As we get into the new year, the social media landscape is undergoing rapid change, as it frequently has in years past. While major platforms such as Instagram have not changed their core product offerings for some time, the ways in which users interact with these basic features are consistently evolving. For forward-thinking marketing professionals, this presents a unique opportunity, as insights into the current Instagram marketing trends that are popular can give you a competitive advantage.
How to Stand Out on Instagram in 2019
Brand promotion is more competitive than ever. So how can businesses stand out from the pack on social media? Here are the top five Instagram marketing trends that are set to revolutionize how companies of every size will leverage the platform. From nano-influencers to the rise of IGTV, the coming year is sure to offer marketing professionals ample opportunities to connect with their target audiences in fresh and unique ways.
Trend #1: Nano-influencers
While influencers – those who promote brands to their millions of followers – have been around since the birth of Instagram marketing, there’s a new trend that offers fresh opportunities for advertisers looking to target micro-segments of their chosen market segment.
Nano-influencers, who are typically everyday Instagram users with a following of 5,000 or more, are a new breed of Instagram marketing affiliates. Brands such as Kylie Cosmetics are tapping into these nano-influencers thanks to their close relationship with followers. In other words, brands are using nano-influencers because they appear more genuine to their followers, who are in turn more likely to be receptive to such nano-targeted influencer advertising.
Trend #2: High-quality, Instagram story-based advertisements
Advertising with Instagram’s Story feature allows for more traditional video-based ad spots to be adequately conveyed. Additionally, Story-based ads offer an excellent opportunity for businesses to partner with influencers and nano-influencers as mentioned above.
At its core, Instagram’s Story advertising is built around the same 15-second story model that’s seen throughout the platform. Ephemeral content provides the opportunity to keep a brand at the forefront of the audience’s minds and at the top of their social feeds, and it’s important to have an Instagram marketing strategy that’s dedicated to this type of content.
Brands are also given the opportunity to post more extended video advertisements using Story, with users able to continue watching the content if they choose to do so. This unique formatting will allow brands to expand their Instagram marketing plans with more traditional video advertising throughout 2019.
Trend #3: Instagram business profiles
Instagram has allowed businesses to create their own profiles for some time now, but the trend could expand further in 2019. Business profiles on Instagram serve as a unique tool as they allow businesses to tailor their brand for a photography-based platform with little to no additional effort.
Content already present on a brand’s Facebook business profile can be seamlessly ported onto Instagram. This is an easy advertising method that could quickly pay considerable dividends for Instagram marketing endeavors in the form of increased customer interaction and engagement throughout 2019 and beyond.
Trend #4: Instagram and e-commerce expansion
Photo courtesy of TechCrunch.com
Instagram has been working hard to accommodate e-commerce marketers, and a brand new e-commerce feature is set to revolutionize how businesses promote their products throughout the Instagram platform in 2019. Instagram plans to expand its “Explore” tab features with the addition of a brand new “Shopping” tab.
E-commerce and Instagram marketing is a perfect match. While brands have already been able to promote their products via Explore in the past, the addition of a Shopping tab will mark a notable shift toward Instagram becoming a true e-commerce platform. This innovative feature is set to allow any brand to develop a high level of targeted visibility to their intended target market, which is sure to create a plethora of new opportunities thanks to the powerful combination of Instagram’s algorithms and nearly one billion users worldwide.
Trend #5: IGTV
Instagram TV is set to become a popular long-form video outlet for creators and brands alike in the early going of 2019. The adoption of this feature will allow businesses the unique opportunity to repackage their existing long-form video content (such as YouTube video) while simultaneously allowing for the creation of new marketing materials to drive engagement.
In fact, Gary Vaynerchuk, a leading voice in the social media marketing space today, has taken an eye-opening approach to Instagram marketing, repurposing video content previously made for YouTube and posting it to IGTV to introduce his company’s branded content to a new group of users.
While it may take a while to materialize fully, it’s safe to assume that IGTV could become the next YouTube in 2019, with this trend likely to continue throughout the coming years.
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