As you’re probably already aware, there are tons of brands on Instagram that use the platform to help promote their products and distinguish themselves as a reputable company in their respective industries.
Heck, with over 1.3 billion monthly active users, why wouldn’t they?
Having an Instagram presence is vital in increasing brand awareness, conversion, and even lead generation. After all, roughly 80% of consumers reference Instagram before buying or supporting a company.
That said, beefing up your marketing efforts in the way of Instagram content marketing is a no-brainer; you have such a great opportunity to reach more people in your target audience. In fact, many brands have excelled.
It seems like something that is very simple— okay, market on Instagram. What does that really mean, though?
While many brands have nailed it, may still struggle to make their presence known and boost their reputation.
They always say that you should learn from the masters, and that’s exactly what we’re going to help you do through this list.
We’ve compiled the brands that are killing it on Instagram these days so that you can learn some of their best practices.
We’re bringing you 33 top performing brands on Instagram to help you gain some inspiration and model some of their techniques to take your Instagram efforts even further.
Let’s get going!
Best Brands on Instagram 2024
Instagram is the new fashion magazine, and all of the top designers and brands are undoubtedly on the platform. Even still, some shine just a little bit brighter than their fashion counterparts.
Here’s a quick look at the best brands on Instagram:
- FashionNova
- Nike
- H&M
- Old Navy
- Gucci
- SHEIN
- Tiffany & Co.
- Vans
- Starbucks
- King and Queen Cantina
1. FashionNova
One thing that @fashionnova does incredibly well is generating interest in their product through influencer marketing and meme creation. On the daily you’ll probably see at least 5 FashionNova inspired posts on different Instagram accounts.
They also use brand partners to model their clothes and promote them on their own Instagram accounts. It has proved incredibly beneficial— FashionNova has over 20 million followers on Instagram and is constantly gaining more exposure.
While their fashion style might not be for everyone, there’s no doubt that it’s gained a strong footing on Instagram and has all of the makings of bigtime Instagram success. Check out their content features.
2. Nike
Of course @Nike has a huge name behind them and a longstanding reputation that was developed before Instagram even existed. That said, Nike uses their Instagram to highlight so many different incredible athletes and stories.
They also help support social issues such as #blacklivesmatter and #stopasianhate, which can be currently seen in their bio. Nike has been noted for its diversity and breaking boundaries when it comes to their campaigns.
With a whopping 151million followers on Nike, they truly have the perfect blend of product features, stories, and ad campaigns. They’ve also got big-name endorsements from high level athletes and artists like Drake, so that always helps.
3. H&M
A simple and seamless fashion presence, @hm has its content features on lock. They are also enjoying Instagram success with almost 37 million followers on the platforms. They even let users know that they can be featured on their feed by tagging @hm.
User-generated content (UCG) strategies like the one H&M uses are really the key to boosting engagement levels and creating an engaged and excited community to support your brand. In fact, most photos on the H&M feed are all UGC.
They’ve also got awesome Instagram story highlights pinned to their feed, which really helps users to see a well-established brand when they visit H&M’s IG.
Old Navy loves color pops and energetic visuals on their feed, so they can be used as inspiration in this way. When you have colors that draw attention to your feed and also represent your brand’s vibe, you’re winning.
With a combination of product features, UGC, as well as ad campaigns, Old Navy is killing it on Instagram. They also enjoy millions of followers— 2.4 to be exact. They’ve mastered Instagram story highlights with emojis serving as the album title.
Last but not least, they are dedicated to using body positive marketing and represent all different types of people and body types, which is really something people love to see these days.
5. Gucci
Going high fashion, @Gucci is known for its artistic and innovative Instagram campaigns with plenty of famous faces to represent them, including Florence (Florence and the Machine), Elton John, Billie Eilish, and much more.
Gucci is known for it’s photography-centered features and also include many different captioning strategies to help users understand what type of content they’re seeing and who is involved.
They always tag the accounts that are featured and they use hashtags, which is important for getting their content out to more users. They also use the branded hashtag #GucciEditorials, helping to create a feed of content that people can come across on the platform.
6. SHEIN
Another incredibly popular company that has shot to success through social media and online marketing, @Sheinofficial has really created a strong reputation for themselves. They have over 20 million followers and also offer a plus size IG @sheincurve and a beauty care Instagram, @sheglam_official.
