A senior at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Kassity is a dual Marketing and Journalism major with a specialization in Advertising. Kassity is passionate about marketing strategy and utilizing the power of human truths to craft effective campaigns. In her free time, Kassity can be found hanging out with her cat Bug, playing video games, and occasionally catching a local basement show with her friends. You can find her on LinkedIn here.