Choosing a filter on the photo-sharing app Instagram can be a tough decision. But a new study released today (Nov. 1) reveals the most popular filters used by top U.S. brands, including MTV, Starbucks and Nike, all of whom have more than 500,000 followers on the fastest-growing social photo-sharing site.
If you're looking to hit the Popular page on Instagram , choosing the right filter could help. The top 5 most frequently used filters are Lo-Fi (16 percent), which boosts contrast and brings out warm tones; X-Pro II (12 percent) that has a similar high contrast effect, but retains more of the original color; Amaro (11 percent), that bleaches out photos; Rise (11 percent) that adds a golden glow; and Hudson (10 percent), that casts a cool light; according to Simply Measured, a social media analytics company. And, around half of the Instagram photos used no filter at all.
But perhaps most interesting for Instagram users is the fact that photos with the Hefe filter, which boosts contrast and reduces saturation to reveal more detail in a photo, got far more likes and comments than those photos that used other filters. Hefe-filtered images, used on only 5 percent of photos, averaged 4,515 responses — the highest average of any filter. The other high-contrast filters, Lo-Fi and X-Pro II, received almost as much attention, showing that dramatic filters do better on Instagram.