Keep reading for more Instagram trends that you need to know in 2022.
12 Instagram Hottest Trends To Know in 2022
2020 was a particularly dramatic turning point for social justice. However, in 2022, the interest in advocacy, activism, and engagement still is burning bright: Instagram reports that social justice advocates are among its most active social customers.
By 2022, Gen Z plans on donating even more money to social causes than in earlier years, and 28 percent expect to comply with additional social justice accounts on social media. If you’re a brand with a connection to a cause, charity, or non-profit, it’s a great time to faucet into that connection and shouts out your values.
Organic reach just isn’t enough
In Hootsuite’s annual social media trends survey, a whopping 43 percent of respondents reported that their largest challenge was “the decline of organic reach and the need to enhance paid advertising budgets.”
Trying to keep up with Instagram’s constantly shifting algorithm can be extremely challenging, and the decline of organic reach has been well-documented for years. One minute, you’re on top of the charts; the next, your engagement has dropped so low that you’re wondering if you’ve been shadow-banned, and also you’re contemplating buying some Instagram followers.
If you want to keep your Instagram reach in 2022, somebody on your team is just going to have to discover ways to boost and master the basics of audience targeting. Not sure where to begin? Dig into Hootsuit’s step-by-step guide to using Instagram ads here.
Live-ing it up on Instagram Live
Between 2020 and 2021, the usage of Instagram Live received a serious bump. (Thanks, pandemic.) It’s likely in 2022 we’re going to need to hunker down at home and turn to our phones for comfort and connection once again, so brands with a strong Instagram Live content plan are going to build a great connection with their followers.
After all, 80 percent of audiences would rather watch a live stream than read a blog post. Give the individuals what they need!
Here’s our step-by-step guide to help you begin with Instagram Live, and more tips for live streaming on social like a pro.
The return of the chronological feed
For anyone who’s ever felt outwitted by the Instagram algorithm, 2022 may just be your year. Instagram announced in December 2021 that it’s experimenting with a possible return to a chronological feed, with the option for users to find out whose posts are most relevant or essential.
Another Tweet clarified that this won’t be a forced change (if and when it happens), but rather a choice for those who prefer to have a little more control over what appears in their feeds.
“Add Yours” collaborative albums
In late fall 2021, tantalizing new “Add Yours” stickers started appearing in people’s Instagram stories. These stickers would ask users to share their own story based on a particular theme: the last photo on your camera roll, the person you’re in love with, a picture that represents 2021.
Tapping on the sticker itself takes you to a collection of photos from everyone else who complied with the theme’s request. It’s a collaborative album or thread.
These Add Yours stickers give a formal structure and filing system for something that was already happening across Stories and Posts. Instagram actually didn’t invent the idea of photo or video challenges. However, these new stickers codify the experience.
Anybody can create a brand new theme with these stickers, so think about this a challenge to create a challenge for your brand that followers can put their spin on and share with their followers.
Replying with Reels
Hot on the tails of TikTok’s video-response feature, Instagram introduced a new method to comment on Reels: with another Reel.
Reels Visual Replies allows users to make their video response to a different person’s Reels. Within the comment section of any given Reel, you’ll see an option to create a Reel of your own; that video reply will then appear as a sticker.
It’s an extremely visual and interactive way for fans to engage with creators, and vice-versa, so we’re intrigued to see how this new tool plays out for brands in 2022. If the success of TikTok’s video reply function is any indication, though, Visual Replies are more likely to pop off on Insta, too.
Of course, what’s true at the beginning of 2022 can change a lot over a year. So think about these Instagram trends as your starting point in 2022 and stay tuned to our blog for the latest and biggest in Instagram trends and explore more marketing updates on this platform this year.