The social media landscape is constantly shifting and evolving. As digital platforms adopt new technology and new practices, users will need to adapt their behaviour to meet new standards to ensure their posts don’t get lost amongst the noise.
Some trends appear and disappear in the blink of an eye, while others take hold and become social media sensations. Sometimes it can be hard to keep track of it all. We’ve put together a list of some of the top trends seen on Instagram in 2022. Check it out below.
The Rise Of Reels
Photos are still king on Instagram. The platform remains the de facto place to post photos online. While our snaps can still be printed and made into collections through photo book maker services, posting them online at the same time has become second nature.
However, the explosive rise of TikTok has made people question whether video content is the future. Instagram seemed worried about this, launching their own Reels feature in response to TikTok’s success.
Reels was launched in 2020, but it was this year that we saw the feature really take. Instagram updated Reels to accommodate longer videos and added a slew of editing options to rival TikTok. Creators on Instagram who had previously focused purely on still images have begun to foray into producing video content for the platform.
More Influencers
Social media influencers are often thought of as super-rich celebrities who have follower counts numbering in the tens of millions. However, in 2022 we have started to see an increase in smaller-scale influencers and brand partners, often referred to as micro-influencers.
Brands have noticed that some people can have a hard time relating to famous influencers and that their marketing campaigns were stagnating or performing poorly. In response to this, some companies have opted to work with less established and less obvious influencers, users with modest follower numbers and more natural posts and feeds. This has worked to help brands better connect with consumers on a deeper level, and it’s something we can definitely expect to see more of as we head into 2023.
Going Live
Live streaming is a booming industry, with platforms like Twitch enjoying incredible viewing figures and spawning a whole new subculture of content.
Instagram has had a live feature for a number of years, but we saw it really take off in 2022. Brands and influencers can go live to give consumers a more personal insight and connection, while friends and family can go live simply for the fun of it.
More Stories
Instagram’s Story feature launched in 2016 and has gone through numerous iterations since then. It is now one of the platform’s most popular features. It is used by everyone, from basic users to celebrities, to offer a snapshot into their daily life. The feature allows for quick editing options such as captions, stickers, and music and was an incredibly popular creative feature throughout 2022.
Conclusion
Use this guide to look back on the top Instagram trends in 2022 and predict what the platform’s future could look like.
