Instagram Marketing Trends: What's Hot in Visual Advertising

Instagram for business has gone beyond having a social profile. It is the 4th biggest social platform, with over 500 million users each day. Among these, over 200 million users visit at least one business profile daily.

With such a vast audience, the competition to grab their attention is rising. A strong Instagram marketing plan is the right way forward. But how to do Instagram marketing when the platform is evolving?

The key is to stay updated with the latest trends and reach a large section of the ideal audience.

This blog will take you through the top Instagram marketing trends that will dominate 2024!

Must-Know Instagram Marketing Trends to Increase Business Growth

Adopting the latest Instagram trends while designing your strategy is important to grow your business. Here are the most relevant trends-

Reels are Here to Stay

Instagram launched its short-form video format with IG Reels in 2020. Ever since reels have become an integral part of the platform. It is a strong competitor to TikTok and YouTube Shorts.

TikTok remains Instagram's primary competitor. Instagram’s algorithms push reels more than normal content to beat this competitor. Hence, reels can be one of the most profitable Instagram marketing tools to promote your brand in the upcoming year.

Moreover, Instagram reels get around 2.35 billion monthly interactions, which is 22% higher than normal video posts. These numbers are beneficial for improving brand visibility.

Authentic Content will Reign

Recently, short-form content, especially videos, has become popular. According to reports, 73% of consumers pick short-form videos to research products and brands.

As such, visual marketing content on Instagram will continue to be a significant tool for marketers. Brands can use Instagram reels and videos to provide valuable information to their audience and boost interaction.

But, it must be noted that Instagram users are more inclined towards authentic content. Thus, the focus should be on showcasing your brand most realistically.

Significance of Boosted Content

Instagram advertisements have always been popular, but sponsored content has gained priority in 2023.

Towards the end of 2022, Instagram decided to cut down on a few of its e-commerce tools. Its focus on advertisements has increased the frequency of sponsored posts in the feed.

Focusing solely on Instagram’s algorithms and organic posting cannot help you reach your audiences. As such, brands invest more in boosted posts for a wider reach and higher conversions.

Boosting your posts gives you more control over marketing spend and lets you customise settings to reach the right targets.

Rise of Meme Marketing

Memes have become a crucial part of Instagram media marketing. It does not come as a surprise, as memes significantly impact audiences due to their relatability.

NYU Dispatch says memes have 10x more reach and 60% organic traffic.

Using meme marketing strategies, you can post content your audience will relate to. It will help you boost interaction and grab the audience’s attention. Audiences are likelier to share and comment on relatable posts, increasing brand visibility.

Shoppable Posts

Owing to the pandemic, online shopping has become a norm, and social media is a preferable marketplace. In fact, 64% of internet users discover and explore brands and products on social platforms.

With its various shopping features, Instagram is an ideal place for eCommerce.

The platform has discontinued its “live shopping” feature and “shopping tab.” Yet, brands can create their store accounts to sell products online. Sellers can also link their products and add a ‘view shop’ button below the posts.

As Instagram is prioritising ads, your focus on creating a strong Instagram marketing strategy will pay off. Growth Jockey can be a strong ally in creating this strategy for ideal results.

Reels for Conversations

Another significant one among the Instagram marketing trends is reel visual reply. Instagram is a vast community of creative content creators. Their creativity should also be a part of how they communicate and collaborate.

Earlier, Instagram allowed you to use only textual comments to reply to another comment. However, the platform has recently introduced new visual reply features.

This feature lets brands respond to comments using reels. You can create reels where the comments appear as stickers and reply to the queries.

It is a highly engaging way to connect with your audience and keep them invested. Moreover, it also showcases that you give importance and time to their opinions.

The Traditional Instagram Approach with Photos

There was a time when Instagram was a photo-first platform. As the platform evolved, the focus turned to videos and reels. It came as an effort to compete with popular platforms like TikTok and win over the new generation audience.

However, this step recently attracted backlash from older creators and millennials. A ‘Make Instagram Great Again’ campaign was also started against the platform.

In response, Instagram head Adam Mosseri has said that the platform has taken the initiative to create a balance between image and video posting. The platform has also introduced nostalgic features like notes, music in the feed, etc.

So, even though reels are getting more priority on the platform, photos will make a comeback and continue to be impactful. Brands must consider this aspect when designing their Instagram social media marketing strategy.

Collaborating with Micro-Influencers

Instagram has seen the rise of content creators and influencers in recent years. This will continue as these influencers dominate the platform in the coming years.

As such, brands have understood the importance of collaborating with influencers, especially micro-influencers, to increase their visibility. Micro-influencers include individuals with a follower count between 1,000 and 1,00,000

Reports suggest that 56% of marketers investing in influencer marketing prefer collaborations with micro-influencers.

Additionally, influencer partnerships add a more authentic touch to your content. Asking influencers for honest opinions about your products makes the videos more trustworthy.

That is why businesses focus on partnering with influencers that are experts in their niche. It helps when the influencer knows the kind of product or service you are selling. This allows audiences to trust their opinion.

Moreover, these content creators find innovative ways to promote your brand and products. It promotes engagement and helps you gain more followers.

Story Links for Everyone

Earlier, Instagram created a ‘swipe-up link’ feature for accounts with over 10,000 followers. They discontinued the feature in late 2021.

It has been re-introduced with some modifications. It is not an elite feature this time, as anyone can add links to their stories.

Smaller brands now have more chances to increase traffic on their websites and other pages.

This feature can redirect your audience to your product pages and ecommerce store.

Moreover, it is a simple three-step process-

• Switch to creator mode and click on ‘add sticker’

• Tap on the ‘link’ sticker

• Add CTAs (calls to action) like ‘Learn More’, ‘Click Here’, etc. with the link.

Supporting Social Causes

Recently, social justice has become a significant aspect of how users perceive brands.

A large part of Instagram users covers the younger generation. Over 60% of users worldwide are between 18 and 34 years old. These users are more interested in social awareness and advocacy. They pay attention to brands that voice their opinions on relevant social issues.

Creating a strong social media presence for your brand requires deeper efforts. It goes beyond posting engaging content about your business. It's important to share your thoughts on ongoing issues and support causes you believe in.

To improve your brand’s image, you can advocate for change, humanise your brands, and work with NGOs. It also makes your brand more authentic, helping people connect with your business.

Wrapping Up

As the competition grows, businesses must learn how to stay on top. As such, staying updated about Instagram’s latest developments is essential.

The current trends and shifts will help you analyse how to make your brand shine on the platform.

To improve your brand's visibility, it's important to adapt to these trends and improve your Instagram marketing. Partnering with Growth Jockey can help you with this. Connect with the team today! Discuss your marketing goals. Build a strategy that will take your brand towards success.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What kind of content is trending on Instagram?

Instagram nowadays is all about authentic content, reels, memes and videos. Notably, the platform has emerged as an e-commerce platform with various shopping features.

2. Is working with micro-influencers a good idea?

Yes, influencer marketing is currently witnessing a rapid increase, and as such, collaborating with micro-influencers on Instagram is a good idea. They enable you to connect with a new set of audience and leverage better engagement.

3. How can you enhance the performance of your reels?

Reel trends help you understand and learn what’s trending across reels on Instagram. As such, you can spot trending content to create more engaging and creative reel content for your own brand.