Let’s face it, the last few years have been anything but normal. Even the way we use Instagram has dramatically changed. So what are some of the top trends on Instagram that we’ll see in 2022 and beyond?

While the way that we engage with brands, influencers, and our friends on social media has fundamentally changed, there are a few key Instagram trends that we predict will stick around. So what can you expect in Instagram story trends, feed posts, Reels, and more in 2022? Below, we dive into the big changes from the past two years and predict what visual trends are here to stay this year.  

Instagram in 2021 vs Instagram in 2022

What were some of the top trends on Instagram to come out of 2020 and 2021? Let’s break them down and see how they have helped shape what is popular on the platform in 2022. You’ll see these Instagram trends take form across multiple parts of the app, including what is served in your Explore tab.

The Rise of E-Commerce

Shopping on Instagram is here to stay. Additional e-commerce tools were introduced to the platform last year, making it easier for consumers to shop while they scroll while giving small businesses additional sales outlet opportunities. The new ease of click-to-buy online shopping, coupled with a rising consumer desire to support small businesses hurting during the COVID-19 pandemic, has contributed to steady growth in more shoppable posts and features. This year, we expect Instagram to continue to make its native e-commerce tools more robust and accessible. 

Influencers Driving Sales

With Instagram’s new e-commerce features, we think it’s safe to say that Influencer marketing is not going anywhere. The new e-commerce tools will allow Influencers to better track their influence on sales, enabling influencers to develop stronger relationships with brands and more immediate feedback from their fans. 2020 and 2021 saw a decrease in traditional ad spend, as brands shifted their budgets to more social marketing strategies. In 2022, we can expect these Influencer-brand relationships to continue to grow with more data-based sales tracking. 

Unpolished Short Form Video

TikTok saw viral adoption in early 2020 and Instagram launched its version of short-form video content on a global scale in August 2020, aka Instagram Reels. While the rollout for the feature was initially slow, Reels rose in popularity in 2021 as Instagram built increased discoverability features and user capabilities. This short form video content opens up new avenues for information sharing and the chance to easily get discovered. Instagram Reels are being prioritized in the feed as Instagram continues to double down on video content, so be sure to include more Reels in your 2022 marketing mix. 

Sharing and Saving Information

Last year, use cases for Instagram dramatically shifted as a need to quickly share visually-forward information became more and more apparent. The world turned to social media to share and explain complex stories and topics, leveraging Instagram Carousels to make the complex simple and shareable. Here, hashtags just weren’t enough to get eyes on Instagram accounts. Carousel posts and memes took the spot of some of the most trending Instagram posts. Not only are text-based visuals a great way to share important updates and information, but we predict that in 2022, brands will also take hold of this Instagram trend more. As Instagram puts more value on saveable content, using carousels and tutorials to drive saves will help fuel your success on the platform.

Meme-tastic Posts

Memes are here to stay. 2021 desperately needed some comic relief, and Instagram memes are how we all found it. Remember how 2021 started with the Bernie at the inauguration meme? In 2022, we can expect more brands to apply memes to their social strategies, too. For marketers, it will just be a matter of finding and creating your own memes that stick to your brand voice while still appearing at the top of the Instagram algorithm. 

Authentic Copywriting

Prior to 2020, Instagram captions were pretty catchy and to the point. Users would skim a post’s copy, spending more time visually taking in the aesthetically pleasing Instagram photos and videos. Since 2020, however, we’ve seen a notable rise in lengthier captions that share more personal, authentic stories. In fact, caption lengths on Instagram have more than doubled since 2019 as people use Instagram more for micro-blogging. In 2022, we expect this shift towards authenticity and transparency to continue to grow, with users leveraging all parts of the platform (post copy included) to tell their true stories. 

Meta From the Living Room

It feels like pretty much everything has gone virtual. Brands and users alike shifted their plans to Instagram Live to connect with their audience when the pandemic cause in-person events to shut down. Instagram Live saw a huge spike in usage in 2020 and continued a bit into 2021. Moving in to 2022, we expect that going Live may continue to be a top way for brands and influencers to connect with their audience in addition to weekly Q&A ask me anything style Story stickers. 

10 Current Instagram Trends 

1. Social Causes Drive Content

This trend aligns with carousel posts and informational memes. With social justice movements coming to the forefront of social media conversation recently, creators and activists are taking to Instagram to share information and stories that were not commonly told on mainstream media. This helped create online communities and offline movements beyond just trending Instagram posts. We can expect to see these Instagram trends continue into 2022 as more people desire to connect with other users working towards the same social justice goals.

 

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2. Going Live

Going live on Instagram isn’t just for influencers! We’re seeing more and more users, brands, and community groups connecting with their friends and family on Instagram Live. The feature creates more opportunities for direct engagement and interactions in real-time. Think about it – you can host everything from a guided meditation for your friends to a community yoga class now online from your phone via Instagram Live. This is one of the Instagram trends that is here to stay!

3. IGTV in Your Feed

It’s been around for a while now, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused IGTV to grow in popularity as users looked for a way to share more long-form content on the platform. Instagram has made it easier to share and discover IGTV content, incentivizing creators to save their Lives as an IGTV. Videos are now easier to create and edit than ever before via Picsart’s video editor. Even better, you can now upload both vertical and horizontal videos to IGTV.

4. Scroll and Shop

There are so many ways to shop on Instagram right now! Gone are the days of just using Instagram for product discovery. Now, with shoppable posts, story stickers, and other e-commerce features on the platform, we can expect the Instagram shopping trend to remain popular through 2022 and beyond. Instagram has already mentioned rolling out new shopping features like Instagram Shops and Instagram Live Shopping. We can’t wait!

