Menu
The social media landscape is constantly changing. With Instagram having over 2 billion monthly active users, brands have to stay up to date with its latest trends.
Read on to learn more about the Instagram trends you need to know in 2022.
It comes as no surprise that short-form video is THE social media trend in 2022. When Instagram Reels were first rolled out to users throughout 2021, it was created to compete against TikTok, which skyrocketed to popularity during the pandemic.
These short form videos are the way to go as many brands go all in to create bite-sized content and win the Instagram algorithm. In fact, 89% of marketers plan to maintain or increase their investment in short-form video in 2022. One study found that 93% of brands surveyed got a new customer because of a social media video.
Reels’ core purpose is to promote short, casual, and highly discoverable videos, similar to TikToks. They’re the perfect way to build brand awareness and educate customers without losing their attention. The feature started out as 15-second clips and can now be up to 60-seconds long, which gives users more freedom in creating their video content.
Bonus tip: One of the many ways users take advantage of Reels’ popularity is by repurposing content from TikTok to post onto this platform. When TikTok trends became popular, creators started to repost those content onto Instagram. Cross-promotion of content will help your brand get more reach and engagement across multiple platforms.
Instagram Link Stickers are now open for everyone. Instagram has officially made its Link Stickers accessible to all, regardless of their follower count (unlike its previous requirement of having 10,000 followers to access this feature). They have since removed the swipe-up feature and replaced it with a universal Link Sticker feature.
Simply tap the “Stickers” icon on the screen to access this feature and other sticker options. Once you click on the “link” option, you’ll be able to paste in the link, edit the label text and place this sticker wherever you want it to appear on your Story. This way, you can promote products and services, direct followers to your sales pages, share informative blog posts on your website, invite users to an event, and so much more.
You’ll also be able to use engaging stickers like questions, polls, GIFs, music, and many other stickers to interact with your audience. One of the latest additions has been the “Add yours” feature, where users can create a prompt that others can add their own photo to and share it on their stories. If you’re stuck for ideas, you can click on the dice icon for Instagram’s auto-generated suggestions for your prompts.
For businesses looking to run promotions on Instagram, story ads are the way to go. They appear in between user stories, making it seamless for native advertising, and more likely for them to engage with your ads. Plus, Instagram’s internal data found that Instagram stories are used by 500 million users every day.
86% of brands say that Instagram Stories had an impact on the content produced about them (Tribe Dynamics, 2021). 58% of users say that they’re more interested in a brand after seeing it in a Story.
With the latest Instagram updates revamping their format to meet their user’s behavior, the platform has begun prioritizing more vertical, mobile formats. So when designing creative assets for your ads, be sure to create them in full-sized, 1080×1920 pixel resolution to fill up the entire screen. Full-screen ads are more compelling and fit right in with the rest of the stories your users are watching.
As we’ve talked about memes and pop culture marketing in our previous blog, we mentioned that Instagram is a great platform to show your fun side. Many successful brands use it to share memes that are relevant to their business and audience or cross-promote tweets onto their Instagram feed.
If it’s fitting for your brand personality, you can find a trending meme or create your own to show off your brand’s personality. You can also take a fun tweet you’ve posted and share the screenshot in a post.
Over the last couple of years, Instagram has made it increasingly easy for businesses to set up shop on the platform to generate revenue outside their ecommerce site. This trend of in-app shopping blew up in 2021, partly accredited to the surge in ecommerce that came from all of us stuck at home during the pandemic. And now, shopping on Instagram has become the norm. Research shows that 70% of shoppers use the network to research their next purchase. When combined with ads, it’s a great place for brands to grow their awareness campaigns.
According to Sprout Social’s data, 80% of consumers surveyed are more likely to buy on social media because of brand familiarity. That’s an enormous percentage to pay attention to when it comes to investing in social commerce.
With Instagram shopping features, brands can create an entire shopping experience for the users and showcase collections, new arrivals, sale items, and many more. Then, these products can be featured in your posts via the product tags onto your feed. You can even tag your products in your Instagram Reels, like this example from Shop Hanya below.
Many Instagram trends stem from influences from other platforms alongside introduction of new features. Keeping up with the latest trends will not only freshen up your content but shows your audience that you’re current and credible as a brand.
Are you looking to freshen up your Instagram content and strategy? We’re here to help. Get in touch with us at hello@medianetic.me, or drop us a message via our chatbot below! We look forward to partnering with you.
Medianetic Sdn Bhd
200301016995 (619415-K)
No. 59, 2nd Floor, Block E, Zenith Corporate Park, Jalan SS7/26 Kelana Jaya, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
hello@medianetic.me
+603 7960 3088 (Office)
Medianetic Sdn Bhd © 2023
Made by Medianetic