2024 Instagram Marketing Trends: Embrace the Future or Get Left Behind
Ever feel like staying ahead in the digital marketing game is a bit like trying to catch a futuristic bullet train with a hoverboard? You're not alone! The digital marketing landscape is evolving faster than you can say "SEO."
Today, we're breaking down the top 5 Instagram Marketing Trends for 2024. Buckle up and bookmark this blog for future reference!
Now, a quick disclaimer, TRENDS WON’T FIX A POOR POST. Trends WILL AMPLIFY a good one.
So these aren’t a guarantee to skyrocket your social media game if a strategy is non-existent 😏.
Trend 1: Reels as the DOMINANT form of content
I know I know… hold the eye-roll. Now that all video content has been turned into ‘reels’ on instagram and with its competitors YouTube and TikTok on its tail, Instagram has a HUGE focus on this type of content in 2024.
The in-app reels editing tools and features have had an update and the style of reels has diversified incredibly since reels took the platform by storm. The key format for reach and visibility potential for a brand is just HUGE.
So, if there was any time to add short-form video content into your content strategy, now would be the time.
Trend 2: Sharing more BTS of a business and the face behind businesses. ESPECIALLY when it comes to small businesses.
As we spoke about in our last blog, personal brands for businesses is the strategy we know will take top place in 2024. So, what does this mean??
Well, it looks like more ‘day in the life ‘vlog style’ reels’, ‘pack an order with me’, ‘engaging with your audience in the stories’, face-to-camera reels, etc.
So, it’s time to give IMPOSTER SYNDROME the flick and start to practise showing up more for our online community. Fast-track conversions with the emotional connection this brings for your audience and with how a follower portrays and interacts with your brand.
POWERFUL STUFF!
Trend 3: SEO TRUMPS #’s
Yep, gone are the days where 30 hashtags are important, or even necessary to reach new eyes. It’s all about SEO and getting your content correctly categorised by the digital robots of instagram.
If SEO scares the pants off of you, here’s a FAB blog by Later to give you some additional tips - https://later.com/blog/instagram-seo/ Instagram SEO: 5 Ways to Increase Your Discoverability.
Now for those of you wondering… “so should I keep using hashtags?”, YES! But only that are relevant to the topic you are focusing on in that post knowing that hashtags aren’t there to help with reach but with categorisation and therefore better discoverability. So yes, feel free to use 30 but ONLY IF THEY ARE RELEVANT.
Trend 4: Selling in stories
Gone are the days when your grid was to be the main conversion hub for your marketing efforts… Stories are where it’s at! This doesn’t mean every story so hold your horses there, it means that the connection and the storytelling can be done in a more direct and intimate way with your audience, making the final buying decision feel easier. Not only that, the link can be added directly to your story and they don’t have to faff around to find it from a post.
This takes the pressure off of selling in the grid and over-curated posts that sell making the conversation much smoother and comfortable for both parties.
But why has this switch happened??? Well, the way we use the app has changed. Due to the increase in ads on the grid we have seen a decrease in the typical scroll and an increase in story views and interactions, showing us that the main place for your followers to gravitate to is your stories.
This also means, your grid content will be mainly made up of top and middle funnel content that aim to attract and engage.
Trend 5: This all leads me to the final trend COMMUNITY > FOLLOWERS (which is something I’ve preached for years now, but hey, it’s caught on eventually right..).
We saw this shift when features popped up like ‘close friends’ in stories and now in the feed. Broadcast channels, and collaboration post and live options. All encouraging close-knit communities.
Once again sharing the importance of human interaction even as a brand. This makes brands more approachable, connect more emotionally with their customers, leads and audience, as well as make a bigger IMPACT quicker with collapsing time when it comes to TRUST.
So our advice, take advantage of one or all of these community-building features to foster stronger relationships with your online audience and enjoy the rewards that come with doing this.
Let’s look at the KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Trend 1: Reels as the DOMINANT form of content
Trend 2: Sharing more BTS of a business and the face behind businesses. ESPECIALLY when it comes to small businesses.
Trend 3: SEO TRUMPS #’s
Trend 4: Selling in stories
Trend 5: This all leads me to the final trend COMMUNITY > FOLLOWERS (which is something I’ve preached for years now, but hey, it’s caught on eventually right..).
Which one/s will your business's instagram account be trying out?? Let me know in the comment section below.
Until next blog,
Chloe x
