With over 200 million business accounts on Instagram, the competition for brand visibility is fierce. However, staying attuned to the latest Instagram trends can be a game-changer for your marketing strategy, helping your brand stand out and drive growth.
In this article, we delve into the top 8 Instagram trends for 2024, exploring innovative approaches like AI-driven content creation and community building, with practical examples to guide your strategy implementation.
Take a moment to scroll through your Instagram feed, and you’ll likely notice a predominant presence of videos among the first 10 to 15 posts. In 2024, Instagram will continue to prioritize video, particularly through reels.
The platform constantly introduces new features to encourage creators to produce more video content. This includes replying to reels with another reel, incorporating new effects, music, and voiceovers, uploading longer video stories without cuts, and hosting interactive live streams. Embracing video content is no longer just encouraged—it’s imperative for success on Instagram.
Utilize videos to authentically showcase your brand’s personality, demonstrate products in action, offer behind-the-scenes glimpses, and engage with your audience in real time. Video content fosters genuine connections and boosts reach and engagement, aligning with the Instagram algorithm’s preferences.
Instagram Reels, introduced in 2020, have gained momentum and become a go-to platform for short-form video content. Many brands and creators repurpose their videos across various platforms, including TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Some popular Instagram reel trends observed among brands this year include:
Instead of hiring actors, social media managers are stepping in front of the camera to deliver authentic messages aligned with the brand’s voice and values. This approach saves costs and strengthens personal connections between the brand and its audience over time.
Memes are still a hit on Instagram, with brands leveraging meme reels by adding trending audio and infusing their unique twist into funny clips or pop culture references, as seen with Visme. Remember to ensure your meme content reflects your brand values while maintaining a lighthearted approach. Executing effectively can garner significant engagement, positioning your brand as relatable and culturally attuned.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Visme | Marketing and Design Platform (@vismeapp)
A post shared by Visme | Marketing and Design Platform (@vismeapp)
Despite the popularity of reels, static posts remain relevant on Instagram, constituting a significant portion of users’ feeds. Instagram has introduced an update allowing users to add audio to static posts, enhancing their engagement potential.
Brands continue to explore innovative approaches to Instagram posts, embracing trends such as:
This carousel trend involves sharing a sequence of seemingly candid and unrelated images that collectively convey a story or theme, offering a peek into behind-the-scenes moments. Brands like Coach have utilized this trend to showcase their Fall 2024 fashion collection.
Contrary to Instagram’s visual-centric nature, there is a rising trend of text posts presented as static images or carousels. Brands share stats, listicles, tips, quotes, and announcements in aesthetically pleasing, minimalist text posts aligned with their branding. Text posts stand out in a visually saturated feed, providing bite-sized value and fostering engagement with followers.
Brands employ “soft launch” tactics to build anticipation for upcoming products. Through these posts, they offer subtle hints, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or cryptic messages to hint at new releases. Typically, brands distribute several posts over time to create excitement and anticipation among their audience leading up to the official product launch.
This strategy effectively engages the audience and piques curiosity about what’s to come next. Furthermore, brands can generate early interest and demand by generating buzz around a product before its official release.
Witness a seamless example of this soft launch approach in action with Huda Beauty’s reel:
View this post on InstagramA post shared by HUDA BEAUTY (@hudabeauty)
A post shared by HUDA BEAUTY (@hudabeauty)
Like numerous other technology brands, Instagram and its parent company, Meta, are investing substantially in AI this year. For marketers, this trend can potentially transform content creation methods significantly.
Presently, Instagram offers various AI features for creators in specific regions:
Mark Zuckerberg has also unveiled two new AI capabilities that could soon debut on Instagram—AI image editing and high-quality video generation. Users would gain the ability to swiftly eliminate unwanted objects, manipulate images, alter backgrounds, and create original video clips that align with their vision simply by inputting prompts.
However, does this signify that AI will completely replace social media managers? Not in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, it’s increasingly becoming integrated into social media strategies.
AI has the potential to drastically reduce the time spent on certain tasks and expedite creative processes for marketers. When utilized effectively, it enables scaling of content creation, enhancement of user experiences, increased engagement, and a competitive edge.
Boosting engagement on Instagram requires more than just visually appealing content. With the algorithm now prioritizing authentic community interaction, brands must focus on fostering connections with their audiences.
For instance, Instagram introduced broadcast channels last year as a one-way messaging tool for creators to engage with their followers. These channels provide creators with a platform to deliver the latest updates to their followers in a more intimate and interactive manner.
You can see an example of 9GAG’s broadcast channel to get a better understanding of its functionality:
Currently, creators can utilize broadcast channels to send text, photos, videos, and voice notes. They can also share question cards and polls to gather feedback from fans. However, it remains unclear whether this feature will expand to business accounts or remain exclusive to digital content creators.
