Instagram is the kind of community that is always evolving. This means that keeping up with Instagram trends is something you’ve got to always be on top of. The platform is always introducing changes, and its users keep accepting them.
This is why when an influencer that you follow adopts a new trend, you’ve got to be able to go with the flow and adopt it yourself. The question we have today is how can managers of social media adopt new Instagram trends and make the most of them to enhance their client’s success on Instagram?
The quicker social media managers can bring on new Instagram trends and implement them into their content strategy, the more successful you will end up being.
At the end of the day, if you are utilizing trends, then you are going to be favoring Instagram’s algorithm, and you’ll be able to expand your reach. It also gives you a chance to share your content in a way that is completely fresh.
If you are trying to get on top of some of the biggest Instagram trends of 2022, then read the article below.
1. Instagram is Not Far Behind Television
Instagram first came out with IGTV in 2018, and it looks like it was an extension of Instagram stories. It meant that Instagram users were able to film more parts of their lives. However, it exploded. 78% of total mobile data traffic is going towards mobile video.
Despite the fact that IGTV was slow to grow, everyone predicts that it will continue to head in an upwards trajectory.
So, what does this mean for social media managers? It means that you need to find a way to include long-form video content in your content strategy.
You can include things like Q&A sessions, interviews with other influencers, and behind-the-scenes content to draw your audience in. Basically, you can treat Instagram like your very own TV show.
2. IG Live
When it comes to IGTV, thanks to a recent update, you can not only share video content through this form, but you can share a brief preview of your video in your feed. If you see the example below, you will see vertical videos from IGTV on her feed.
You might not think that this is a big change, but it actually is. It is because it gives you a great opportunity to engage with your followers.
Before this feature turned up, it was actually difficult to promote your IGTV content. In fact, there were a lot of people out there that thought that IGTV would be Instagram’s biggest fail.
However, now you can write captions and encourage people to check out your IG TV content in your feed, which means that you can connect the two, and really enhance this aspect of your content.
3. DMs Are a Big Deal
If you watch Instagram stories a lot, then you will probably have noticed that when you reply to someone’s Instagram story, this becomes a direct message. Brands and influencers are using the questions sticker a lot in their Instagram stories to encourage their community to talk back, and then they will share these answers in more Instagram stories.
Direct messages are becoming an effective way for brands to connect more closely with their Instagram followers. You can either share a text message, a voice message, or you can even share a video chat.
Instagram is slowly becoming a messaging platform that is convenient, which means that you don’t have to be limited to just commenting ang liking posts. Now, you can engage with profiles that you really like, on a more intimate level.
Maybe it is time to see Instagram create a messaging app that is separate from the main platform, like Facebook has done. All we know is that you definitely need to make the most of direct messaging when it comes to your content strategy for Instagram.
4. Influencers Are Still a Big Deal
There was a bit of a dip in influencer popularity there for a bit as people started to distrust influencers who had been accused of promoting brands and marketing them without being clear about what they were marketing, and what they were getting from the marketing.
In layman’s terms, they got paid to show you a product, but they didn’t disclose this. This is why a lot of Instagram users began to call out people that they thought were doing this, often writing on their posts that they believed they were being misled.
This resulted in influencers now being obliged to include paid partnership tags, including ones like #sponsored or #ad, which you can see in the example below.
This is different for Instagram influencers and businesses though; they have to be a lot more transparent with their campaigns. There was a fear there for a while that customers would be less likely to buy from a company, if the influencer wasn’t being forthcoming about collaborating with them.
However, despite this setback, influencer marketing is still very much on the rise, especially when it comes to Instagram. Even with Instagram’s new disclosure policies, influencers on these platforms still have a huge amount of authority and are doing really well collaborating with brands.
This is why we still think it is worth your time collaborating with influencers and reaching out to people within your industry to make the most of your existing platform.
5. Long-Form Content
You already know that Instagram is a visual platform and relies on videos and images to be successful. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t enclose long-form content, and the idea of a long caption is becoming more commonplace.
Just check out the caption on the post below. You will notice that Gisele has used her platform to include an eye-catching image, but the real content lies in her caption.
We believe that in 2022, we’re going to see this long-form content increase in popularity. People are going to demand more from brands and influencers than a short, snappy caption.
They want to be able to engage in discussions and learn more about the story behind the picture. We think that this is a good time for you to focus on Instagram captions, and consider this an essential component of your content strategy.
When it comes to being a social media manager, we think that it’s time to step up your caption game and think about what your audience is going to want to see when it comes to lining up your captions nicely with your images.
6. Greater Transparency
86% of people based in America believe that transparency on social media is more important than most other things. They say that video content seems to be the most transparent.
Among other factors that are used to decide whether a brand is transparent on social media or not are honest responses to queries, admitting mistakes, diversity and employment, and disclosed prices.
Consumers also want brands to be more transparent about company practices and values, any changes to their products, employment practices, and policy changes.
