The 25 Best Brands on Instagram in 2024 (And What You Can Learn From Them)

Instagram‘s growth and evolution into a brand and business platform has accelerated rapidly in the past few years. The platform now has over 1.4 billion monthly active users and 90% of accounts follow at least one business. At the same time, organic reach and engagement rates have dipped as competition has increased.

Content Navigation show

In this pay-to-play environment, it‘s more challenging than ever for brands to build community, cultivate loyalty, and drive results organically on Instagram. However, it‘s far from impossible. The brands that are thriving on Instagram are the ones that are adapting to the shifts, getting creative, and showing up authentically.

So what separates the best from the rest on Instagram in 2024? We‘ve analyzed the top brand accounts of the year to find the standout strategies and tactics you can learn from and implement for your own business.

While a sizable following certainly helps with visibility, audience size is just one piece of the puzzle. Engagement rate is often a better measure of how well a brand‘s content is resonating. Quality is also key. Instagrammers have become savvy to overly staged, filtered, or sponsored content. The brands that are breaking through are the ones crafting content with originality and substance.

Another key theme is that the brands winning on Instagram play to their unique strengths and brand identity. Rather than chasing every trend and tactic, they focus on the formats and topics that are the best natural fit for showcasing their brand.

Read on to discover the brands that are crushing it on Instagram and the strategies you can steal to take your own Instagram game to the next level.

1. Glossier

Followers: 3.2M
Engagement rate: 2.63%

Glossier is the DTC beauty brand that has become the poster child for Instagram marketing done right. What started as a beauty blog by founder Emily Weiss has evolved into a $1.8 billion brand built largely through their knack for cultivating community on Instagram.

A few standout tactics you can learn from Glossier‘s Instagram presence:

Make your audience the hero: Glossier celebrates their highly-engaged community by regularly reposting user-generated content. 50% of their feed features real customers, making their audience feel like the stars. This UGC also serves as powerful social proof.
Bring your audience behind-the-scenes: Glossier invites followers behind the scenes in their offices, pop-up shops, product development process, and more, making them feel involved and part of the brand.
Craft an instantly recognizable visual identity: Every single Glossier post is instantly recognizable due to their consistent aesthetic. The minimalist backgrounds, pops of color in their signature millennial pink, dewy skin, and playful poses are all core to Glossier‘s visual identity.
Provide unique value: While product promotion is certainly a part of their strategy, Glossier also aims to provide real value to their audience through skincare tips, tutorials, and routines featuring their products.
Engage with interactive elements: Glossier regularly uses features like polls and questions in their Stories to spark audience engagement and gather feedback. They‘ll share the results to make their followers feel heard.

Rather than talking at their audience, Glossier talks with them and makes them feel part of the brand experience. They‘ve achieved something that‘s difficult for a brand – fostering a sense of real community and personal connection, at scale, on social media.

2. Bon Appetit

Followers: 4.1M
Engagement rate: 1.46%

This food media brand has risen to Instagram fame for their unique voice and video content. What was once a legacy print magazine has found new relevance on Instagram among millennials and Gen Z foodies.

Some of Bon Appetit‘s winning Instagram tactics:

Invest in high-quality, original photography: Every single photo Bon Appetit shares features mouthwatering, magazine-worthy food styling. Their photography looks professional yet unstaged, setting them apart from the abundance of flat lays and branded shots on the food corner of Instagram.
Embrace video storytelling: Video is essential to Bon Appetit‘s Instagram success. 35% of their feed posts are videos. Their content spans recipe tutorials, cooking technique demos, taste tests, and their wildly popular series like "Gourmet Makes" where chefs reverse engineer classic snacks. These videos are funny, informative, and bingeable. They take the longer form video content from their YouTube channel and slice it into digestible clips for Instagram.
Serve the audience something new: Bon Appetit attracts followers and keeps them coming back by regularly providing new recipes and cooking tips that their audience can‘t find elsewhere. Their Instagram exclusive mini-recipes and technique videos teach their followers something new and valuable.
Feature faces and personalities: Unlike many food brands that keep a distance between the food and the people making it, Bon Appetit‘s chefs are the stars of the show. Chefs like Claire Saffitz, Brad Leone, and Molly Baz have become celebrities in their own right through the brand‘s YouTube and Instagram content. This allows their audience to develop a real sense of relationship with the talent.
Jump on trends with a twist: Bon Appetit often participates in meme and trends but with their own culinary spin. For example, they‘ll put chefs head-to-head in a viral challenge like the Bottle Cap Challenge but with a food themed twist. This approach allows them to be timely and relevant while still staying true to their niche.

Bon Appetit understands that their unique value proposition to their Instagram audience is inspiration and education. Their content is valuable and entertaining whether or not the viewer immediately runs out to buy the ingredients for a recipe. They‘ve invested in a strong identity, quality content, and personalities that keep fans actively engaged.

3. National Geographic

Followers: 256M
Engagement rate: 1.1%

National Geographic is the gold standard for visual storytelling on Instagram. For a 134-year-old brand, they have adapted to Instagram in a powerful way. With a whopping 256 million followers across their accounts, they‘re able to drive awareness for their important work at a massive scale.

