Can I just take a second to say "Wow!!"? I mean, really, the latest news from Instagram is really pretty freaking exciting. And the best, underlying thread to the latest Instagram updates and news is a theme of "real" and "authentic" engagement. Which, let's just say, I love!

Ok, so let's dive right in to the biggest and most exciting news: Instagram now has 300 million users!

Yeah, you read that right. 300 million. And you wanna know what's even more exciting about that? It means Instagram is bigger than Twitter now. Yup, Twitter has 284 million users (still a large feat) but Instagram officially has more users. So, to all those of you who say your audience isn't on Instagram, it might be time to rethink that statement.

And I love how now that Instagram has officially surpassed Twitter, so many articles, bloggers, and news sources are *now* taking note of Instagram and its influence. Yes, NOW, Instagram is a "real" player in the social media marketing sphere. Cuz earlier this year, or even last year, it was just a place to share selfies...

Here's the thing, and if you've read this blog more than once you know, Instagram is an insanely powerful platform for businesses and brands to reach highly targeted audiences and grow their business.

Beyond just announcing their 300 million milestone, Instagram also announced that those Instagramers upload 70 million photos and videos daily. That's a whole lot of visual content being shared with the world!

As I alluded to in the title, and mentioned above, a lot of the Instagram updates in the announcement focus on identifying the "real" Instagram users. In accordance with this, Instagram will be introducing Verified badges for certain accounts. These verified accounts will allow you to know that the celebrity, brand, or other popular account is really the account you think it is.

This will help reduce spam and fake accounts from capitalizing on popular people and brands. If an Instagram account is verified, "a blue verified badge will appear next to their name in search and on their profile."

At this point, Instagram is deciding who will receive verified badges. You cannot request one. But, as this process becomes more common place and recognizable, this may change at some point in the future.

The other way that Instagram is embracing it's "realness" is to FINALLY start handling the spam accounts on Instagram. This is beyond exciting for so many of us! In the past, Instagram would restrict or deactivate accounts deemed to be spammers. But, now, they will actually be deleting these accounts. Yup, gone!

Hooray! It's about time!

Now, this may affect you in the sense that your follower count may drop over the next few months. Depending on your community, it could be a few accounts, or a lot. Most of us who use Instagram to grow a real community will see our followers drop by a few people - this is expected, especially if you have a significant number of followers, since we all have some spam accounts trapped in our followers.

But you should be happy about losing these followers! These people are just taking up valuable space and inflating your follower count, thereby reducing your engagement rates. Now, you can see how many truly engaged followers you have in your community and focus on interacting with them.

And, for those of you have purchased followers or indulge in the follow for follow practices... well, be sure to watch your follower counts drop significantly over the coming months. Chances are most of your followers will be deleted for spam behavior.

It will be fun though to see how many of these "big" follower accounts drop significantly. You can flash all the big follower counts you want, but when you have 10,000 followers and only have 10 likes per photo, you're a sham. And now, your follower numbers will prove this up front. I can't wait!!

So, yes, Instagram is getting "real".

They are embracing the community that has helped them grow and they are removing those who abuse the platform. They are growing exponentially and reaching new audiences like never before.

If you're ready to start incorporating Instagram into your marketing strategy, I would like to help you. Click on the photo below to let me know what you need help with on Instagram. Because NOW is the time to get active and effective on the fourth largest social media site!