In 2019, we saw big changes in Instagram. Changes in Instagram algorithms can predict new trends in 2020. In 2019, we saw big changes in Instagram.
Perhaps the biggest change was hiding the number of public likes, a test over the summer and is now performed in many parts of the world, including parts of Europe, the United States, Japan, and Canada.
Other changes include the Release of the desktop version of Instagram and IGTV, new chat, quiz, donation stickers, and the ability to convert accounts to Creator.
In early 2019, Instagram announced that it intended to hide the number of likes on its Instagram homepage content.
This controversial update sparked many mixed reactions and discussions on how it’s going to impact influencer marketing, with some of the influencers (like Kim Kardashian) celebrating and others like Piers Morgan not taking the news in good faith.
Whatever the reason behind this decision, the truth is that it is in line with the growing focus on stories and IGTV.
If users are less concerned about the number of likes they get for their content, they may be thinking of trying something new, such as video.
There are no statistics for the stories, but this is still the part where your audience spends the most time.
In May 2018, researchers announced that stories grew 15 times more than Instagram home page posts, and as of January 2019, more than 500 million users were using the feature daily.
In the case of IGTV, 2020 will be the year that determines whether this sector will finally reach its peak or not.
While Instagram has not yet released statistics on the number of views and interactions of IGTV videos, many brands are using this feature to get positive results.
For example, after a year of releasing YouTube videos on IGTV, Conde Nast, one of the world’s largest video publishers, returned to the app with the release of five new video series on IGTV that included various brands such as GQ and Vogue.
This example is one of a series of videos made by this company that has been made and published with the sponsorship of Amex.
It will be interesting to see how this series of videos works for Conde Nast in the coming months, and whether other brands and companies will do the same.
There is no better way to connect directly with your audience on Instagram, so think of ways to build a story that can add value and increase your audience’s trust in you.
I like to divide the stories into 2 parts; Value-based stories and personal stories.
Value-based stories are informational and educational stories. Personal stories bring viewers a few steps closer to the world of your brand.
Just like the daily stories of Mailchimp brand employees. While still making judgments about whether users are accustomed to using IGTV, do not ignore IGTV if you think your audience is using the content in this section.
If you think your audience will appreciate your IGTV content, start with shorter videos.
In two or three weeks, try to produce and publish between 2 and 4 videos and analyze the results.
Remember that IGTV needs a separate strategy from the story strategy. As IGTV videos require more work, their rewards could be better.
Trend 2: Brands and their Efforts to Push the Boundaries of Creativity
If Instagram starts removing likes worldwide, it can have a very positive effect on creativity.
To date, many brands have prioritized likes over creativity and quality content and building deep relationships.
But by focusing on likes, brands and companies can spend their time and energy creating compelling content without worrying about getting a certain number of likes.
We are familiar with many stereotypes of Instagram posts; Colorful walls, club workout smoothies, photos of food and coffee, a bunch of coffee!
Such photos are constantly being shared because they get a lot of likes.
They are familiar, but 99% of the time, they do not try to push the boundaries of creativity.
With Hiding likes, we may finally see brands trying to share content they like to publish, not just sharing content they know is relevant to a wider audience.