Instagram hardly needs a long introduction. Together with Facebook, it is the most downloaded app and the most used social network worldwide. What new trends has Instagram prepared for 2024, and which new features will continue to develop this year?
Table of contents
How does the Instagram algorithm work?
Every other person has an Instagram profile, and a large number of companies and brands also try to succeed there by presenting their services and products. This is why this social network has also become very important in the world of marketing, and every good social manager works with Instagram. How does posting on Instagram work, and what features does it offer?
Anyone who wants to be successful on social networks tries to figure out their algorithms. On Facebook, for example, posts are shown in order from the newest and most popular to the less successful ones. So if you refresh your Facebook main feed three times in five minutes, it will try three times to show you the very latest posts from your friends and the pages you follow, while also giving priority to posts that have gathered a lot of activity (shares, likes and so on) in a short time.
Instagram works a little differently. Of course, the newest posts also appear at the top, but when you scroll down it also starts showing you older posts that you may have missed or did not spend enough time on. This social network also tries to offer you the most interesting content possible. That is why it uses many formats, such as Stories, which are very quick and dynamic. Stories are visible for only 24 hours and offer many editing options, stickers and other features. Another format that has worked well for Instagram is IGTV, which is essentially a platform for videos and live broadcasts. The use of hashtags is very typical of this social network and is really popular here.
Videos are becoming increasingly popular, as users often find them more appealing than polished photos.
Also read our article with 19 practical tips on how to get more followers.
How does posting on Instagram work, and what features does it offer?
Posting is very easy for ordinary users, and the app guides you through it. If you use Instagram as a marketing tool, you should follow a few golden rules of the Instagram algorithm, which are:
- Post freshness – the Instagram algorithm prefers recent posts
- Posting time – when your target audience is most active, usually Monday to Friday from 17:00 to 20:00.
- Number of posts – two posts a day is ideal, but remember that quality always comes before quantity, and consistency before random chaos. Competition on Instagram is huge, and you cannot do without high-quality, regular content. Can’t manage two posts a day? Set a regular time when your target audience is most active and post, for example, every Wednesday afternoon.
How to get as many followers as possible on Instagram
Every other person has an Instagram profile, and a large number of companies and brands also try to succeed there by presenting their services and products. This is why this social network has also become very important in the world of marketing, and every good social manager works with Instagram.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been among the most followed accounts for several years. But it is not just football that keeps him at the top. According to surveys, authentic posts promoting sustainability and personal growth get the most views.
What trends has Instagram introduced in the past?
Popular social networks have to maintain their popularity through new features, development and attractive functions. Instagram knows this very well, so it was not idle last year and introduced new features and trends. It will certainly continue this year too. So what can we look forward to?
- IGTV
Much of the development has focused on IGTV, with the introduction of horizontal video uploads, the option to create series and the connection between IGTV and Facebook Watch. This year, too, there will be many new features for IGTV, which (according to some experts) has the potential to draw away some television viewers.
- Hiding like counts
An important step, announced last year, was hiding the number of likes. This feature can now be set for each account. The aim is more authentic posts, regardless of what gets the most likes. Hiding like counts is meant to reduce the negative impact of social networks.
- The new Threads app
Instagram Direct (the platform for sending private messages between users) is becoming very popular. Instagram therefore launched a new app called Threads, which works very similarly to Direct. Threads has been available in Europe since December 2023, and we can certainly look forward to its further expansion.
- Stories in two rows
Only a few weeks ago, Instagram announced its plan to take Stories to the next level. This time, however, not with new stickers or other Stories formats: the developers plan to introduce a second row for stories. The bar would therefore show two rows of quick stories. Instagram also said the format could be extended by another 24 hours, so a story could be viewed for two days. The most successful Instagram profiles would certainly welcome these features and make good use of them.
- Video chat
Instagram previously made it possible to add a guest to a live stream using a split screen, as well as group video calls in Direct. In the coming months, we can expect this feature to be extended to more participants.
