Instagram has become a major social media platform over the years. The photo-sharing site was launched back in 2010 and now boasts over 800 million users worldwide. What originally started as a simple, effective way to share photos has grown into a thriving community where brands and influencers can connect with their audience.
Instagram is owned by Facebook, which acquired them for $1 billion in 2012. Since then, they’ve continued to expand their user base and add new features to the service. In 2019 alone, Instagram added Stories, IGTV, and other updates. With such a large user base, the photo-sharing app is becoming a powerful marketing tool. Brands are using Instagram to promote their products, build brand awareness, and increase sales and you can also use it in gaining followers on Instagram.
If you truly want to stay ahead of the curve and take advantage of these trends, you’ll need to stay updated. Here is a quick guide to use Instagram trends you should pay attention to this year.
More Stories
In 2017, Instagram introduced the Stories feature, which allows users to upload photos and videos directly to their feeds. Now, Instagram wants to make these features even easier to access.
Live Video Streaming
Live video streaming allows viewers to watch events unfold as they happen. For instance, Snapchat launched its first live feature last summer, allowing users to broadcast themselves doing things like eating food or taking selfies. Since then, Facebook has followed suit with its own version of live video streaming, called Facebook Live.
Influencer Marketing
Influencers are people who have large followings on social media platforms. Brands are increasingly turning to influencers to promote products and build brand awareness. Influencers are able to reach a wide audience quickly and easily. They also tend to have higher engagement rates than regular users.
Augmented Reality
Augmented reality is another technology that is expected to play a big part in the world of social media in the next couple of years. AR allows users to interact with virtual objects in real space. Companies like Google and Apple are currently testing AR applications.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is still very much in development. However, we expect to see VR apps pop up on mobile devices in the near future. Some examples of VR apps include games and educational tools.
Chatbots
Instagram chatbots are computer programs that simulate human conversation. They can answer questions posed by users and provide information based on user queries. Many chatbot developers believe that chatbots will eventually replace humans when interacting with consumers.
Social Shopping
Social shopping is growing rapidly across the globe. People are sharing product reviews and recommendations on social networks. This trend is especially prevalent among millennials.
Selfie Sticks
Selfie sticks are selfie cameras that attach to smartphones. Users hold the stick vertically so that they can capture images without having to hold the phone horizontally. Selfie sticks are becoming more affordable and easy to use.
Conclusion
Instagram has become one of the most important social media sites around. That is used every day by hundreds of millions of people every day to share pictures and videos. There are many ways to use Instagram to your benefit; in this article, we covered some of the biggest Instagram trends you should be aware of this year.