With the beginning of 2022, you might be wondering what’s in store for social media platforms and what marketing trends you’ll need to keep an eye on.
Instagram has grown to become the most profitable social media platform.
Currently, Instagram is the top photo and video sharing social network, where 90% of Instagram users follow at least one business, with more than 200 million visiting as least one business profile every day.
With Instagram on the rise, we know that a lot is about to happen on Instagram over the next 12 months, especially when it comes to Instagram marketing trends.
In this article, I will dive into Instagram trends predicted over the next year and how you can get ahead of the game.
Instagram Marketing Trends You Need to Be Aware of in 2022
- Shopping features will reign
- Influencer marketing will be more trustworthy
- Community engagement features will be more popular
- Instagram video stories aren’t going anywhere
- Reels usage will rise
- Instagram carousels are here to stay
- Authentic content still reigns
- Instagram live content will be more relevant
- Brand personalities are on the rise
- Link sticker is an exciting feature to use in 2022
- Analytics tools are crucial
If you thought Instagram was turning into a shopping platform, you were about right.
These shopping features aim to bridge the gap for marketers who want to use this platform as a marketing tool to be able to use it as an e-commerce channel as well.
For instance, the shopping feature in Stories rolled out in 2019 and helps advertisers place a shopping bag icon on any product or service that they are promoting.
With this option, marketers can target their audience to click the shopping bag icon and view product image, information, and link to the website to buy the product.
With more than 400 million users using Instagram Stories on a daily basis, advertisers can take advantage of this marketing feature to connect with their target clients.
In 2022, Instagram will launch its native creator affiliate program, allowing creators to earn commissions for the sales they drive.
2. Influencer marketing will be more trustworthy
Influencer marketing is one of those Instagram trends that has become mainstream as most brands see it is as one of the best ways to reach out to their target audience.
Instagram introduced several ways for content creators to earn money from the platform in 2021.
According to a Nielsen report, consumers trust recommendations from individuals (even if they don’t know them) more than brands.
Using people who are trustworthy, reputable, and likeable is a great strategy you can use to market your brand.
As mentioned previously, Instagram is now testing a new feature that will allow content creators to discover products available on checkout, share them with their audiences, and earn commission payments for the purchases they inspire on the platform.
This means that in 2022, creator-led shopping will be extremely popular, so you better jump on that marketing trend!
3. Community engagement features will be more popular
It’s no secret that Instagram excels when it comes to conversation prompts and engagement rates.
Due to its playful nature, Instagram always comes up with new and exciting ways to interact with its users: from emoji reactions and interactive Story stickers to Instagram polls, the platform sure knows how to drive conversations and keep them going.
And we all know that the key to having engaged communities is through constant and sincere conversations.
To further increase engagement, you can use Instagram’s Story features like the question sticker – this will help you find your followers’ opinion about your brand.
Here are some ideas: swipe up, learn more, see more, discover more, link in bio, etc.
We predict that this Instagram marketing trend won’t go away in 2022. In fact, it’s very possible that comment replies will become more engaging and interactive and new features to play with will be at brands’ disposal.
4. Instagram video stories aren’t going anywhere
Is it now the time to turn on your camera?
No matter how many followers a brand has on Instagram, using videos in their Stories leads to increased engagement.
Brands are posting an average of 15-16 Instagram Stories per month, while posting up to five stories per day will ensure a retention rate of over 70%, according to our Instagram Stories Study.
2021 was a year of massive video content consumption, especially on Instagram. According to our data, brands published 49.02% Instagram Story videos and 50.98% Instagram Story images.
The study also revealed that Instagram Story videos were more successful in keeping the viewers hooked than Instagram Story images.
The study also revealed that video Instagram Stories have a tap-forward rate of 0.80% lower than image stories, which means that they are more successful in keeping the viewers hooked than Instagram Story images.
What does all this means? That Instagram Stories videos are increasing in popularity and will for sure be a hot marketing trend in 2022.
5. Reels usage will rise
Another important Instagram trend you should not forget about in 2022 is Instagram Reels.
The Instagram Reels feature was created as a response to Instagrams’ rival, TikTok. Just like TikTok, it’s a feature where you can share short and dynamic videos.
