With over 1 billion active users scrolling the gram daily, it’s safe to say that Instagram holds enormous value. But whilst there are millions of users and businesses actively on the platform, there are only a few who really continue to stand out from the rest.
Winning engagement on Instagram requires implementing an effective marketing strategy, and that means keeping up with the latest trends on the platform. If you don’t? Your account will simply fall behind.
Instagram trends are what keep the Instagram algorithm alive and thriving – essentially keeping the platform at the top of users’ minds or as the platform we spend most of our screen time on. These trends include content ideas and information that large numbers of users engage with at a time. Whether you’re a business or an aspiring influencer, keeping up with Instagram trends will help to grow your account as well as keep your current followers engaged if you wish for them to continue following you.
Top tip: The best influencers stay on top of trends so that they can offer brands what they need in order to shine. With the social media landscape changing so quickly, it's important for influencers to leverage the top influencer marketing trends quickly to develop their authority and expertise, making themselves more attractive to brands.
But like all trends, some come and go, and others stay put. The year of COVID was a great example of the way in which the Instagram trends of 2020 changed drastically to adapt to the world’s new normal. With more time on everyone’s hands, Instagram usage went up and trends skyrocketed.
More importantly, another influence changed the way content is now consumed on Instagram – TikTok. Yes, that’s right, it’s hard to believe that TikTok only grew up in popularity from 2020 onwards. This again is a reminder of how quickly trends can come and go.
The Instagram app is ever-evolving and has changed dramatically since its launch as a simple photo-sharing app back in 2012. We’re eager to see what the ‘next big thing’ will be.
Our best advice? Be prepared for change, always. Here are a few Instagram trends today that (we hope!) are here to stay.
One of the many 2021 Instagram trends here to stay is authentic content and storytelling. Audiences can see right past cookie-cutter advertising campaigns and they are becoming blind to the messaging. What social media users want to see is real, authentic content that tells a story. Why? Because humans have a compelling need to share stories and listen to them – it is the very reason we watch Netflix and read books, articles and blogs.
Storytelling will always be a trend across social media. Perhaps the format might change, but our need for storytelling will never die. For this reason, brands will look for ongoing partnerships rather than once-off collaborations beyond 2021. And this is where micro-influencers and nano-influencers fill a much-needed gap. Their content is naturally more authentic and as a result, their engagement is often a lot higher. We expect to see a lot more micro-influencer accounts growing in the near future.
To see an example from one of our beautiful influencers, Daniela Canny , who created amazing content for our Codex campaign, click here
It’s clear that video wins the popularity contest for Instagram content – from Instagram stories, IGTV, Instagram lives and most recently, Instagram reels, video trumps our consumption.
This is, of course, largely due to the influence of TikTok and its rapid rise in success. As a reaction, and to “keep up with the trends” themselves, Instagram competed by creating their own version of the popular video editing tool – Instagram Reels. The launch has been so successful in fact, the Head of Instagram was recently quoted saying the platform is no longer a photo-sharing app and is moving heavily towards video. Brands and influencers need to take note and adapt their strategies accordingly.
People Have Influence #OneMilOneMonth campaign reels will be a good example of a curated reels with a purpose of raising funds to help those in need during the KZN Unrest, click here to view.
This feature was launched as a test in 2020 for a few select users but since its success, it is now available to all users. The goal is to be able to keep the user on Instagram as long as possible so if they can find educational and valuable information on Instagram, who needs Google? Brands and influencers can now share resources and tips around any specific topic related to their niche to provide further value to their followers.
Candibod does an incredible guide on Cape Town's best coffee spots, click here to view it! Guides are great for recommendations and ideas for places to go or products to use. Imagine where we can take guides and use them for brands and services!
For businesses and brands, Instagram Shops and Instagram Checkout is the next greatest thing, allowing professional profiles with e-commerce stores to create their own store from within Instagram, without simply tagging products. Now, Instagram users can complete their purchases without ever having to leave the platform. This is huge for e-commerce stores that already have a good brand following and engaged followers.
What’s even better news is that Instagram has also launched a checkout feature that stores bank and payment details to make shopping faster and easier.
An incredible South African local brand, Burnt Studios, is one great example of a brand that does this well! See here for an example
These are all great trends but let’s also not forget about a few other classic competitors such as Instagram story trends, branded augmented reality filters, the popular swipe feature and leveraging the explore tab with Instagram content trends.
All of these Instagram trends provide an opportunity for both brands and influencers to get creative. Although it can be overwhelming to wrap your head around the next new trend, the important part is to simply start and try. Get these trends right and before you know it, your account is bound to blow up in the best way possible.
Instagram certainly is ever-evolving, but it always starts and boils down to one thing. People, of course. Knowing people is what we do best. If you are a brand and want to talk to us about running your next influencer marketing campaign to implement the latest trends, reach out via our website to enquire with us. Or if you are an aspiring micro-influencer, join us today.
