10 Instagram Marketing Trends to Watch in 2023

If you use Instagram for marketing or are thinking about doing so, it’s important to know what the latest trends are. Because so many people use it, it’s easy to get lost in all the noise.

Instagram is still one of the best-known and fastest-growing social media platforms. It has one billion users, and 90% of them follow at least one business account in the app.

By paying attention to the Instagram marketing trends we’ve listed here, you’ll be able to build an effective Instagram marketing strategy and make high-quality content that gets your followers excited. So, you can get more followers, get more people to interact with you, and make more money through the platform.

So, what will be the most significant Instagram marketing trends this year?

Trend #1 : Instagram Stories and Reels will become more popular.

People feel a sense of urgency about ephemeral content because they don’t want to miss out on something important. Also, about Instagram Stories:

• • Every day, 500 million people use Instagram Stories.
  • One in every four Millennials and Gen Z-ers look for stories about the items and services they want to purchase.
  • 15%-25% of individuals in branded Stories swipe up on a link.
  • Businesses account for one-third of the most popular Instagram Stories.

You probably already know that Instagram Reels are a great way to get more people to follow you. People’s attention is caught in a unique way by the short, funny videos, which can lead to a lot of interaction with your business.

Businesses have a chance to beat the Instagram algorithm by using Stories and Reels. You may be able to reach more potential customers if you post Reels to your feed, Stories, and Instagram’s Explore tab, which has a search function and lets anyone see all content, whether they follow you or not.

Trend #2: Companies will work more with nano-influencers who people know and trust.

Influencer marketing is becoming more and more popular, but gone are the days when companies only worked with famous people to get customers’ attention.

But you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on endorsements from influencers because today’s consumers trust nano-influencers more than big Instagram celebrities because they have closer relationships with their fans. In other words, the thing to do in 2023 is to work with nano influencers on Instagram.

Think about these facts:

• • 76% of marketing companies have worked with nano-influencers.
  • 69% of those who answered say that nano-influencers have made people more interested in their brand.
  • Nano influencers usually have less than 10,000 followers, and most of the time they have between 5,000 and 10,000. This means that they can interact with their audience.
  • Nano influencers have an average engagement rate of 7–10%, while influencers have an engagement rate of about 2%.

What’s the point? Nano influencers are an affordable way for brands to reach a whole new audience, so it makes sense that companies are working with them.

Trend #3 : Brand partnerships and affiliate marketing

To compete with other platforms, Instagram will have to become the place where creators go to connect with brands, show off the products they love, and get a cut of the sales they help to make.

And in 2023, Instagram will keep adding new and different features to help the creator economy.

Trend #4: Live streaming is becoming more and more popular.

The future of social media is video content, but live streaming is the best way to market videos. By 2027, it is expected that the live-streaming business will be worth $184,3 billion.

• • Eighty percent of people would rather watch a live video than read a blog.
  • People watch live videos 3 times longer than videos that have already been made. Today, people care more than ever about being real. People are interested in real-time videos, and they also worry that they will miss something important if they can’t watch the live stream. Because of this, more and more businesses use live video for work.

As live streaming has become more popular, Instagram has added features that make it even more fun and interesting. For example, the platform has added Live Rooms, which allow up to three people to go Live on Instagram at the same time:

Live Rooms provides new opportunities for creators to expand their brands and make money. Viewers, for example, can purchase badges for their favorite hosts and engage in other interactive elements such as Shopping and Live Fundraisers.

Trend #5: User Generated Content (UGC) is on the rise!

On Instagram, there are more than 52,000 posts with the hashtag #ugccreator.

Why? Because user-generated content (UGC) was previously created by people who liked a brand on their own, a UGC developer creates content that appears to be UGC but is paid for. As a result, brands may jump on this type of creator in 2023 and pay for more “genuine” material to increase sales and traffic.

Trend #6: The Explore Page/Tab feature helps reach a larger audience.

Instagram has become a great place to find out about new things. In fact, 50% of Instagram users use the Explore page every month to find out more about interesting things from Instagram accounts they don’t already follow.

The Explore section helps users dig deeper into their niche interests by suggesting relevant content on topics they like. Users can also browse by category and simply refresh the page to see new photos and videos. There are topic channels, a shopping feed, Instagram Stories, and IGTV videos on the Explore page.

For brand products, this is a great chance to reach more potential customers who are already interested in a topic you know a lot about (e.g., your products or services). You can also look at your Instagram Insights to see how many people are looking at your posts from the Explore page. Navigate to the “Discover” tab and look under “From Explore” for “Impressions.” 

Trend #7: Video Memes

Memes are a great way to show off your brand’s personality because they are relatable, easy to make, and shared. But in 2023, video memes will be where it’s at because they are 50 percent more visible.

Video memes are the same as static memes in that they combine something abstract, funny, or cute with a message that people can relate to. The difference is that video memes are more dynamic and interesting.

Live Shopping isn’t a new feature, but more and more people are using it these days. Even though the platform is said to be moving away from some of the shopping features it had in the past, Live Shopping is here to stay.

Since Instagram is a visual platform that keeps people interested, it makes sense that shopping on Instagram is becoming more and more popular. The numbers tell the whole story:

• • 70% of Instagram users do so to find new products or services.
  • Live commerce will make up 20% of e-commerce revenues by 2026, according to a report.

This opens up several opportunities for brands and creators to stand out. In-context product demonstrations and helpful fashion advice make you feel like you’re shopping from the comfort of your own home.

Trend #9: Brands are using AR augmented reality filters

AR is still an acronym from the future for many people. Augmented reality (AR) is already here, though, and you can see it in your Instagram Stories. All of those Instagram Stories filters that combine photos with real life to make a new, augmented photo that is part real and part made up.

Instagram Stories has been one of the most popular social apps in recent years, especially among young people. One of the most popular parts of Instagram Stories are the filters that let you change an image in some way. Some are made by Instagram, but many more are made on their own. Brands have learned the benefits of making their own filters, especially ones that use augmented reality.

If you want to make similar filters for your business, you can work with a graphic design tool like InstaSize to make something that helps potential customers learn more about your company and its products.

Trend #10: Showcasing your personality

The better your content is, the more it changes, is personal, and keeps people interested.

There was a time when Instagram was only used to share pictures that looked good. Now, the app has something much more important: a community and a place for people to talk.

What does that mean for brands and creators in 2023? In a nutshell, it means it’s time to bring your own personality to the table.

It’s all about building a stronger sense of community and getting people to interact, whether you use Instagram Stories, add your own voice to Instagram captions, or get innovative in front of the camera.

As a result, we can interact with our most engaged followers on a deeper level.

Instagram is an engaging form of communication, and if you want to be successful in 2023, it’s time to roll up your sleeves, stand in front of the red light, and let your personality shine.

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