Shein also uses influencer marketing to get more content for their feed from real users; you can use the hashtag #SHEINgals to see that. SHEIN makes it clear in their bio that if you use that tag or tag their official IG handle that you could be featured on their site, much like H&M.
With lovely icons for Instagram story highlights and a diverse style of clothes featured in content, SHEIN isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
7. Tiffany & Co.
A timeless classic with flawless photography, Tiffany & Co. is a master of brand identity. @tiffanyandco enjoys 12.2 million followers and gives an air of high class that people love.
Their profile icon is their signature Tiffany blue, a very simple image that immediately allows people to recognize the brand when they visit the page.
Their content features stunning photography of jewelry pieces as well as photos of people wearing their jewelry. They’re also very active on Instagram stories and have branded IG story highlights cover photos that represent their different collections and dedication to sustainability.
Tiffany & Co. may be high class, but don’t be afraid to have a sense of humor— on April fool’s they changed their profile picture to a new sunshine yellow with their brand name and said it was introducing their new brand color.
This helps to connect with users and also show the funny, approachable, human side of their brand!
8. Vans
A classic apparel and shoe company that has been popular since 1966, Vans has solidified their presence on Instagram and their content is nothing short of amazing.
They have a variety of different Instagram accounts depending on what type of clothes or style you’re into, including girls, skate, surf, BMX, snow, vault, and house of vans which does features on different locations and events.
While they offer a lot of content that appeals to many different audiences and aesthetics, Vans doesn’t use Instagram story highlights, which is a unique choice.
They do often offer interesting video content, which does increase their amount of engagement and attractiveness of their profile. They always choose the perfect video thumbnail for their feed, which is something you should learn from them.
Best Food and Restaurant Brands on Instagram
Most of the time if you weren’t hungry before looking at Instagram, you likely are when you finish. It’s vital for food and restaurant brands to use Instagram to showcase their products— food has a visual element, after all.
Here are some of the top brands that are knocking it out of the park on Instagram in terms of food and restaurants.
9. Starbucks
Starbucks sure knows people, and it shows on their Instagram. @starbucks always features their employees and customers in detailed stories on their profile, helping to bring a little bit more joy into the world.
They’re also stars when it comes to center-focused food photography, with pictures of their beverages making your mouth water. With roughly 18 million followers, it’s clear that Starbucks is doing something right.
They also use IG stories to share their brand’s social impact as well as sustainability; they also do fun features like zodiac drink charts and teaching people the name of Starbucks drinks in American Sign Language (ASL) using their employees. Really awesome!
What a great way to keep it people-focused; content that features people and makes a connection with their community is always popular.
10. King and Queen Cantina
A small business chain owned by @mr.tempo, King & Queen Cantina is a big achiever when it comes to creating engaging and interesting content for Instagram. They also feature many of their users and sure know a thing or two about how to take a picture of a cocktail.
@Kingandqueencantina is a beautiful mix of delicious food, recreational party time, as well as Mexican culture all rolled up into an Instagram full of energy and excitement. They even have their own hashtag, #maschingon. Now that’s brand identity!
King and Queen Cantina always keeps very active on Instagram stories, featuring many of the users that tag them in their Instagram posts as well as showing off different recipes or projects that they have going on.
11. Oreo
Sometimes you come across a brand that everybody knows and loves, so how in the world can you create an Instagram that engages users and helps your performance?
@oreo has mastered it. They have some seriously fun content that helps people see some cool or enjoyable content related to Oreos, also mixed in with some advertisements and product features.
In their bio, @oreo writes playful moments from your favorite cookie. What a great way to let people know what your Instagram is all about and what they can expect from the feed.
They also use Instagram stories to include folks that are gluten-free in content as well as to share recipes and shoutouts. They even have a feature for Pride, featuring the hashtag #proudparent. What an awesome way to show that Oreo supports inclusion for all. We love to see it!
12. Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is incredible at creating a visually pleasing aesthetic with beautiful graphic design for their content. They have a perfect mix of warm tones that creates a super pleasing vibe when you visit their profile.
They also created the extremely successful hashtag campaign, #shareacoke, which has almost 700,000 posts. It’s one of the most successful brand hashtag campaigns and helped to promote their products.