What makes National Geographic so successful on Instagram? Let‘s break it down:

Share exceptional photography: Photography is the heart and soul of National Geographic‘s Instagram presence. Every single photo they feature is stunning, evoking emotion and transporting the viewer. All photos are shot by professional photographers from around the world, many who have become famous for their work with the publication.
Tell powerful stories: Nat Geo‘s content all ties back to their core brand pillars of exploration, science, and storytelling. They make excellent use of Instagram‘s carousel feature to pair a series of striking images with informative and inspiring captions that dive deeper into the story behind the visuals.
Spotlight important causes: Many of Nat Geo‘s posts spotlight pressing environmental and social issues like conservation, climate change, and cultural preservation. This purpose-driven content showcases Nat Geo‘s impact and gives their audience something meaningful to rally behind and share.
Maintain a consistent cadence: Nat Geo keeps their audience engaged and coming back for more by maintaining a regular publishing cadence. They post around 5 times per day on their main feed, along with additional posts on their sub-accounts. This consistency trains their followers to expect and seek out their content daily.
Publish video series: Like many successful brands on Instagram, Nat Geo has leaned into video in a big way. They use IGTV and Reels to publish video series around themes like wildlife, science, and photography tips. These long-form, episodic series complement their feed content and allow deeper storytelling.

Nat Geo is the perfect example of a legacy brand that has stayed true to their core identity and mission while evolving their storytelling for a new medium and audience. They‘ve successfully translated their unparalleled visual content to Instagram and cultivated a massive, engaged community in the process.

4. Nike

Followers: 262M
Engagement rate: 0.38%

Nike is a pioneer in social media marketing and one of the most followed brands on Instagram. The athletic giant uses Instagram to spotlight the athletes and stories that bring their "Just Do It" mission to life.

Here are some key tactics you can take away from Nike‘s Instagram presence:

Be inclusive: Over the past few years, Nike has put inclusion at the forefront of their marketing. Their Instagram content features a diverse range of professional and everyday athletes across sports, genders, body types, abilities, and backgrounds. Make a conscious effort to be inclusive in your content.
Evoke emotion: Nike‘s Instagram captions and content aim to inspire and uplift. Even their more product-focused posts have a motivational spin vs. being purely promotional. Think about the emotional sentiment you want to evoke with your messaging.
Take a stand: Nike often speaks out on important social causes on Instagram. For example, they shared powerful content in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and celebrating black athletes. Don‘t be afraid to take a stand as a brand, as long as it‘s authentic.
Experiment with new formats: Nike is often one of the first to experiment with and embrace Instagram‘s latest formats and features. They use Stories and Story Highlights to provide exclusive, behind-the-scenes content. They regularly post both long-form IGTV and short-from Reels video content. They even create and share their own Instagram AR filters for their audience to try on products virtually. Embrace the mindset of constant experimentation and iteration.
Leverage influencers and athletes: Nike partners with an extensive roster of top athletes and influential creators to expand their reach and influence on Instagram. Find the voices and partners that are authentic and relevant to your brand.

At their core, Nike is a storytelling machine. While they have no shortage of visuals and video clips of top-performing athletes, they know that the real power is in the storytelling. Nike uses Instagram to share the powerful stories of the athletes, coaches, and dreamers who embody their mission to "bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world."

Your Action Plan

Feeling inspired by these top brands on Instagram? Here are some actionable takeaways you can implement for your brand‘s Instagram strategy:

Define your key pillars and brand identity. Pinpoint the 3-5 key content pillars, themes, and sentiments that are core to your brand. Use these as the guiding light for all of your content. Ensure that every post fits your visual aesthetic and identity.
Prioritize quality over quantity. It‘s better to post less frequently but maintain a high quality bar than to post for the sake of posting. Invest time and resources into planning and producing high-caliber content.
Get creative with formats. Experiment with posting a mix of photos, videos, carousels, Stories, Reels, Live, and IGTV to keep your content varied and engaging. Take advantage of new features as they emerge.
Find your unique angle. Pay attention to the content and formats that get the most engagement from your unique audience. Dig into your analytics and do more of what‘s working rather than getting distracted chasing every new trend or tactic.
Build a community. Spend as much time engaging with your audience as you do creating. Respond to comments and DMs. Create interactive Story content like polls and questions. Regularly share UGC. Do things that make your audience feel seen and included.
Be human. Don‘t be afraid to show the real, human side of your brand. Give your audience glimpses behind-the-scenes. Feature the real employees and customers that make your brand tick. Embrace a conversational tone that invites connection.
Provide value. Don‘t just post to promote. Provide your audience with valuable, unique, and interesting content they can‘t get anywhere else. Whether you‘re educating, entertaining, or inspiring, give them a reason to follow and engage with your brand.
Take a stand. Be willing to speak up about the causes and movements that matter to your brand and audience. But walk the walk, don‘t just jump on the hashtag bandwagon. Back up your support with real, meaningful action as a business.
Collaborate with purpose. Identify the partners – whether influencers, creators, celebrities, or other brands – that align with your brand and can help you expand your reach on Instagram. Make sure any collaboration feels organic and mutually beneficial.

The Instagram algorithm and user behaviors will undoubtedly continue to evolve. But the basics of being successful on the platform remain the same: know your voice, create with intention, provide real value, and build authentic connections. The brands that win hearts, minds, and loyalty on Instagram are the ones that aren‘t just there to sell, but to serve their audience.