5. Guides Are the New Way to Make Recommendations

Instagram Guides are one of the latest visual tools supporting the shift towards micro-blogging. Beyond just trending Instagram posts, we’re already seeing brands and influencers using Guides as a way to give recommendations. This is a much more comprehensive feature than what’s been available in the past. Typically, users would drop information in post comments, on colorful Instagram stories, or on story highlights, but now, they are able to keep all of the information in one, organized place, similar to a blog post.

6. Authenticity Over Everything

Authenticity started with influencers, but now we are also seeing it as a call for all users, brands included. Users are asking accounts with a lot of likes and followers on Instagram to use their platform for good and be transparent in their values and operations. In response, brands and influencers are taking to Instagram to share their values, stance on social issues, causes to support, and more. The ultimate goal of these authentic posts is to create a sense of trust and understanding between consumers and brands. 

im not black, but i see you.im not black, but i hear you.im not black, but i mourn with you. #blackvoicesheardthis stuff that has been happening is brvia PicsArt

7. Cross-Platform Posting

It’s now quite common to find TikTok videos, Twitter screenshots, and Giphy gifs in trending Instagram posts. Users are asking themselves, if content is relatable or laughable, then why not share it with my friends on Instagram? The acquisition of Giphy and features that make it easy to share TikTok videos and tweets will make it so that we continue to see a rise in cross-platform posting. At the same time, Instagram is rolling out new features quickly to continue to compete with these outside platforms. Either way, we’re seeing an uptick in Instagram content under the hashtags for #TikTok and #Twitter. Due to the rise in content recycling, you’ll also see trends from TikTok later shared on trending Instagram posts. Case in point, the Renaissance Trend:

8. Carousel Posts Make Info Sharing Easy

Carousel posts increasingly get users to stop mindlessly scrolling and start engaging. Gone are the days of sharing multiple photos like a photo album on Instagram carousels. Now, it is all about telling a story that can be educational and/or inspirational. Whether you are explaining a complex topic or trying to drive deep into a concise idea, Instagram carousels have evolved into a great storytelling tool. Lukcily, it’s so easy to make creative Instagram posts. One of the newest takes on this top Instagram trend is the use of carousel posts to share one graphic or message, but with different backgrounds and aesthetics. This increases the chances of shares, as followers will have more options to pick from based on their personal Instagram aesthetic.

9. Keep an Eye on Reels

They’re going to dramatically rise in popularity in 2022, as Instagram Reels directly compete with TikTok content. This is definitely an Instagram trend we are going to be keeping our eye on!

10. Branded AR Filters

So much more than Instagram filters, branded AR filters are going hand-in-hand with the rise in the Instagram shopping experience. The filters are seen in Instagram story trends as they allow brands and influencers to create a fun and personalized unique experience for their consumers that go beyond shopping. It’s a memorable experience. Aside from creating branded AR filters just for the sake of entertainment, brands are also using the feature to create try-on experiences with different products and as part of larger movements like Earth Day.  

How to Make Your Own Trendy Designs 

It might feel like there are a lot of Instagram trends to wrap your head around in 2022. If you’re wondering how to make your own trendy graphic designs and apply all of these top Instagram trends to your own feed this year, we have one word for you: Picsart.

Whether you’re on desktop or editing on the go, Picsart has everything you need to make the latest Instagram trends come to life on your own account. From photo to video editing tools, you can edit all of your content in one place, easily resizing images for Instagram. Picsart even has preexisting Instagram templates to help get you started on everything from your next trendy Story to carousel, Reels, and feed posts. There are a TON of features on Picsart that will take your Instagram game to the next level – just check out these Instagram collages. Definitely check out Picsart on Instagram the next time you need a little trending Instagram post inspiration. 

For the purpose of this tutorial, we’ll teach you how to edit your Instagram photos using Picsart. Here’s the step-by-step to get you started!

1) Open the Picsart mobile app and tap on the plus sign at the bottom of your screen to upload the image you want to edit.

2) Tap Effects in the bottom Editor toolbar to see all of the available photo filters. Depending on your Instagram aesthetic, select your desired filter and tap Apply on the top right to save your edit.

3) Click Effects again to layer on another filter of your choosing. Repeat this step to add as many layers of filters as you’d like. Don’t forget to tap Apply on the top right in between each edit. 

4) Continue to explore other editing tools like Sticker, Mask, Text, Fit, and Frame to add more unique and personalized touches to your photo and resize it for Instagram if needed.

5) When you are happy with the edits on your photo, click Next at the top right of your screen, then click Save or Post to share your beautiful creation with the world!

Final tip: be sure to check out Picsart Quick Tools, for all your Instagram content needs, including the simplest ways of removing image backgrounds, cropping videos, working with emojis, and much more.

Create at the Speed of Culture

Picsart is a full ecosystem of free-to-use content, powerful tools, and creator inspiration. With a billion downloads and more than 150 million monthly active creators, Picsart is the world’s largest creative platform. Picsart has collaborated with major artists and brands like BLACKPINK, Taylor Swift, the Jonas Brothers, Lizzo, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez, One Direction, Sanrio: Hello Kitty, Warner Bros. Entertainment, iHeartMedia, Condé Nast, and more. Download the app or start editing on web today to enhance your photos and videos with thousands of quick and easy editing tools, trendy filters, fun stickers, and brilliant backgrounds. Unleash your creativity and upgrade to Gold for premium perks!