- Instagram e-commerce
Instagram will increasingly become not only a content medium but also a sales platform. Its visual nature will be a great opportunity for sellers of fashion, clothing and cosmetics. We can therefore expect more sales through Instagram.
- Growth of video content and carousels
TikTok burst into the world of big networks like a hurricane. Its popularity is built on short videos. Instagram has also fully integrated video uploads into its platform, and the number of uploaded videos is now rising rapidly. Viral content will become more important on Instagram at the expense of classic posts. Carousel posts, meaning posts made up of several connected images, will also grow in importance. What does this mean for creators? In 2024, creating high-quality content for Instagram will be much more demanding.
- Influencer marketing
Influencer marketing will once again become a much bigger business. In 2020, we saw two types of celebrities. Those who adapted to the new times and create content on Instagram or other social networks are successful and doing well. On the other side are those who relied only on traditional events. For the first group, coronavirus actually helped. The second group hit rock bottom and have had to make a living, for example, by delivering parcels. According to experts, influencer marketing will see the biggest growth in the volume of money in this sector between 2024 and 2025.
- Blogging on Instagram
For many bloggers, Instagram is already as strong a channel as their website or blog, or even stronger. Instagram has many advantages, and if you create high-quality content, you have a chance of gaining more followers and a wider reach than with a website. In particular, shorter messages of around 200 words will not attract many visitors to a website. The big problem, however, is the permanence of the platform itself. Many large Instagram accounts have simply been deleted by the social network itself or stolen. All the work then goes to waste. This cannot happen to bloggers who back up their websites.
- Events and promotions
The final tip is promoting traditional events or online events, which can attract a wide audience on Instagram.
Instagram marketing trends for 2024
If you want to know where marketing and the hugely successful social network Instagram are heading in 2024, read on.
Gen Z trends (people born between 1997 and 2012)
According to Trend Talk, a survey of Generation Z, the main trends from previous years are carrying over into 2024, led by sustainability, a focus on personal growth and nurturing good relationships with those closest to us, whether family or close friends. We can see the growing importance of mental health and emotional intelligence. This is also reflected in marketing, which favours smaller and more closed formats and communities of influencers over the mega campaigns of previous years.
The main technical innovations in Reels and Stories are the new Undo / Redo features and simpler video editing. You can create new memes for Reels from the MediaClip Hub. New photo filters will help you better express your mood in your photos and carousels. You can also track your reach more easily thanks to the addition of Replays and the Retention Chart.
Will Instagram Subscription become the new Patreon?
One trend that is gaining importance and reshaping not only the world of social media but society as a whole is the option of monthly subscriptions. Following the example of Patreon or OnlyFans, Instagram now also lets creators produce exclusive content that is available only to subscribers.
A focus on protecting teenagers from inappropriate content
In response to criticism that social media is unsuitable for the youngest generation and harms it, Instagram is introducing expanded options for filtering posts whose content could encourage or prompt inappropriate behaviour in teenagers.
Artificial intelligence (AI), a good servant but a bad master?
What is certain is that artificial intelligence, or AI if you prefer, will reach into and connect every area. Its development is speeding up, and despite many warnings it is becoming an essential player in marketing and services that has to be taken into account.
How many hours do we spend on social media?
Finally, here is an interesting comparison. Do you know how many hours a day you spend on social media? According to research, the average Czech spends more than two hours a day browsing the internet. Make no mistake, this does not include the hours we spend working and earning money online, only the mindless scrolling through our social media accounts.
The harmful effects of internet addiction have been proven many times, whether it is the blue light from screens or the impact on relationships, procrastination and disrupted time management. For those of you who would like to learn more about this topic, we recommend looking into digital minimalism.
So this year, too, we can look forward to new developments on the popular Instagram and watch which trends are introduced first. What is clear, though, is that Instagram is not falling behind and wants to keep its users entertained. Which new features would you welcome most? Is there something you really miss on this social network? Do you keep track of how much time you spend online? Share your opinions and observations with us in the comments.