While uploading the 15 seconds video, you can make use of text, stickers, camera effects, and music.
Your brand should take the upper hand in using Instagram Reels just because it’s still a fresh update and you benefit from a boost.
All these tools expand your brands’ flexibility, translating into more reach and engagement.
Learn how to create catchy Instagram Reels here 👉 The Complete Guide to Instagram Reels
6. Instagram carousels are here to stay
Instagram Carousels is probably the best feature in your brand arsenal.
By analyzing 22,360,021 total posts, out of which 2,949,312 were carousels, we found out that in 2017 only 3% to 4% of Instagrams’ posts were carousels. However, in 2020, we saw a growth in popularity, averaging at 19.44%.
The growth in popularity of this feature is justified by the engagement it brings.
Carousels exceed images and videos, averaging an engagement rate per post of 1.92%, compared to 1.74% for images and 1.45% for videos.
As you probably know, Instagram allows you to add up to 10 carousel slides.
We discovered that if you use 10 slides and create a mix of images and videos, the engagement will increase.
7. Authentic content still reigns
It should come as no surprise if we tell you that content is still king when planning your Instagram marketing strategy. But what kind of content is the most popular?
Take this for a fact: authenticity is a valuable skill in 2022. Instagram is set to favor brands that create more Instagram lives and less polished content.
For a long period, brands were posting heavily polished videos on Instagram to attract customers. However, most Instagram users are not interested in viewing highly polished videos.
Start focusing on authenticity instead of just posting “perfect” content on your business profile this year. Candid content is on the rise – people want to see the human aspect of your brand.
By analyzing the latest Instagram trends, we must tell you that if you want to create authentic content you need to tell stories with your captions and use Stories features such as emoji, slider, gif or the questions sticker.
Take Wholefoods for example. They upload authentic photos with food and DIY recipes.
8. Instagram live content will be more relevant
Instagram Live is one of those new tools Instagram has come up with that skyrocketed in both 2020 in 2021.
Instagram Live usage increased with over 70% in a single month, in April 2020, according to Business Insider.
This isn’t surprising at all, considering that the pandemic and social distancing orders pushed people to find new ways of communication.
Researchers argued that this increase is due to the fact that humans are not built to stay isolated for long periods of time.
To feel that human connection, people have turned to social media in the pandemic. And of course, this trend has benefited businesses as well, as they can easily grow their audience and promote their products.
That makes it pretty safe to say that Instagram Live is not going anywhere.
9. Brand personalities are on the rise
What started as a photo-sharing only social media app is now much more than that.
There is no secret that Instagram is not only about sharing aesthetically pleasing photos anymore, but it’s about community, engagement, and conversation.
In a nutshell, Instagram is now more about “social’ than about “media.”
How will this impact businesses’ and content creators’ presence? This means that they’ll have to bring their personalities in front of the audience.
Whether you’ll choose to create more Instagram Stories, get creative on Instagram Reels, or go live, bringing your personality to the table is a must in 2022.
Take a look at the example below. WRONG is a digital agency that loves to show its personality on Instagram Stories, from relatable and funny memes to behind-the-scenes content.
10. Link sticker is an exciting feature to use in 2022
Last August, Instagram took off the swipe-up feature from Stories and replaced it with a more exciting one, called link stickers.
At the beginning, this feature was only available for verified accounts or for the ones with 10k followers.
However, in October 2021, Instagram announced that this feature will be available for all accounts, regardless of their following.
Adding link stickers to Instagram Stories is a safe way to promote your work and make sure that your website gets to your audience.
Take a look at the picture below to learn how to add link stickers to your Stories in 2022!
Before you even plan your Instagram marketing budget, use advanced measurement tools to track and report on your performance.
If you want your content strategy to be successful on Instagram in 2022, then you need to use analytics tools to measure your overall performance and compare your efforts against the competition.
This way, you’ll know if your marketing strategies are working and if not, you’ll know what areas need improvement. Socialinsider might be a great help here. 😊
Final thoughts
Building a strong brand presence on Instagram in 2022 is a must for a successful marketing strategy.
This guide covers the hottest Instagram trends that every marketer should follow in 2022.
This year will be an exciting one for this social media giant. With so many features, Instagram is THE platform you should use to promote your brand and message.
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