8 Instagram Trends That You Should Know in 2024

Get ready because, in 2022, you’re about to witness a lot of changes on Instagram. 

The usages of reels will explode, influencer marketing will rise, live streaming will boom, and  AR-based features will rule the market. 

But the thing is, no matter what Instagram trend comes up, brands need to stay updated and learn to use them for their business’s growth. 

Also, the Instagram algorithm is changing every day, so brands have to be more efficient while adopting these biggest Instagram trends in 2022. 

And to give you a head start, here we’ve compiled a list of all the most significant Instagram trends with their best practices in 2022. 

So, without further ado, let’s get started. 

8 Instagram Trends That Are Going to Change The Game

1. The Usage of Reels Will Explode

If you thought Instagram reels couldn’t get any more popular, then brace yourself; you’re about to see a massive boom on reels in 2022. 

According to Instagram’s CEO Adam Mosseri, “Instagram will consolidate all of our video products around Reels and continue to grow that product.” He also added that “We have a lot of room to improve,” in a series of Instagram stories. 

With this, we can expect that Instagram reels have a lot to offer in 2022. 

Although most of us don’t know how the reels algorithm works, one thing is sure – the reels algorithm will be more advanced in the upcoming days. There will be no space for low-quality or visibly recycled content. 

With Mosseri’s statement on Reels, it’s highly predictable that Instagram will put more priority on Reels. This means, similar to TikTok, when you open up the app, you may see the reels explore page first instead of the main feed. 

Also, don’t get surprised if you see Instagram introducing new editing tools and attractive filters to help content creators create more original reels in the new year. 

And to help you use reels effectively in 2022, here are some actionable hacks you need to know:

• Following the trends is good. However, if you want to crack the reels algorithm in the new year, focus on posting more creative and original content. 
• Try to write catchy, short, and engaging captions for your reel audience. 
• Share your reels to your feed to boost views and increase engagement. 
• On-screen text placement is extremely vital. It helps your audience see the text without any hassle. So, make sure to add text within 4.5 dimensions. 
• While creating reels stay niche-focused and provide value.
• Use music or original audio on reels for higher engagement.
• Use editing tools, filters, effects, and texts. 

2. Influencer Marketing is Going to Raise

Research and Marketers predicted that the market size of global influencer marketing will reach $84.89 billion by 2028. As a result, 63% of markets planned to double their influencer marketing budget in 2021. 

Furthermore, 93% of U.S. marketers planned to use Instagram for their influencer marketing campaigns. 

So it should come as no surprise to you that Instagram influencer marketing is going to skyrocket in 2022. 

One of the reasons behind this rise is the paid partnership tag on Instagram. Even a few years ago, influencers used to promote brands or products without disclosing their collaboration. 

But now, Instagram has made it mandatory to use the paid partnership tag. This has increased transparency in marketing campaigns. Customers can see their favorite influencers’ collaboration tags and trust them to buy products. 

Another reason why Instagram influencer marketing will rise in 2022 is Live Shopping. Instagram influencers will continue to promote products using live interactive video content or live streaming. 

Also, with the rise of macro and micro-influencers on Instagram, different brands will be able to stretch their marketing budget while working with them. 

Here is an example of how Heinz teamed up with an influencer to promote their ketchup products. 

If you want to level up your influencer marketing game, here are some hacks you can use in 2022:

• Collaborate with an influencer that fits with your brand.
• Before working with an influencer make sure to calculate their engagement rate. 
• Their target audience must match your brand’s target audience.
• Have an influencer marketing strategy in hand.
• Ask them to create a pre-event hype before promoting your content. 

3. Instagram Guide is Going to Get Highlights

Instagram first introduced guides in May 2020 to some exclusive creators. It was focused on sharing well-being tips to the audience as a way of managing stress, anxiety, and grief during COVID-19.

Since then, the feature received huge responses from people, and Instagram expanded the feature to everyone. 

Instagram guides will be on the trend in 2022 for creating more opportunities for story-telling and e-commerce. 

As anyone can create a list of recommended posts, places, or products, it also opens new partnership opportunities for influencers and brands. 

