5 Instagram Trends That Are Still on Point
August 22, 2019
Since its debut, Instagram has proven to the world that you don’t need to say much to get popular. The photo sharing social media platform provides the perfect place for selfies, gourmet meals, and sunset scenes to mingle online. This fickle platform offers so much in the way of visuals that it’s no surprise the trends seem to change by the week. Of course, there are some trends that have stood the test of time and are still popular to this day.
As a business owner, you might be wondering why you need to know what trends are hot on social media. Knowing your customer and what they like can prove helpful to you in future campaigns and your day to day social media sharing. So, what types of things are Instagrammers looking for these days? Here are 5 trends that got hot and never quit.
1. Distance Photography: The day of the up close, downward angled selfie is finally over. Duck lips, funny faces, and staring into hairlines got boring fast, so we’re happy to announce that Instagram has been taken over by long-distance photography. Now, instead of focusing on a single subject in a photo, people are finally showing entire scenes in their images.
Even selfies have begun to evolve into full body poses. Posing against beautiful scenery, graffiti covered walls, and any other bright contrasting background is the thing to do. How can you incorporate this into your own Instagram marketing tactics? Try some of your own long-distance shots; standing in front of your business, staff chatting in the break room. Whatever fits the theme and delivers some expressive brand personality.
2. Bright Filters: It used to be the brighter the flash the better. Now, it’s the brighter the filter the better. Warm glowing filters have been all the rage since 2018, and it doesn’t appear they’ll be leaving anytime soon. In fact, filters are only becoming more and more intense. Where some subtle lighting changes would be enough in the past, Instagram is taking a note from SnapChat’s book and has added some beautification filters as well.
To use this trend to your advantage, experiment with filters before you post your next Instagram snap. Even if you’re sharing a meme, a filter can make it look dynamic and new.
3. Going Vintage: The vintage vibe is here to stay with high pants, round glasses and natural hair. The photography trend has shifted sometime between 2010 and 2019, and it appears to have made the 80’s return. These retro clothes, bags, and poses are inspired by the 80’s and have everybody from Instagram influencers to celebrities joining the fashion fun.
Depending on your business, it might not be super easy to join in the retro vibe. If you run a professional firm that handles sensitive cases, for example, professionalism is highly important. This doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun with some vintage filters or accessories. How can it work for you? It encourages consumers to see you as someone who knows what’s hot. Being knowledgeable about current trends is impressive and lets shoppers know you’re listening to what they want.
4. Shoppable Content: Instagram took a leaf out of Amazon’s book and became a veritable smorgasbord for shoppers. Shoppable content is linked to a parent source through the image, allowing Instagram users to click the product in the photo and be instantly transported to a homepage where they can buy the item.
Shoppable content comes in all shapes and sizes, and this is an excellent trend for businesses selling products. If you’re not sure how to use this trend to your advantage through your own page, consider collaborating with influencers on Instagram with free products in exchange for shoppable links on photos with your gear.
5. Private Messages: There’s been an insurgence of private messaging and sharing since 2018, and it’s still an Instagram trend. It’s gotten so popular that Instagram has created an auto-delete option for photos sent through PM, just like SnapChat does. While not all private messages need to be deleted, it does raise some questions about how businesses can work this trend into their marketing campaigns.
Private messages don’t need to be salacious. They can, in fact, just be a message sent to a customer, the same way an email works. So, to use this trend to benefit your business, consider creating an automated Instagram message to reach out to current or potential customers. It should incorporate a CTA to encourage a visit to your website, thus increasing traffic and potentially increasing ROI.
Using Instagram Wisely
Instagram, like other social media platforms, is a free tool and a perfect agent for advertising. It’s important for businesses to monitor trends on Instagram and use them wisely. Being on trend provides consumers with the knowledge that you know what’s good for them, because you like the same things. It also shows them, again, that you’re human and your brand can be trusted. Fitting in amongst your target audience is an excellent way to encourage sales and more importantly, brand loyalty.
Hopefully these 5 trends will be useful over the coming months, but if not, keep your eyes on the horizon. 2020 is getting close and with it a whole new batch of irresistible Instagram trends. Focus on what your followers like, and pay close attention to your analytics and reports following each new campaign.