This article comes from Hootsuite.
The Most Important Instagram Trends to Watch
These are the top trends on Instagram we’re watching right now.
1. More Instagram Stories, fewer posts
Instagram Stories have taken over, with more than 500 million viewers every day. They have also become the place where people keep tabs on their friends and family, according to Instagram research.
On the other hand, the Instagram feed is primarily associated with polished content and discovery. Getting rid of the chronological feed has only reinforced that perception. Posts now need to be slightly more evergreen. Stories seem more real-time by contrast. The majority of users see the Instagram feed as a place to find information and discover products and brands.
While that’s good news for brands, regular users find it more difficult to imagine their content in the mix. Some have viewed Instagram’s decision to test hiding likes as an attempt to spur more sharing from those who feel intimidated by the feed.
2. Growth of the Explore tab
More than 200 million Instagrammers check the Explore grid every day and that number is expected to rise this year. The feed’s new navigation bar now offers shortcuts to IGTV and Shop. From there, people can delve into their niche interests, like beauty, travel, food, or art. Or, they can get lost in a selection of Stories that will now be algorithmically fed into the Explore feed.
3. Sound on for Instagram Stories
It’s still important to design for sound off environments. But a recent Facebook (and Instagram) study found that viewers like voiceover and music. 80% of Stories with voiceover or music performed better than ads without. Currently 60% of Instagram Stories are viewed with sound on.
Maybe TikTok’s musical platform has helped turn up the volume across social media channels. Either way, expect TikTok to influence more Instagram trends to come.
4. Strategic stickers in Instagram Stories
Stickers are popular on Instagram Stories, but businesses have had mixed results with them. That’s going to change this year, though. Expect to see fewer unnecessary and generic stickers, and more polished and original branded stickers over 2019.
5. More interactive Instagram Stories
While stickers have been a mixed bag for businesses, interactive stickers have been a hit.
Questions, poll, countdown, and emoji-slider stickers don’t just prompt more engagement, they make Instagram Stories more sticky. In other words, people stick around longer if there’s something for them to interact with.
For instance, Instagram internal data shows that nine times out of 10, the polling sticker increases video views. Look for Instagram to unveil for interactive elements over the coming year.
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