With over 1 billion active users scrolling the gram daily, it’s safe to say that Instagram holds enormous value. But whilst there are millions of users and businesses actively on the platform, there are only a few who really continue to stand out from the rest.
Winning engagement on Instagram requires implementing an effective marketing strategy, and that means keeping up with the latest trends on the platform. If you don’t? Your account will simply fall behind.
Instagram trends are what keep the Instagram algorithm alive and thriving – essentially keeping the platform at the top of users’ minds or as the platform we spend most of our screen time on. These trends include content ideas and information that large numbers of users engage with at a time. Whether you’re a business or an aspiring influencer, keeping up with Instagram trends will help to grow your account as well as keep your current followers engaged if you wish for them to continue following you.
Top tip: The best influencers stay on top of trends so that they can offer brands what they need in order to shine. With the social media landscape changing so quickly, it's important for influencers to leverage the top influencer marketing trends quickly to develop their authority and expertise, making themselves more attractive to brands.
But like all trends, some come and go, and others stay put. The year of COVID was a great example of the way in which the Instagram trends of 2020 changed drastically to adapt to the world’s new normal. With more time on everyone’s hands, Instagram usage went up and trends skyrocketed.
More importantly, another influence changed the way content is now consumed on Instagram – TikTok. Yes, that’s right, it’s hard to believe that TikTok only grew up in popularity from 2020 onwards. This again is a reminder of how quickly trends can come and go.
The Instagram app is ever-evolving and has changed dramatically since its launch as a simple photo-sharing app back in 2012. We’re eager to see what the ‘next big thing’ will be.
Our best advice? Be prepared for change, always. Here are a few Instagram trends today that (we hope!) are here to stay.
One of the many 2021 Instagram trends here to stay is authentic content and storytelling. Audiences can see right past cookie-cutter advertising campaigns and they are becoming blind to the messaging. What social media users want to see is real, authentic content that tells a story. Why? Because humans have a compelling need to share stories and listen to them – it is the very reason we watch Netflix and read books, articles and blogs.
Storytelling will always be a trend across social media. Perhaps the format might change, but our need for storytelling will never die. For this reason, brands will look for ongoing partnerships rather than once-off collaborations beyond 2021. And this is where micro-influencers and nano-influencers fill a much-needed gap. Their content is naturally more authentic and as a result, their engagement is often a lot higher. We expect to see a lot more micro-influencer accounts growing in the near future.
To see an example from one of our beautiful influencers, Daniela Canny , who created amazing content for our Codex campaign, click here
It’s clear that video wins the popularity contest for Instagram content – from Instagram stories, IGTV, Instagram lives and most recently, Instagram reels, video trumps our consumption.
This is, of course, largely due to the influence of TikTok and its rapid rise in success. As a reaction, and to “keep up with the trends” themselves, Instagram competed by creating their own version of the popular video editing tool – Instagram Reels. The launch has been so successful in fact, the Head of Instagram was recently quoted saying the platform is no longer a photo-sharing app and is moving heavily towards video. Brands and influencers need to take note and adapt their strategies accordingly.
People Have Influence #OneMilOneMonth campaign reels will be a good example of a curated reels with a purpose of raising funds to help those in need during the KZN Unrest, click here to view.
This feature was launched as a test in 2020 for a few select users but since its success, it is now available to all users. The goal is to be able to keep the user on Instagram as long as possible so if they can find educational and valuable information on Instagram, who needs Google? Brands and influencers can now share resources and tips around any specific topic related to their niche to provide further value to their followers.
Candibod does an incredible guide on Cape Town's best coffee spots, click here to view it! Guides are great for recommendations and ideas for places to go or products to use. Imagine where we can take guides and use them for brands and services!
For businesses and brands, Instagram Shops and Instagram Checkout is the next greatest thing, allowing professional profiles with e-commerce stores to create their own store from within Instagram, without simply tagging products. Now, Instagram users can complete their purchases without ever having to leave the platform. This is huge for e-commerce stores that already have a good brand following and engaged followers.
What’s even better news is that Instagram has also launched a checkout feature that stores bank and payment details to make shopping faster and easier.
An incredible South African local brand, Burnt Studios, is one great example of a brand that does this well! See here for an example
These are all great trends but let’s also not forget about a few other classic competitors such as Instagram story trends, branded augmented reality filters, the popular swipe feature and leveraging the explore tab with Instagram content trends.
All of these Instagram trends provide an opportunity for both brands and influencers to get creative. Although it can be overwhelming to wrap your head around the next new trend, the important part is to simply start and try. Get these trends right and before you know it, your account is bound to blow up in the best way possible.
Instagram certainly is ever-evolving, but it always starts and boils down to one thing. People, of course. Knowing people is what we do best. If you are a brand and want to talk to us about running your next influencer marketing campaign to implement the latest trends, reach out via our website to enquire with us. Or if you are an aspiring micro-influencer, join us today.
We’d love to hear from you. For any enquiries, questions or conversations, feel free to contact us.
