Instagram has surpassed Twitter with 300 million users

Instagram is proud to announce that it has reach 300 million monthly active users, meaning that it has officially surpassed Twitter in popularity. This is especially good news for Facebook, which owns Instagram and itself has over 1.35 billion users. With Instagram’s 300 million users, WhatsApp’s 600 million, and Facebook Messenger’s 500 million, Facebook has pretty much built it’s own messaging empire.

“It has roughly doubled from 150 million in September 2013, meaning not only is Instagram now larger than Twitter, 284 million monthly active users as of September 30, but it’s also growing its user base faster than Twitter,” Barclays Capital tech analyst Anthony DiClemente said, as quoted by the New York Post.

“Finally, as more people join, keeping Instagram authentic is critical, it’s a place where real people share real moments,” wrote Kevin Systrom, CEO of Instagram, as quoted by Fortune. “We’re committed to doing everything possible to keep Instagram free from the fake and spammy accounts that plague much of the web.”

As impressive as Instagram’s rapid growth is, however, it’s not exactly surprising. Visual posts have become the hottest growth area in social networking, videos in particular. Not to mention the fact that its primary user base falls into the 18 to 24 age group outside of the United States, both of which are highly coveted demographics due to their growth potential.

“We’re seeing a lot of people coming in the fashion world, a lot of people coming in, in the youthful teens world, and a lot of people internationally as well,” said Systrom in an exclusive interview with CNBC. “There are photos pouring in from everywhere in the world. If you’re interested in really eclectic topics, I guarantee you there are accounts that are related to that. So we need to make sure to connect you with the content that matters most to you.”