7 Instagram Trends – Forecast for 2020

It has been a while since Instagram evolved from being just a social network to a powerful marketing tool. Moreover, it is constantly changing, ensuring more strategies for promotion and advertising. The Instagram trends of 2019 will soon become irrelevant in the near future. In order to stay in-step with time, PR managers do their best to remain on the back of the social media latest trends, as at present, there is no other online tool that would influence the consumer’s choice.

According to a recent analysis, the number of Instagram users will increase to almost 900 million. Isn’t it a golden goose if looking at Instagram from a business perspective? The connection of brands with their target audience has never been more effective than after Instagram emerged. Despite the rising popularity and extensive promotion tools, the competitive level on Instagram due to its overcrowding is very high. In order to stand out from the crowd and fuel your own marketing strategy for 2020, check the list of top Instagram trends to look for.

1. “Real life” trend is gaining popularity

The era of polished one-styled Instagram posts is soon be considered in bad taste. In 2020, IG stories play the leading role. Brands become even closer to the customers when making the curtains fall and showcasing their off-stage life. “We be of one blood, thou and I”- the main message the marketers want to convey to the target audience. Because of the short spans of people’s attention, the consummation of content, which is rather ephemeral, is far more effective, as the constant fast scrolling of the Instagram stories can be named an addiction of the XXI century. It is a perfect format for live streams that will be available only 24 hours. In that way, you can engage people in your life and always stay in theirs.

2. Instagram trend – No likes

This has been one of the biggest announcements at the end of 2019. This major change has already been tested and most probably will be applied soon, which cannot leave the global media community indifferent. The reason for such innovation is quite understandable – the constant need of people in evaluation of their appearance affects their mental health a lot. Low self-esteem, envy, dissatisfaction with one’s own life – hunting for likes is like an endless rat race breaking the personality and making people addicted to the opinion of others.

However, not everyone considers the elimination of likes positive. Due to the great role of Instagram influencers who earn their fortune promoting the products and services of famous brands, Instagram ads remain the in shadow. Removing likes will lead to the impossibility of tracking the number of engaged people and generated impact. The only way out for the advertisers will be using Instagram ads, which ensure a possibility to measure the ROI.

3. Innovative shopping platform

In 2020, Instagram is going to lose its exclusively visual assignment, enriching its function with the innovative shopping experience and turning it into an independent e-commerce portal. The times when it was more like a Pinterest created for aesthetic pleasure and demonstration have gone for good. Now, Instagram is more like Amazon.

Already in 2019, users obtained a possibility to create shoppable Instagram posts, placing the product tags on the photo and viewing the product range of similar goods without leaving the grounds of the social network. However, in order to make a purchase, a potential buyer was redirected to the main website of the brand. The whole process is quite time-consuming and uncomfortable.

The 2020 innovation will imply the creation of an e-commerce page right inside Instagram, and the functions like shopping, adding the product to cart, and paying for your purchase will be totally available without a need to leave the Instagram channel.

The usage of bots, which, with the help of visual recognition function, can tag the products on any photo, is another great option waiting to be implemented next year. As you can see, Instagram is evolving fast to become the most popular global retail channel, so there is a lot more room for e-commerce experiments.

4. Video instead of photo

Video is likely to substitute all forms of media content soon. It is not weird, as video format is the most engaging in terms of information sharing, and it always gets a lot more likes than all the other types of content. With the introduction of Instagram TV channel – IGTV, the level of video-sharing concept has changed a lot. Vertical video format, which perfectly adapts to the full size of the mobile device screen, is one reason IGTV can be considered an immense breakthrough in social media content presentation.

Second, IGTV format doesn’t require its user to be an expert or the videos to be a piece of art. People expect to see “true life” videos not burdened with sophistication. Of course, IGTV can be considered one Instagram trend of 2019; however, in 2020, it has all the chances to evolve into a strong competitor to YouTube.

A crucial feature the IGTV should be equipped with is a possibility to search the videos using keywords like we are doing now with the help of search engines. Now, in order to find the video of any account owner, the followers need to visit his or her Instagram profile or browse the video following IG personalized suggestions.

Another feature that is to be integrated in 2020 is the possibility of subscription for IGTV video communities. It would greatly stimulate Instagram influencers to update their content regularly, knowing that devoted fans are waiting for a new video to come. By the way, in case you need some tips for creating decent video content, you can always find them here.

5. True measure of potential of Instagram influencers

From a plain social network, Instagram has transformed into a popular business platform. Instagram influencers long to gain a big community to enhance their professional potential and attract more advertisers. However, like every new “gold mine” that has made a very unexpected and powerful boom, the Instagram ad generated by individual content-makers isn’t properly regulated. The problem is in fake followers who can be easily bought by the influencer. As a result, the brand lured by the number of followers can be left in the lurch in case an ordered promotion doesn’t generate the expected traffic.

2020 is to become a year of restriction against the false Instagram profile members who distort the overall statistics. Special tools and strategies directed at the thorough verification of each Instagram account are to be developed and implemented. As a serious global business and promotional platform, Instagram will introduce a totally transparent policy implying the clear criteria, according to which the true account owners are identified.

6. True Value of Advertising

An influencer’s audience is to be evaluated not by its size but its density, active participation of the followers, and the feedback received. In 2020, you won’t need to be a superstar to establish cooperation with popular brands, as quality of created content will be the main criterion for the advertisers in a search for a top-notch ad tool. Micro-influencers are more likely to establish closer communication with their followers; they are available round-o-clock, and more loyal. Trying their best to tailor quality content for their fans, these influencers always get a higher satisfaction rate.

So, if you have interesting hobbies or a job, or a camera doesn’t give you knots in your stomach, you have won a few poetry competitions or worked in write my essay today service, you can be sure you have all the necessary skills to generate top-notch content and obtain the most prestigious job of the XXI century – a job of Blogger.

7. Augmented Reality Instagram Filters

AR content is gaining immense popularity among Instagram users. In 2019, anyone had a chance to create their own AR filter. Superheroes, surreal masks, elves, babyfaces – the variety of filters really impresses.

However, starting from 2020, the AR filters, which imply the plastic surgery features, will most probably be forbidden. These are not innocent Snapchat dog-face filters that smooth skin, make a face look slimmer and the eyes bigger. The face effects we have now are much more serious – in a blink of an eye, you can look like you have spent a fortune for the services of a plastic surgeon. Nose job, augmented lips, delicate cheekbones, skin lifts, and cat’s eyes – with AR Instagram Filters you can become an upgraded version of yourself in no time. Needless to say, such a filter boom has resulted in people standing in long queues to the plastic surgeons with a strong belief they need to get their appearance improved. This affects the mental health and self-esteem of people.

Of course, the variety of AR filters will be increasing, as they can serve a quite effective marketing tool contributing to the awareness of the brand. Wearing different masks with the signs of famous brands, trying on branded clothes, changing the hair color or testing some new make-up – everything becomes possible with IG filters.

Conclusion

The nature of Instagram is extremely dynamic. Its competitive environment requires constant changes and can’t stand tardiness. In 2020, Instagram is to become a global multipurpose platform not only for visual demonstration and inspiration but also for business development, shopping, video experience, creative advertising, and self-expression. Instagram trends 2020 aim to take the phenomenon of promotion to a whole new level. Get ready to implement all the future social network initiatives!