There has been a rapid change in Instagram trends this year, courtesy of the pandemic, and other factors. 

These are trends that digital marketers need to know about to get the most out of marketing campaigns like boosting instagram followers via platforms like iDigic.net this year. These trends do not invalidate your content calendar but enable you to stay updated and adjust your calendar to fit these trends. 

Below are seven of these trends:

1. Instagram Live 

Streaming videos in real-time on Instagram Live is one of the most popular Instagram trends that marketers need to know as live video is currently the 3rd most used social marketing tactic.

The global pandemic and lockdowns in many countries has further helped to popularize Instagram Live. During the Lockdown, different businesses and organizations used Instagram Live to interact with their followers. And between March and April 2020, Instagram Live streaming increased by 70%. 

Instagram Live has advantages that other content forms don’t have. One advantage is that it allows two-way live communication between you and your audience. Keep in mind that 43% of marketers say videos have helped to reduce the number of support calls they receive. And 95% of video marketers believe that videos give the audience a better understanding of their product. 

The audience can comment and ask questions on the go, and you can answer these questions immediately. You can also add other users to your live video feed and interact with them. 

You can also use Instagram Live to get valuable customer insight through live question-and-answer sessions, interview Influencers, stream a live video to show how their product works, go live during a brand event and even launch a product live.

2. Videos Over Photos 

There has been an 80% increase in the time Instagram users spend watching videos. Gone are the days when photos used to dominate Instagram feeds, now videos have taken over. 

Videos get 38% more engagements than photos and generate over 2X the number of comments on images. 

This is because people are more likely to get attracted by movement in their feeds than still images. 

Given this, marketers now use videos more than photos for Ads and other marketing campaigns. And this has been very successful because about 84% of the target audience have purchased after watching a brand’s video. 

A superb way to get the best out of your video content is to have a consistent design for your photos and video. Also, ensure that all videos are properly edited. 

3. Instagram Stories Ads

Brands are not only taking advantage of Instagram stories, but they are also marketing their products using Instagram stories Ads. 

In fact, 33% of marketers use paid ads to boost their brand awareness and 31% of the Ad budget of US marketers on Instagram is spent on Stories. 

Instagram Stories Ads work because they appear in between Stories on a user’s feed and can pass as native content. Businesses own  ⅓  of the most viewed Instagram stories and 37% of the impressions brands get are from Instagram Stories.

So, If you haven’t started using Instagram Stories Ads for your marketing campaigns, you need to start now. 

Instagram Stories Ads are only visible for a few seconds, so for you to get the best out of it, endeavor to keep the Ad simple and easy to understand. The visuals should also be good enough to capture the interest of the user. 

The texts on the ads should be few and should be strategically placed to distract the user from focusing on the “sponsored” text at the top. 

Also include the price for the product and include a call to action that will direct the users to your website. 

Instagram allows you to post links on your stories, so this shouldn’t be a problem.

4. IGTV is Still Alive and Well

The importance of IGTV in Instagram marketing keeps rising every year. Instagram recently updated IGTV with some additional features which have made it a potent tool for Instagram marketing. 

Marketers can now upload horizontal or landscape videos on IGTV. This enables marketers to create long-form videos. The Explore page on Instagram also now has an IGTV tab, this enables users to find videos faster. 

About 50% of Instagram users, use the Explore feature monthly, so this will increase the visibility of your brand. 

Also, preview IGTV videos can now be posted on Instagram feeds. IGTV previews can increase video views by over 300%. 

5.  Instagram Shopping

Instagram shopping features came just right in time. This is a major trend that has skyrocketed this year because of national lockdowns across the globe. Data shows that one-third of Instagram users have made a purchase using the Instagram shopping feature. 

If your business is an e-commerce brand Instagram has many features in place that will enable you to generate a steady stream of income through Instagram shopping. About 46% of Instagram users have purchased a product after seeing it on Instagram. 

Shoppers can now search for products using a shopping tab on the Explore page, they can also complete entire purchases on Instagram and marketers can now tag products on posts and Stories. 

To get started, you need to set up an Instagram store, this is easy to do. 

Once your store has been set up, promote your products in your Instagram feed and Story, and also enable in-app checkout, this will make it easy for your customers to make purchases directly from Instagram. 

6. Interactive Content

Interactive content is currently a trend on Instagram as marketers have discovered that such content increases post engagement. In fact, over 40% of marketers believe it is a crucial part of every marketing strategy. 

Instagram features like Instagram Stories and Instagram Live help to create interactive content. 

Boring and one-sided content won’t give you the desired engagements anymore. But you can make your content interactive by asking questions and prompting your audience to answer. 

You can also create a quiz or a poll as 60% of businesses include poll stickers to create interaction on their Stories at least once a month. Also, counting down to upcoming events like a product launch, and upcoming posts will boost user engagement. 

7. Instagram Social Activism 

One of the biggest trends we have seen on Instagram this year is Instagram social activism which was majorly triggered by the killing of George Floyd in the United States, which led to the eruption of the “Black Lives Matter” protest. 

Many influencers, marketers, and brands lent their voice to the movement by using their Instagram handle to show solidarity to the cause because 43% of consumers want brands to take a stand on social issues especially when it impacts their business. 

Social activism is thriving on Instagram because it is one of the best platforms to share opinions. 

Reason being that 36% of consumers will purchase more from a company if the company’s stand on social matters is clear. 

A lot of social activism is going on now and you can inspire your followers and rally their support by voicing your opinion on important issues, creating a case, joining a challenge, and using a donation sticker to enable your followers to give financial aid to a cause. 

Conclusion

Instagram trends evolve, and if you must stay relevant, you need to adjust to recent trends.  Ensure you always have a flexible content calendar that you can adjust to fit trend spikes.

 Adjusting to these trends may be hard, but it will boost your engagements. 

Have you tried any of these trends? Share your experiences with us.