Coke doesn’t stand back on social issues either; they’ve featured beautifully designed messages in their content that not only represents their stance on important social issues but also flows seamlessly with their brand image.
It’s truly a work of art!
13. Ben & Jerry’s
Ice cream is always amazing, but it’s even better when you check out @benandjerrys Instagram page. They have some incredible videos that give some insight into their products and also some very fun and political content that helps show their brand’s stance on social issues.
Ben & Jerry has also been notorious for being direct and outspoken when it comes to current political and social issues, something that you may not expect from America’s favorite ice cream company.
This just goes to show that you can use your platform to create beautiful content that goes behind the scenes on a timeless product while still taking a stand and using your voice.
Best Beauty Brands on Instagram
There’s no shortage of beauty and cosmetics on Instagram, and the level of professionalism from certain accounts definitely shows it. If you want to boost your beauty game, check out these profiles that are really making a splash.
14. Benefit Cosmetics
Benefit cosmetics is another one of those accounts that really knows how to create branded content marketing. In fact, they keep the same style that is designed for their products and implement that style into their content.
This is the type of brand identification and awareness that you should aim for when setting up your profile. You want your identity to be seamless and apparent in your content.
Benefit also makes good use of UGC and different tutorials and features, as well as Instagram stories. They love to engage users through Instagram story polls and interactive stickers.
15. Sephora
A global household name, it’s no surprise that Sephora has a solid Instagram presence of over 20.7 million followers. They’ve got lovely branded IG story covers and also have a wide array of content types.
Sephora makes use of all different types of media on Instagram— posts, guides, reels, IGTV, as well as Instagram stories. They feature all different types of content with beautiful product photography as well as fun content with videos and fun commentary.
If you’re looking to diversify your content types, Sephora is a great example of how to do exactly that.
16. MAC Cosmetics
MAC is arguably the biggest competitor for Sephora, although all of their makeup comes from one particular brand, which is @maccosmetics. They have been a staple in the cosmetic world for years now.
Their Instagram follower count shows that MAC offers much to enjoy on Instagram with a whopping 24.1 million followers. They have a diverse content offering including features like Instagram stories, reels, and IG TV in addition to regular posts.
MAC really focuses on creating beautiful and artistic photos that highlight and feature what their makeup can do for you and your face.
They also incorporate some how-tos and different product features that go together, helping to increase purchase volume by grouping things together.
17. Tarte Cosmetics
Tarte also has a nice and light aesthetic that helps to solidify them as one of the best in the industry. They also state what makes them different from other brands right in their bio— cruelty-free, no parabens, no gluten, and no mineral oil.
Tarte is very active on Instagram stories and has a breadth of Instagram story highlights that feature their products, stories, and other people.
They love to show different tutorials and even use a lot of UGC to help show users that anyone can use their makeup, not just the pros. They even feature users with their furry friends sometimes! Who doesn’t love to see a puppy pop up in their feed.
Puppies and beauty? Sure. Puppies go with every niche.
18. Fenty Beauty
With Rhianna being the beloved star that she is, it’s no surprise that her cosmetic line @fentybeauty took off running. They’ve got an incredible Instagram presence with over 10 million followers.
Fenty Beauty is known for using UGC to feature real people using their makeup and cosmetic products. Rhianna also makes an appearance every now and then, increasing the interest in the brand.
There is also a very neutral color palette and aesthetic, creating a comforting look to the profile when you check it out. It’s neutral, but warm, making it visually pleasing.
Best TV Shows and TV Stations on Instagram
TV has changed slightly when we think about the way that we consume it versus in the past, but there is still plenty to be said for both TV shows as well as TV channels and how valuable it can be for them to have a strong Instagram presence.
After all, people are already consuming digital media, so why not extend the show or channel to social media to drum up interest? Here are the TV shows and stations that are doing it right on Instagram.
19. Disney
With a massive following, tons of classic hit films, as well as a newly released streaming service that broke the 10 million subscriber mark, it’s no shocker that Disney is a success on Instagram.
Boasting 30 million followers, @Disney content gets out to many different people on Instagram in no time.
While Disney keeps things relatively simple, they use effective content features to give teaser trailers, remember old classics that people love, as well as engage users through captions and Instagram stories.
They also have a few Instagram story highlight albums, but they are purposeful and named with verbs: watch, quiz, explore, shop. Keep it simple, right Disney? These are straightforward and effective calls to action (CTAs).