There are a lot of lessons to learn here for brands. When their audience demands information about their business, they should be prepared to provide it. Social media is a great platform to provide transparency to your community.
As you can see in the infographic below, consumers think that video is the most honest medium, which means that you can use everything from Instagram live to Instagram stories, and video posts in your feed.
When you include yourself in a video on social media, you can easily build trust with your audience, because they can see that you are attempting to bridge a gap. If you need to admit that you have made a mistake and apologize for it, then we suggest that you do so in a video.
If you are trying to work through an issue with your company, and you don’t have all the answers yet, then we suggest that you live stream, and try to have an honest conversation with your audience.
At the end of the day, consumers want to see transparency and a video is a great way to increase this level of transparency with your audience.
7. IG Stories Becoming Commercialized
You have probably noticed that Instagram stories are now including ads as well. This is because a lot of people are now preferring to watch Instagram stories than spend time scrolling through their feed.
Stories are new and fresh, and there is something new to see with your Instagram stories every day. Some people even update that Instagram stories every hour.
Instagram stories are ideal for big brands, but with opportunities for marketing, the potential grows even further. The thing about Instagram ads is that they don’t have to be complicated or expensive, you just need to have enough for your viewers to want to visit your profile, and even end up following you.
8. Instagram Shopping
Thanks to one of Instagram’s latest features, Instagram shopping, Instagram users can now earn money directly from their Instagram feed. This is a huge step, because this means that potential consumers have even less in their way when it comes to going from a follower to a customer, and buying your product.
When a potential customer has to leave the Instagram app, every step away from the platform is a chance for them to decide that they actually don’t really want to buy that item. When they can buy something on the app, they are much more likely to go through with it.
Instagram shopping became even more relevant in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, when everybody was locked in their homes. We think that you can make the most of this feature to tell the story of your brand, and enhance your audiences’ purchasing experience.
9. Instagram Live
Because everything has suddenly been shifted online, Instagram live started to do really well amidst the lockdowns.
Brands and business owners everywhere started to share their stories, and followers found new ways to connect with the brands that they really cared about. No matter what industry or niche you are in, Instagram live is going to be an integral part of your Instagram content strategy in 2022.
There are a number of different ways that you can use Instagram live to build that bridge between you and your audience, even if you don’t want to do the kind of video that involves showing your face.
You can share tutorials on how to use your service or product and walk your audience through the process of using your service or product step-by-step. You can also introduce your team to your audience, let your community ask any questions they have, and host interviews with people in your industry.
It doesn’t matter how you choose to use Instagram live this year, just make sure that you are getting creative, and remaining consistently present on the platform.
10. Values and Movements of Social Rights
This isn’t technically a trend, but it is definitely something that is important for 2022. Generation Z is dominating the social platform right now, and they are passionate about finding brands that are vocal about their morals and values.
Companies need to be able to showcase their values and stance when it comes to social media. It’s also important to remember that consumers can easily tell when you aren’t being genuine and authentic.
This means that if you are going to be prepared to take a stand on social rights issues, you will need to go all in, and keep your messaging consistent. This means that we don’t suggest you just post on a topic one time. You will need to be prepared to be consistent about that topic and continue to address it further down the line.
11. Use a Link in Your Bio to Encourage Conversions
Making the most of a link in your bio has always been a feature that has been available, but it is currently increasing in popularity as more brands look to turn their followers into customers.
Of course, Instagram shopping is a great way to keep people within the platform, but sometimes there are reasons that you need to link your followers to another website, or another social media platform. This is where including a link in your bio can be really helpful.
It can also be helpful to have a link in bio too, where you cannot include more than one link in your Instagram bio at once. Your followers might only see one link in your bio, but technically you will have multiple places that that link can send them.
We definitely suggest that because Instagram only lets you include one link in your bio, you make the most of the real estate that you’ve got and use a link in bio tool that can encourage your followers to go to all the different pages you are hoping they will visit.
12. TikTok Domination and Reels
There is a good chance that if you use Instagram on a regular basis, then you will know about Instagram reels.
You are probably also familiar with TikTok. TikTok and Instagram reels are creating a whole new type of content that users are starting to expect to see when they go on the platform. These catchy, short videos are becoming part of everyone’s Instagram feed, and the best part is that they are relatively easy to make.
If you haven’t made the most of Instagram reels yet, then we highly recommend that you do. The good news is that you don’t have to come up with fancy dance videos. Even a quick video that shows your products, while you play a trending song in the background can really make a difference when it comes to your brand.
Whether you like it or not, Instagram reels are here to stay, and we think that they’re going to become even more popular in 2022.
At the end of the day, we cannot accurately predict what Instagram trends are going to catch on and continue to do well. However, we can tell you that Instagram trends are always changing, which is why it is important for brands to make the most of them on a day-to-day basis.
The more you know about Instagram trends, the more you can jump on them, and make the most of them for however long they are here for. Good luck!
