The camera emoji won the race for the most used emoji in brand posts on photo-sharing platform Instagram for 2015, with the heart coming in second and the registered trademark emoji in third place.

Social analytics company Simply Measured took a look over a thirty day period at the top 100 brands (according to Interbrand) and how they posted on Instagram.

The study called the ‘2015 Instagram Industry Report’ analysed 2531 posts by 90 brands – all from the Interband top 100 list (of which only 90 per cent of the brands on the list actually use the platform).

More and more people are engaging with these brands on Instagram, with the report finding the engagement rate has increased 53 per cent year on year since the study first started in 2012. Hashtags, locations and emojis have helped with this.

While the heart is a widely-used emoji with users on the platform, and apparently the most engaging symbol, the camera came in first place largely because of brands using it to say where the photo credit came from.

However, the camera only turns up in ninth place as the most engaging emoji. The heart came in first, followed by the stars and then paint.

Furthering the engagement factor, the top ten brands on the platform based on engagement see coffee chain Starbucks in first place, with clothing company H&M second and automotive business BMW in third.

The key to Starbucks’ success, says the report, is the use of targeted emojis and hashtags, not just throwing some random ones in.

“Starbucks puts thought into each photo, each caption, each emoji, and each offer. Many of their posts prompt users to check their bio for a purchase link, or a link to free recipes for holiday treats,” the report states.

“When planning your Instagram strategy, take a lesson from Starbucks. Don’t forgo quality content production for the sake of distribution tactics. Your audience wants an authentic experience and, if you can, a little something extra.”

Download the full report here for more lessons and info. B&T has contacted Instagram for further comment.