What’s Coming Next for Instagram in 2022?
Hello, 2022! A new year is a perfect time to focus on new goals and new trends. 2022 promises to be an exciting year of possibility, change and many new trends. Motto Marketing will help you stay on top of all the emerging trends in 2022 with our Social Media Trends Blog Series. Let’s start with Six Instagram Marketing Trends to watch in 2022.
Suggested and Chronological Content Feeds
The Home Feed will now have the option to toggle between a “Suggested for you” and a chronological “Following” feed.
So, what exactly is a chronological feed? Chronological feeds to display content with the latest published content displayed first. Initially, both Facebook and Instagram had chronological feeds, displaying the latest content first, however, both platforms switched to feeds based on algorithms, as their research suggested users were missing up to 70% of content on their newsfeeds.
So why is Instagram switching back to chronological display? According to Instagram Head Adam Mosseri, the company has started testing two new feed settings, including the much-requested chronological option. A new “Favorites” feed will be populated with content from a subset of accounts a user chooses (Mosseri says he uses it for siblings, select creators, and friends). And finally, a “Following” feed will return what many users have been asking for: a chronological stream of posts from accounts you follow.
Merged Video Formats
IGTV will be merged with feed videos in 2022. This was announced by Instagram on their page last October 5, 2021. They combined IGTV and feed videos into one format, which is what we now know as Instagram video. They also introduced a new Video tab on your profile making it easier for people to discover new video content.
Creator-led Commerce
Instagram is rolling out a native affiliate tool – and soon creators will be able to earn commission payments for the purchases they inspire on the app. So, what exactly is Creator Commerce? Creator commerce is an emerging subset of e-commerce where content creators, influencers, and celebrities sell merchandise to their fans. There are several ways for creators to earn money, including paid advertising, brand sponsorships, influencer marketing, and affiliate marketing. Payment from these avenues is exciting, but the extent of earnings can vary among individuals. With the news of Instagram rolling out with Creator-led commerce, it will be a good opportunity for our creators to find new revenue streams.
The Rise of Brand Personalities
It’s no longer just an app where you can show your photos or videos. It will now become something more impactful: community and conversation. Instagram is now more about “social” than “media”. What does this mean for business and content creators’ presence? They will have to bring their personalities in front of the audience. Whether you choose to create more Instagram Stories, get creative on Instagram Reels, or go live, bringing your personality to the table is a must in 2022.
Video Memes Will Reign Supreme
As we all know, the purpose of video memes ranges from comic entertainment to product marketing. Video memes are gaining steam, and they aren’t likely to decrease in popularity anytime soon.
Community Engagement Features
Instagram already prioritizes engagement with fun features like emoji reactions and story stickers. We expect more of these to come in 2022, this time more for inspiring good conversation and building communities.
We are excited to see all these changes this 2022. We see opportunities for small businesses to harness the power of video, create new revenue streams with the Creator-Led Commerce and continue to find new ways to start conversations and engage with communities. Users will enjoy the newsfeed options and fresh new content and ways to interact with their communities.
From a photo-sharing app, Instagram has finally leveled up to a more engaging social media app that not only will change the way users will enjoy it but most especially for content creators who will soon earn commission payments from the platform.