The New Year is right around the corner and I am HERE FOR IT. Have you started planning out your business model and content for next year? If you haven’t then I caught you at a good time, because I’m going to help you by telling you everything you need to know to take the right risks when planning your Instagram game for 2022. This will leave everyone wondering how you did it with these Instagram trends for 2022.
eCommerce
Instagram is still a hit for young users, content creators, service providers, and influencers. With the availability for online shopping, eCommerce is currently the key focus on Instagram, while making all posts shoppable in the app. The goal is to make online shopping as simple as can be so that its users get more accustomed to spending and build on its habitual use.
Eventually, Instagram wants ALL images and posts to be “shoppable” and be a guide to product discovery. The app is working towards offering an object identification tool in still images and video to support this new feature!
If you are a service provider, creator, store, or product-based business, this feature is for you!
Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality Linkage
Since Instagram is primarily flooded with young users, many have realized that Instagram will need to increase its AR functionality to keep up Facebook’s appeal in this area.
There is talk that Instagram will be directly connected to its AR glasses & tools, and overtly communicated as the platform to showcase your videos, while also being connected to its evolving AR experiences through Facebook wearables.
Instagram will eventually become the AR portal for Facebook.
These enhancements also include NFTs and digital avatars to really expand on the Instagram experience!
Video
Obviously, video engagement is already dominant on Instagram. Soon, Instagram will give users the option to open the app to their latest Stories or Reels, as opposed to the traditional feed of image and video posts.
Most expect it to first start with an optional Stories/Reels home screen option, before, eventually, retiring the traditional feed altogether.
Users would still be able to post still images in this new state, you would just share them to Stories instead, which would then remain on your profile by default. Then you’d open to a variable Stories/Reels feed, leaning into the engagement of both.
Content
2021 was all about getting real. Creators are planning to continue producing more “authentic” and “unfiltered” content since top Instagram story trends, influencers and brands have gained more followers with raw and honest posts and featuring less “curated” feeds.
Users have become more discerning of the story behind the photo and have become better at reading between the feeds.
This doesn’t mean that high-quality photos and content can be abandoned, because it is still a signal of professionalism especially coming from a brand. A right balance has to made between this and “authenticity”.
Stories will remain to be a popular form of content on Instagram. Keep to a theme that is consistent with your brand image, personality, and campaigns. This signals that there are professionals behind the posts.
As Stories are now appearing in the Explore grid, you can get creative and take advantage of these.
You can be sure that Instagram is experimenting on how to keep content fresh, accessible, and more customizable in the upcoming new year. Are you?
Tell me in the comments if you’ve caught onto any of these trends and how you’re planning to use them in 2022!
Love,
Monica