Strategies to try on Instagram in 2021

The year of 2020 has seen significant changes in the way we use social media. For many it has been the main source of social interaction and for others it has been a means of getting through the day by creating engaging content.

Second to Facebook, Instagram is the most popular social media platform with one billion users every month, which means that it’s the ideal advertising opportunity for your business in 2021. If you aren’t already doing this, contact an Instagram advertising agency to get your business online and in front of all those people.

So, what has changed on Instagram in the year 2020, and how can you adjust your strategy to fit with the 2021 trends?

Focus on stories

This year stories have grown enormously, with over 500 million viewers daily! As content on Instagram evolves, posts perform better if they are in high definition, receive good engagement, or are in some way informative to the viewer.

With the diminish of the chronological timeline, users have to fight for the top spot, which often falls naturally to popular influencers or big brands. Stories are a way to get your message across using creatives, animations or short videos to speak to your audience, and it’s worth mentioning that 80% of stories with sound perform better than those that are silent.

Video has also been the most popular type of online material in 2020, with over half of users saying that it’s their favourite kind of content, and this is evident in the results for digital marketers as well, as video is now the number one way that users are converting from new follower to loyal customer!

Instagram shopping

Instagram knows the part they play in the purchase funnel, with 70% of shoppers saying that they purchased a product they discovered on Instagram, which is why brands pay influencers the big bucks to post a photo of themselves using or wearing their product.

This feature has huge appeal to Gen Z and Millenials as it means that they no longer have to leave the app to do online shopping, it can all be done in one place and with recommendations based on their consumer behaviour.

Making the most of this tool may also increase your conversions from follower to consumer, as the customer journey is made easier and it may be seen by a wider audience.

Augmented reality

This update allows businesses to create their own filter for users to enjoy, as well as share with their friends and family to gain brand awareness in a fun and simple way on the app. This could be a face filter, a game, or even using images of your products such as chairs and tables, so that users can see how the furniture would look in their home before purchasing.

This is a new tool, already tried by one billion Instagram users, and the infinite uses may be uncovered in the upcoming months, so this is definitely one to keep an eye on for 2021!

Reels

Reels was introduced in August 2020 following the popularity of the short video-sharing app, Tik Tok. Initially, there were doubts about the consumer need for Reels, but after India banned Tik Tok a month before it was released, and with President Trump threatening to ban the app in America, many users happily turned to Reels as an alternative, which could have contributed to the rapid Instagram growth.

Going into 2021, Reels is expected to become Tik Tok’s main competitor, so this is definitely a strategy you should consider using to grow your following online!

IGTV Ads

This could be a gamechanger. Instagram have announced recently that in 2021 content creators will be able to monetize their IGTV videos, meaning that ads will now appear on longer videos for the financial benefit of the creator.

Ads on IGTV videos could be beneficial for businesses on Instagram from both sides, with the potential for more advertising opportunities as well as monetizing their own videos. It also means that online creators might turn away from Youtube, preferring to keep all of their content in one place, which may bring sole Youtube fans onto the Instagram platform for the first time.

Judging by these trends, it looks like Facebook (also owners of Instagram and Whatsapp) are looking to further increase their monopoly in 2021, and as a brand, it’s important to keep up with the pace as they take the customers with them. Keep an eye on the kind of content you are seeing on Instagram, and don’t be afraid to try out the new features, your customers will thank you for it!