Al Jazeera English Instagram
Al Jazeera’s Instagram platform, @AlJazeeraEnglish, had a breakout year, driving record growth and engagement, covering the news and capturing all facets of life. Through high quality photos, stories, social cards and posts, we provided a global overview of current affairs - from the US assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani to Covid-19 outbreaks, pandemic lockdowns and the Black Lives Matter protests that fanned across the US; from pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and political chaos in the UK, Venezuela and Washington to wildfires in the Amazon, freak accidents and often deadly plight of refugees and migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean. And, as the year drew to a close, the US elections culminated with President Donald Trump’s loss of the White House to the opponent he feared most — Joseph R. Biden. Through it all, we were there, up close, and as always, with an editorial eye that elevated the voices of the voiceless.
Our strategy was simple: to deliver every story within breaking news cycles. We implemented this through second-to-none photo curation, IG posts and stories. @AlJazeeraEnglish succeeded as few others have in covering the globe — from war zone reportage to the impact of global climate change and political machinations, twists and turns. We worked tirelessly to report on the COVID-19 pandemic that enmeshed more countries by far than the world wars before it. It was never easy — but AJE’s Instagram platform ran the gamut, from unfathomable loss to unexpected rays of hope — and everything in between.
2020 Wins:
We started off with 1.1 million followers in January 2020 and ended the year with 1.85 million followers, growing our platform organically by 63% in a year. We increased our native content on the IG feed and stories by almost 70% compared to 2019. Our coverage of breaking news sparked online conversation and increased overall engagement, video views and reach, with followers fueling a 103% increase in the number of user referrals from our platform to the www.aljazeera.com website.
Curated posts and branded assets
In a year dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic, Al Jazeera English’s Instagram platform, @AlJazeeraEnglish, drove quality coverage of the news. We worked tirelessly to cover all aspects of the pandemic, from lockdowns to breakthroughs, tragedy and loss — but also the hope that gave much needed rest from a relentless — and grim — daily news cycle. And, as the pandemic raged, we also manage to cover the rest of the world.
We did this through carefully curated single-image posts, carousels, videos (including IGTVs), lives, and branded social cards to break down information in an easily accessible way. We used these assets to generate greater impact and to invite conversation. Our viewers’ responses read like a kind of cardiograph mapping out the pandemic as it unfolded in every country and continent. Al Jazeera English’s Instagram platform used pictures and news to powerfully highlight the full range of life experience — from tragedies, failures and successes to the heroism of those who gave us hope in an unprecedented and turbulent news cycle.
