Ever since the inception of social media marketing, it has been dominated by Twitter (News - Alert) and Facebook. Now, there are some new kids on the social media block and they are starting to receive a lot of attention.

In a quarterly study of Instagram, social media analytics company Simply Measured found that Instagram marketing growth has surpassed the growth of other (relatively) emerging social media platforms like Pintrest and Google (News - Alert)+. Now, companies like Philips, Samsung, MasterCard, and Volkswagen have joined the visually appealing social platform, using it to advertise their brands.

Instagram’s growth has been notable: 54 percent of Interbrand 100 companies are currently utilizing Instagram to tell visual stories about their companies. In the last quarter online, the site has grown 35 percent among brands, remarkable not only in the number, but in the fact that it is a mobile-only platform. CEO of Simply Measured, Adam Schoenfeld finds these numbers significant stating, “Seeing this level of activity, it’s more clear than ever that Instagram has graduated from a ‘fun new social network’ to an integral component of a brand’s social strategy… While early adopters are seeing a majority of the engagement, there’s still time for newer brands to jump in and leverage the visual nature of the platform to engage and grow their audiences.”

Simply Measured advises companies that “the time is now” to join Instagram, as it is quickly grown, but has not yet been oversaturated by brands, leaving new companies room to have their brands heard, without being drowned out by the messages of other savvy marketers. For those who need help with engaging on Instagram, Simply Measured offer analytics and reporting capabilities that help to track results and optimize Instagram for a higher level of engagement. Among the features are helping to identify the most engaging photos, the most engaging locations, and the most engaging filters, as well as helping companies to analyze keywords and craft a unified message across all social media channels.