20. You (Netflix)
You took the internet by storm when it was first released in season one, and is still going strong headed into their third season. The interesting stalker-murderer thriller has captivated people all over the world.
Not only that, @younetflix knows a thing or two about generating interest in their show via Instagram. They use a combination of cast features, videos, teasers, and hilarious memes that feature moments from the show.
It’s clear that You is going to go far both on Netflix as well as on Instagram. It’s an enjoyable profile that keeps its fans wanting more of the show, which is exactly what needs to happen.
21. The Daily Show
The Daily Show is a political TV show that often makes light of many serious situations going on around the globe. It’s a great way to get news while at the same time seeing the funny and ironic side of things.
The host, Trevor Noah, is brilliant and completely engaging. For this reason, he’s often featured on the Instagram of The Daily Show; since it’s a one-person show, this makes sense.
In addition, they feature different segments from the show on their Instagram and also give interviews and allow you to watch full episodes and behind the scenes. When Coronavirus hit, The Daily Show didn’t give up— they created content fully shot online, which shows just how powerful social media can be.
They also provide a link in their bio that directs users to support the issues that they are most interested in.
22. MTV
Just as MTV was a hit back in the days before social media, they’ve proven that they can adapt and conquer any media type. They are completely successful on Instagram with over 14 million followers.
They stay active on Instagram stories and also give fun, engaging content that involves all different types of music and artists. This is fitting considering that it’s, well, music television.
While you’d expect MTV to stay out of politics, they’ve actually been very vocal about the @justiceforgeorge initiative surrounding the murder of George Floyd. They are not shy about supporting issues that they care about and use their platform to shine light on them.
23. Saturday Night Live
A comedy show that will go down in the history books, Saturday Night Live’s Instagram is clearly expected to be humorous and enjoyable for its audience.
@nbcsnl delivers, offering an array of hilarious content that comes both from the show as well as their actors. In addition, they keep the audience up to date with the schedule and appearances.
They use Instagram stories to feature their actors in their own unique album, making it easy for viewers to check out some quirky or behind the scenes content.
24. SportsCenter
Our TV shows wouldn’t be complete without SportsCenter, a huge staple for all things sports. There are many different things you can see on SportsCenter, and it’s pretty interesting.
Not only does SportsCenter give updates on pertinent events related to sports and competitions, they also post hilarious memes and video content that may embody the feelings of their fans and audience members.
This is another one of those examples where a brand is showing us that you’ve got to have a sense of humor and a way to connect with your audience— not everything has to be cut, dry, and boringly professional.
You should stay in line with your brand image, as SportsCenter does, but don’t be afraid to add some fun.
Best Websites and Publications on Instagram
Aside from social media content in terms of products and services, there are plenty of other companies and public figures on social media, including different magazines and publications.
There are 4 in particular that really shine on Instagram.
25. National Geographic
National Geographic is truly one of a kind; very few publications can create the type of content that @natgeo provides its audience. With 164 million followers on Instagram, the connection and spark that it raises in its audience is clear.
NatGeo is an incredible example of creating diverse and impactful content that is engaging for its target audience. They have created some exemplary photography work that is one of a kind.
Not only that, they feature many different stories via Instagram story albums as well as long and detailed captions that explain exactly what the image they post means. In addition to their main site, they also have a variety of extension sites such as National Geographic Travel among others.
Many of their featured photographers also have their own incredible Instagrams, including @paulnicklen, @erintrieb, @shonephoto, and many more.
26. The New Yorker
The New Yorker magazine has been in publication since 1925 and they are certainly changing with the times through their high quality Instagram content.
They keep their content completely branded, feature incredible writing related to current events, as well as other relevant content related to @newyorkermag. In addition, they feature highlights in their Instagram story highlights with relevant stories and images.
6 million followers can’t be wrong about the quality of their account.
27. Life Magazine
Another incredible Instagram account that gives a window into historical figures and famous photographs is Life magazine. @life features beloved photos from the archives to tell fascinating stories that people want to know about.
They keep things simple, going to show that if you feature content that people want to see and can connect with, there’s no doubt that they’ll keep coming back for more. Life has almost 3 million Instagram followers.