Alternatively, brands can include followers in their Close Friends list to share exclusive content, stories, offers, and updates. This allows for gathering feedback, answering questions, sharing behind-the-scenes footage, and even creating an exclusive list solely for customers.
Remember the classic “link in bio“?
In the past, Instagram profiles could only feature one link, leading many marketers to rely on tools like Linktree to consolidate all their important channels and pages into a single link.
Now, Instagram allows users to include up to five external links in their bio. Take another look at 9GAG’s Instagram profile to see how these links are displayed:
For omnichannel brands, this presents a significant opportunity to drive traffic to various channels and touchpoints. A retail brand, for instance, could direct users to their best-selling product page, FAQs section, YouTube channel, and online shop. Similarly, a SaaS brand could guide people to their highest-converting landing page, latest blog post, and a new downloadable eBook.
Adding multiple links to your bio is simple:
You can delete or change these links at any time, offering flexibility to brands looking to promote new campaigns and content across various channels beyond Instagram.
Social search is gaining momentum rapidly. Last year, a combined 29% of Gen Z and Millennials turned to social media platforms rather than traditional search engines for information, a trend that continues to escalate in 2024.
Optimizing for native search has become paramount. Instagram’s algorithm is continuously refining to deliver personalized, relevant, and intent-based content to users’ feeds. To stand out, marketers must develop an Instagram SEO strategy that extends beyond merely using appropriate hashtags.
Here are some strategies to elevate your Instagram content’s ranking in Explore and user feeds:
User-generated content (UGC) reigns supreme on Instagram, and for good reason. Traditional hard-selling tactics no longer resonate with audiences craving authenticity and relatability, particularly on a platform where they spend significant time daily.
Top brands recognize the value of this organic marketing approach, strategically repurposing content from real customers to foster trust, boost engagement, and expand their presence on the platform.
So, how can you acquire high-quality UGC for your Instagram account?
Major brands like BMW, Samsung, and Apple leverage hashtags to curate user-generated content. Hashtags such as #shotoniphone, #bmwrepost, and #withgalaxy have millions of posts, showcasing the power of user-generated content in brand promotion.
Additionally, brands can incentivize UGC by hosting competitions or collaborating with influencers and creators within their niche. These partnerships often result in honest product reviews or engaging unboxing videos, which can be reposted on the brand’s page to drive further engagement.
Furthermore, brands can seek permission to repost organic stories and posts featuring their products from non-influencer public accounts, tapping into the authentic experiences of satisfied customers.
For years, Instagram has been the go-to platform for brands and influencers to collaborate effectively. The allure is clear—consumers are 1.5 times more inclined to engage with branded content created by influencers on Instagram compared to other platforms.
In 2024, Instagram is doubling down on facilitating brand collaborations with a suite of new tools and features. These innovations streamline the partnership process and enhance the user experience.
For instance, brands now have the ability to enable other Instagram accounts, such as influencers or partners, to incorporate product tags in their posts. When users click on these tags, they’re seamlessly directed to the brand’s Instagram shop, where they can complete their purchase.
Moreover, brands can engage in collaborative posts with partners and influencers, inviting them to contribute to a post and tagging them in paid partnerships. This results in both accounts being featured, with the post appearing on each collaborator’s profile.
However, the most noteworthy development is the introduction of Instagram’s Creator Marketplace. This platform serves as Instagram’s own influencer management hub, allowing brands to discover creators, share campaign ideas, coordinate communication, and negotiate compensation—all within a single interface.
Currently available only to US-based brands, the Creator Marketplace presents an exciting opportunity for businesses looking to forge meaningful partnerships. Businesses interested in joining the marketplace can fill out this form.
As social media platforms evolve, algorithms are constantly refining content delivery to users. This has led to a decline in organic reach, making Instagram paid promotions an increasingly popular trend in 2024.
Considering that sponsored posts now constitute a significant portion of users’ feeds, investing in Instagram ads presents an opportunity to access a sizable portion of your target audience. By incorporating paid promotions into your marketing strategy, your brand can claim its share of visibility within the platform’s advertising space.
Instagram trends are influenced by a myriad of factors, including platform updates, evolving consumer behaviors, and societal shifts. Staying abreast of these trends not only revitalizes your content but also demonstrates to your audience your willingness to embrace innovation.
If you’re aiming to enhance your Instagram marketing efforts in 2024, explore our comprehensive guide to leveraging Instagram for brands. Learn how to establish goals, craft a compelling content strategy, foster engagement, and drive business growth on the platform.
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