Instagram guides can be a great source of inspiration for the audience. Whether your audience is looking for a restaurant recommendation or learning from a post carousel, guides will help them. 

You can find Instagram guides on your profile and share them in stories and DMs. You can also feature the product guides in Instagram shops to drive more customers to your page. 

For example, Here’s how Garyvee created a guide compiling a list of his show called “The GaryVee Under/Overrated Show”.

If you’re new to Instagram guides, here are some ideas you can use to create posts, products, or places guides in 2022:

• Inspire your audience to learn new things by creating guides compiling a list of hacks.
• You can promote your popular posts, bestseller products, or viral hacks in a guide format.
• Create guides with step-by-step instructions or how-tos on your products or a topic. 
• You can also share a travel guide, including travel locations, tour maps, etc. 
• Create a guide sharing different influencer posts or photos that inspires you. 
• Monthly or yearly round-ups are in trend on Instagram. You can create a guide on roundup posts to inspire the audience. 

4. Instagram Will Introduce More AR-based Features

Another big Instagram trend this year will be AR.

Instagram already had the most popular AR (augmented reality) features in store. 

If you don’t know what AR is, then consider it as an advanced technology that removes the line between the real and virtual world. On Instagram, the most popular AR features are the filters. 

Instagram filters work through a camera lens and AR technology. 

Instagram already has a popular AR music feature for the audience so that they can create stories and reels with engaging music. 

And, these AR-based features will continue to trend on Instagram even in 2022. 

For example, Facebook’s Spark AR platform has been making new updates, allowing Instagram creators to create more complex filters. They can now create filters that will allow them to add filters on their media from the camera roll.

And there are some valid reasons why AR is going to change the dynamics of Instagram in the upcoming years. For starters:

• AR filters are four times more engaging than a video.
• With AR filters, Instagram in-app shopping will reach new heights, as it allows customers to try out products like makeup, sunglasses before they can buy.
• With more than 80% of users following a brand on Instagram, it opens more opportunities to engage the audience with AR filters.
• The future of AR filters will grow more as it is expected that the AR ad revenues will grow from $6.87 billion in 2020 to $26.05 billion in 2025.
• AR filters have a lot more advantages than you think. For example, you can use it as front and back camera effects, make-up filters, music, mini-game filters, etc.  

You can take the Instagram quiz filter as an example here. In this story filter, you have to guess a few questions. You’ll have 10 secs to guess the answer, which will later reveal itself. 

Another AR filter you’ll see on Instagram is the Gibberish filter. In this filter, you have to guess the correct phrase from a gibberish phrase in 10 secs. 

5. Anyone Can Add Link on Their Stories Using Link Sticker

The use of linkable stickers on Instagram is increasing each year and will continue to do so in 2022. There’s no doubt that Instagram’s in-app shopping feature is perfect for enticing people for shopping, but sometimes you need to redirect your followers to read a blog or visit your website. 

And this is where link stickers get all the attention of people. 

When you add link stickers to your stories, you can encourage your audience to see more of your content. Using the link sticker, you can also make them visit your website and turn them into customers. 

The best thing about link stickers is that you can easily resize them and align them with your posts to grab attention. 

If you’re a new user on Instagram and don’t know how to use the link stickers, here’s a simple guide you can follow:

• Post content to your story.
• Select the Link Sticker tool from the navigation bar located at the top.
• Tap on the Link sticker to add your preferred link and select Done.
• Place or align the sticker correctly on your Story. And you can even tap on the sticker to change its colors. 

6. Instagram Live popularity is Going up

Instagram live is changing the game since everyone went online after the covid outbreak. And still, today, Live is changing the dynamics of Instagram. 

As more and more brands and business owners are using Instagram live to connect with their customers and share stories, news, or updates. It’s pretty clear that it will continue to rule the online world even in 2022. 

Instagram live is going to be a popular Instagram trend in the new year. After all, the numbers say so. More than 80% of the audience would like to watch a live video than read a blog. Moreover, 82% of the audience prefers to watch live streaming rather than read social media posts. 