28. SparkNotes
There’s truly nothing like the @sparknotes_ Instagram account. A company that is well known by students for making classic works of literature accessible through their explanations and side-by-side text interpretations, SparkNotes takes Instagram to the next level.
Adapting classic works of Shakespeare, Austen, and many others, SparkNotes has a treasure trove of memes that are related to hilarious TV shows like The Office, Parks and Recreation, Arrested Development, Schitt’s Creek, and more.
The fusion of the past and the present is an extremely captivating and creative way to engage their user base. It’s one of the gems of Instagram.
SparkNotes is a simple literary publication company that enjoys 270,000 followers on Instagram; while that’s not on the level of Justin Beiber, it’s certainly a lot of a relatively specific niche account.
Best Product and Services Brands on Instagram
Last but not least, we’re going to give some insight into creative and insightful Instagram accounts from general brands and businesses that offer a range of products and services.
Even if they aren’t in your particular niche, you can certainly learn something from the way they use Instagram for content marketing.
29. Expedia
A well-known and respected travel agency on the web, Expedia has some top notch Instagram content.
They frequently do polls on their Instagram stories, engaging users with their own ideas and suggestions and giving everybody the travel bug through different destination features. It’s an intelligent way to get people participating and interested in using their services.
Their Instagram content is beautifully shot, branded, and executed. They enjoy over 300,000 followers on Instagram.
30. Airbnb
Another popular travel service that has captured the attention of Instagram is @airbnb. A popular booking site for accommodation and experiences in different cities, Airbnb is making the most of their Instagram presence.
They use Instagram story highlights to feature wishlists, online, the road, clean policy, hosts, soundscapes, tips, and more. They also have eye-catching photos of a variety of destinations and experiences.
Airbnb is enjoyed by almost 5 million followers on Instagram.
31. Mercedes Benz
A household name in luxury cars, Mercedes Benz sure knows how to feature incredible auto photography as well as create astounding graphics that completely align with their brand image and aesthetic.
Sleek, suave, and impactful, the image that @mercedezbenz projects on Instagram has captured the attention of 32.4 million followers.
They also have an awesome story highlight cover album photo that works together in three pieces to create the image of one of their SUVs. They focus on cars, sales, and special.
32. Apple
Another giant in its respective industry, Apple is breaking boundaries on Instagram and completely changing the approach that one would think it may take.
Instead of advertising all of their products on Instagram, @apple uses their platform to feature different photography from users that shot the images using their products. You won’t find a single image or reference to any of their products in a marketing sense, other than in real-life use.
This is an innovative way to showcase just how powerful their products are without ever even showing one. Amazing.
33. Bank of America
Regardless of how you feel about big banks, Bank of America has a lovely and brand-reflective Instagram feed that digs a little deeper not into their products and services but into the habits and people that surround them.
You’ll find different money saving tips, features on clients and businesses, as well as resources pinned to Instagram story highlights including community, culture, events, resources, and small business.
It’s nice that Bank of America has taken their reputation as a big bank and made it more accessible to a community feel. Your Instagram has to connect with users, not just market in a salesy way.
Why You Should Check out Established Brands on Instagram
As you can see, these 33 brands on Instagram have reached new heights in terms of their content, overall strategy, connection to brand image, social issue support, and much more.
They are truly a testament to the possibilities that Instagram holds and the things that will help you make a connection with your target audience and build a stronger Instagram presence.
You should absolutely be checking out brands and businesses that are doing things well so that you can learn from their strategies and find new ways to implement them. You may even be inspired to think outside the box.
Pay extra attention to how these brands use hashtags; if you notice, they are very diligent about using the right hashtags, creating branded hashtags, as well as tagging relevant users in their posts and via stories.
If you’re not sure where to begin in terms of a solid hashtag strategy, using a hashtag generator can give you the direction you need to reach more users in your niche and get more people checking out your content.
Wrap Up: Hottest Brands on Instagram
You don’t have to ignore brands and businesses on Instagram simply because they’re competition. In fact, it’s in your best interest to keep a watchful eye on them and see what kind of things they’re up to.
You can even take it one step further and find ways to collaborate with other brands or influencers on Instagram.
One thing is clear, though— the connection that you build with your audience and relevant social issues and current events is a huge determiner in your success on Instagram.
Use the top brands on Instagram to make waves and make a strong presence for yourself.
