1. Instagram Stories

Instagram stories are on the up-and-up, and they don’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Why? They’re real, raw and pure — and perhaps most importantly, instant. Followers like to get to know the people they’re following, and it’s a great way to connect and “broadcast” your life in real-time.

2. Pop Culture Posts

We’re seeing an emergence of pop culture trends, spanning from real, honest memes to infographics that depict something not-so-hot. The upshot? People are starting to get real with their Instagram accounts, and designers and copywriters are having a field day with it. If you’re creatively inclined, this is your time to shine.

3. Influencer Marketing

This one may be a no-brainer, but influencer marketing is an undeniable trend for 2020. Influencers are no longer restricted to the celebrity status that they started as. We now welcome child influencers, micro-influencers, macro-influencers and influencers of every different niche. What are folks doing with influencer marketing? They’re learning and evolving the craft to become a new way to endorse and advertise products to the right audience.

4. Instagram Live

Another moment for real, raw messaging is Instagram Live. Influencers and grammers of all types are using Instagram Live to capture their days, moments and memories. It’s a great way to drive more traffic to your account, and it’s an easy vehicle for connection with followers of all types.

5. Instagram TV

For those who need a little bit more than Instagram Live, Instagram TV gives followers an immersive experience in the ‘gram world. With IGTV, content creators can upload any video they want — which typically means higher quality, longer and overall, better. Why IGTV? Many people are wondering why Instagram is focusing on video when it’s best known for photo. Here’s the thing: Video is hot. In 2019, it began to really take off. Now that we’re in 2020, video is everywhere. So Instagram hopped on the bandwagon and has actually found great success with it.

6. Animations

We said video was hot. Another avenue of video is animation. We’ll continue to see a rise in animation posts from brands and influencers. It’s a fun and simple way to pack punch and get the message across — all while maintaining the brand identity.

7. Interactive Stories

As you know, Instagram Stories are taking off — but there’s a sequel (pun intended). Content creators are using this year to get creative with their stories, using them as a vehicle to express, message, pose questions, and boost engagement with followers. Be on the lookout for questions and other forms of interactive stories coming from major content creators and influencers.

8. Polls

Similar to interactive stories, polls are becoming more and more popular. Content creators see polls as a quick way to engage with their followers and understand what they’re looking for. Instagram metrics are fairly simplistic, so polls give content creators a quick way to understand what’s going well and what isn’t.

9. Saves

Instagram’s algorithm is constantly changing, and while it’s valuable to look at traditional metrics (likes, followers, etc.), new metrics are coming in to play. One of those is saves, where followers will save a post to view later. You may see more CTAs driving you to save a post to look at it later, and it’ll contribute to the Instagram ranking algorithm.

10. Less Produced Content

In 2019, we saw a surge of posts and content that felt more real. That means less filters, less makeup, and a lot more raw shots. While some accounts are on-brand with highly curated content, many content creators and influencers are pivoting toward a more inviting grid — one that gets in touch with the human element of social media.