With Instagram boss, Adam Mosseri, recently announcing that Instagram is no longer a ‘photo-sharing app’, it’s clear to see that social media as we know it is making some fundamental changes and growing with the times. Mosseri highlighted the increased competition from the likes of TikTok and YouTube, and the changes they are making to stand out from the rest, with a refined focus on creators, videos, shopping and messaging.

As social platforms continue to regularly introduce new features and change their algorithms, social media trends likewise undergo an evolution. In this blog post we’ll highlight some of our top trends that are worthwhile integrating into your social media strategy, and why jumping on the bandwagon isn’t always a bad thing!

Instagram Reels

Hands up who’s guilty of mindlessly scrolling through Instagram reels? I know I am! Instagram Reels are a relatively new feature to the app which enables users to record 60 second clips and share them to their Stories, Explore Feed, and the Reels tab on a user’s profile.

From a business point of view, Instagram Reels are a great way to build your community and grow your reach on Instagram since they are made available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in the Explore page, resulting in as many as 10x more views than stories or feed posts.

Ultimately, Reels are a fun and engaging way to share original snippets with your audience, and best of all, you can choose to share whatever you want! Here’s a few examples of reels we have created for our clients:

TikTok

Since TikTok’s launch in 2018, its growth has been explosive, especially among Millenials and Gen-Z users. It recently reached a billion worldwide users, making it the fastest-growing social media network ever.

TikTok calls itself the “destination for short-form mobile videos”, with videos ranging between 5 and 60 seconds in length (think of it as a bite-sized YouTube feed). Similar to Instagram Reels, creators have access to an assortment of filters and effects, as well as a massive music library.

TikTok also recently added the ability to include links and commerce URLs in your profile and videos, so not only is the organic reach on the platform huge, but you can also drive organic traffic to your website.

TikTok owes its instant success to its algorithm which uses artificial intelligence to make personalised recommendations for viewers. Most importantly, the video feed plays as soon the app opens, instantly reeling viewers into endless scrolling!

Ephemeral content

Stories started with Snapchat, but you can find them on nearly every social media platform today, including Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. Ephemeral, or ‘short lived’, content is perfect for consumers with a shorter attention span thanks to the easy-to-digest content that they can consume quickly before moving onto the next thing. It’s estimated that five hundred million social media users use Instagram and Facebook stories every single day, with 62% of users finding themselves more interested in a brand upon viewing it in an Instagram story.

Ephemeral content has the ability to introduce audiences to the personality behind your brand. Stories are completely separate to the main feed, meaning you are able to post content that isn’t as polished, and disappears later, giving customers the chance to feel like they get a behind-the-scenes look at your company as a whole, as well as the people behind it.

Influencers

We're no strangers to influencer marketing, but the way that audiences receive and respond to influencers has drastically changed in recent years, with many users seeking genuineness and sincerity from the influencers and brands they follow.

Have you ever purchased something because someone you follow recommended it? I know I have on multiple occasions! Influencer marketing is no longer exclusive to A-list celebrities and bloggers with a million followers, in today’s digital world, social content creators with niche audiences can often offer more value to brands than high end celebs. With the rise of word-of-mouth marketing, working with influencers is a great way to connect with audience members and boost brand awareness.

It can be easy to enter the world of influencer marketing with a ‘the more followers, the better’ attitude, but it’s worth noting that a bigger audience isn’t always better. A huge follower count is meaningless if those followers aren’t interested in your brand. A smaller follower count (micro or nanoinfluencers) can be very powerful if they have dedicated and engaged followers.