Data Reveals What Drives the Perfect Instagram PhotoThis social media firm hacked its way to 30,000 percent growth.

A photo may be worth a thousand words, but onsocial media, it can be worth millions of dollars. "Social-first" creative agencyBeautiful Destinations, which has 13.5 million Instagram followers across 180 countries, has helped big-name brands like Marriott Hotels and Mastercard create a "Come visit this place" post. (After being tagged in one of Beautiful Destinations' photos, one hotel brand saw mentions of its name spike to 800,000 and an immediate 10 percent jump in bookings.) Its team blendsmillennialadrenaline-junkie photographers, who capture breathtaking images, with data scientists who analyze and predictengagementdown to the pixel. That formula goosed Beautiful Destinations' growth 30,000 percent since 2014. We asked CEO Jeremy Jauncey and chief data scientist Tom Nielsen to unlock a shot of London (above).

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