The reason behind this popularity of Instagram live is the real-time connection with the audience. Today’s brand wants to be more real and human, and what’s the best way to show off your brand’s human and natural side than Instagram live?

With Instagram Live, you can target a wide range of audiences in real-time. As the Instagram live appears at the beginning of Instagram stories, most of your followers will be able to see you live. 

Not only that, Instagram live is a great way to interact with your loyal audience. They can even share their feedback or opinion in the comment box during the live. This is why the future of Instagram live is brighter than ever. 

So, if you want to create engaging live on Instagram in 2022, here are some best practices you can follow:

• Always start an Instagram live with a strong purpose that delivers your value to your audience. 
• Promote your live streaming with a pre-event post to create hype and more engagement.
• Longer live streaming works better than shorter ones. So, make sure to go live for at least 10 minutes to grab the attention of more people. 
• Increase the reach of your live video by saving it.
• Collaborate with friends or fellow creators on Instagram to reach a wide range of target audiences. 

7. Instagram Carousels Will Continue to Get Higher Engagement

Another trend that is going to rule the Instagram world in 2022 is carousels. According to a study by SocialInsider, carousels have grown to 19.44% of total Instagram content since its introduction. 

And it will grow in the near future because Instagram carousels bring more engagement than any other post format. Sometimes it can even outperform static images and videos.

If you’re new to Instagram, carousels are a collection of multiple swipeable photos and videos on a single post. They’re extremely useful if you want to post about various product specifications, a series of tips, or multiple photos from an event. 

Carousels are great for sharing posts on the educational niche. You can create informative carousel posts to provide value to the community or raise awareness about social issues.

There are hundreds of tools available in the market to help you create engaging carousels like a pro, for instance, Canva. 

And here is an example of Buzzfeedtasty using carousels to share some tasty recipes with their audience.

Here are some more Instagram carousel ideas you can try for your business: 

• You can showcase different colors, angels, or features of a product using carousels posts.
• You can share your product, movies, or books recommendations through carousels.
• Create user-generated content using carousels— for example, a before and after photo.
• Promote an event, share your brand story using carousels posts.
• Summarize a few keynotes from your blog in multiple text-based images to drive traffic.
• You can also use the carousels to create a virtual catalog for your brand. 

8. In-App Shopping is Going to be Huge

Instagram will lean more towards in-app shopping in the upcoming years and beyond. According to Hootsuite’s research 83% of people use Instagram to research products and brands. And more than 130 million users tap on the shopping posts every month. 

We can easily state that Instagram is a powerhouse for businesses from these stats. That’s why in 2022, brands will look for ways to convince their followers and audience to buy from them. And, the good news is Instagram has made it easy in more than one way.

Using Instagram stories and posts, you can include direct shopping links. That means you can tag different product links into your Instagram carousels or stories. 

So, if a user clicks on the link, they’ll be redirected to your Instagram store so they can buy from you. They can also see the price on the shop tag in the post, so they can decide whether they want to purchase from you or not.

Also, in the upcoming years, Instagram creators will get more opportunities to earn money directly from in-app shopping. After all, Instagram has fewer barriers to converting a lead into a customer. 

And the best part is, after checkout, you can even save your information to purchase next time without a hassle. 

Also, using live streaming, you can make shopping more interactive for your customers in the future. Using Live, you can show off your products, collaborate with influencers making it more engaging for users to shop. 

Also, Instagram shop tab ads are going to boom in 2022. Recently Instagram made ads available on the shop tabs. So now, you can advertise your branded products in the app. 

If you haven’t started using Instagram shopping, follow these tips to get the best out of it:

• Make sure to add product tags to increase engagement. 
• Create a product catalog to make the products easy to discover.
• Use clear and catchy CTA to entice users to shop your products from customers.

Wrapping Up

There you go, these are the top 8 most anticipated Instagram trends in the market. However, we can’t guarantee what Instagram will update next or what feature they’ll introduce next. 

But we can vouch that Instagram is an ever-changing platform with huge potential for the future. With more than 1 billion users, Instagram will become more than just a photo-sharing platform in the future. 

And, if you’re still not a part of Instagram, we’re hoping this post will be successful in changing your mind.