6 Instagram Developments for 2024

By Evan Vega Last updated Feb 25, 2024

Let’s talk about 6 Instagram trends for 2024.

Hashtags: are they finally dead?
Should you post reels or static posts to grow?
What’s happening with Reels cover images
How often to post to grow in 2024?
People are changing ~ and it’s changing content
Product placement & influencer marketing

And we’ll finish by giving the Word Of The Year – a word that reflects what’s currently happening on social media.

We’re going to speak more from a content creator and small business owner perspective.

But these trends can also be helpful for you if you have a larger business and want to see things from a content creator perspective, or you are looking to adjust your social media strategy for 2024.

Let’s start.

If you prefer, you can watch the video. Otherwise, keep scrolling to read the trends.

Instagram Trend #1: Hashtags – Are they finally dead?

We’re seeing three things happening:

Content creators who vouch for hashtags and they grow thanks to them: “Use them!!! They work!!!”, “you’re missing out if you’re not using hashtags”
Content creators who say they are useless and grow without them, and
Content creators who add a list of “keywords” in their caption instead of hashtags (for example, if they post about “minimalist outfits” they are going to write keywords related to that (”minimalist outfits”, “minimal outfits”, “monochrome outfit”, etc…)

So who’s right?

To us, everyone is right. They are all experiencing growth.

As we always say: Instagram is all about TESTING and EXPERIMENTING what works for YOU.

Hashtags ARE keywords.

So you can definitely use hashtags for two purposes:

As hashtags, and
As keywords

Don’t use hashtags just as hashtags anymore, use them as keywords too.

How to know which “hashtag keywords” you should use?

Just ask yourself:

“What would people type on Instagram, or google, to find you or your product?”

And use those keywords as hashtags.

If you need help finding hashtags, you can always go in your Preview App and tap on Find Hashtags.

We have done the keyword research and strategy for you. So you will have many different KEYWORDS to choose from.

You’ll see we also give you pointers in case you have a local business, so you can create key hashtags with your specific location.

But why bother with hashtags and keywords?

Because if people type a keyword in the Instagram Search Bar, they could find YOUR post.

So why not use them to increase your reach? Especially if you have a small business. Hashtags and keywords will be amazing for you.

Don’t feel like using hashtags?

No problem!

Like I said before, some people still grow without using hashtags.

Our thought process is: If it doesn’t hurt, why not use it?

One last thing to say about testing hashtags – or anything else – on Instagram:

We have noticed that you have to be consistent and patient.

It can take a while until you see results. For example, we have seen people say that they had to stick to their plan for 3 to 6 months before they started seeing results. So don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate growth with hashtags and keywords (or even with posting Reels). It just takes time.

Now let’s talk about the elephant in the room:

Reels.

Instagram Trend #2. To Reels or not to Reels?

Can you believe the Reels feature appeared in 2020?

That was 4 YEARS ago!

So, are you still on the fence? Or loving them?

Here are the Reels trends we are seeing (don’t get angry, just hear me out):

If you’ve been posting static posts and you haven’t been seeing much growth lately, and you want to grow, try out Reels. We’ve seen people who committed to posting reels every day grow to 100 thousand followers in less than a year. I know Reels are not everyone’s cup of tea, but I think some people are making it harder in their head than it actually is. Because…
8 second Reels are the sweet spot (but it doesn’t mean short Reels are the only way to go)
- You don’t *HAVE TO* create an elaborate video to get lots of views
- You don’t have to show your face if you don’t want to
- You can just take random videos throughout your day or of what you do – and that’s ENOUGH
The most random, unedited Reels can go viral
Just one video clip can be enough, with text on top – or no text it’s up to you
Chatty Reels are becoming popular and people love how real and raw they are (just you, talking in front of the camera as if you’re on FaceTime with a friend). These types of Reels can be longer form, and it’s ok.

Now, you might be thinking: “Alex, what are you talking about? You’re telling us short videos do well, but also long videos? this doesn’t make any sense”

To which I reply:

“Guys!!! Can’t you see what I’m trying to say? This is FREEDOM! You can make short videos or long videos. YOU get decide, how cool is that? Just test what you like to post. Do what feels right FOR YOU.”

Of course, some people will say: “No, you can’t just do anything, you need to have a strategy”.

100% you can have a strategy and test short Reels first. And then long form too. Or you can mix and match and go with the flow.

What I’m trying to show you is that there is no “One Size Fits All” to grow, and you can grow with short or long videos. And that depends on what YOU feel like creating, or what your brand or strategy needs.

Talking about Reels, let’s talk about the next trend: Reels cover.

Instagram Trend #3. Reels Covers

What’s happening with Reel covers?

A lot of people are asking whether they should make their cover aesthetic and fit the look of their feed or not.

This is what we’re seeing:

Some people don’t use any custom covers, and they grow
Some people use custom covers (that sometimes have NOTHING to do with the actual video), and they get lots of views too!

Moral of the story:

Choose what makes sense for YOUR account. They both work. For some accounts, seeing a title is important, for others, not so much.
And if you’re using Instagram for fun ~ or you want to have more fun ~ choose what makes you happy. Because if it makes you happy, you’re more likely to want to post more often and you’ll grow naturally.

Quick tip if you want to test your Reels covers before you post on Instagram, you can do that in Preview App:

Now let’s move to trend #4.

A lot of people are asking:

Instagram Trend #4. How often should you post to grow in 2024?

That’s a good question because it has been changing throughout the years.

And it’s a big topic in itself.

To be honest, we have seen people grow in two ways lately – once again, don’t get angry, I’m just reporting what’s happening:

We’re seeing a lot of people posting multiple times a day lately (especially with Reels, around 2-3 Reels per day for a few months can be the secret sauce for them. And I’m not talking about elaborate Reels. I’m talking about just one video clip with one sentence on top of the video is enough for them to grow), or
Posting every 2 days, or even less sometimes is enough to grow. However, I found that those people are the ones who:
- Have already grown their account and have an established community (they post on their Stories nearly everyday and only post on their feed once in a while), or
- Post valuable, entertaining or save-able content they know do well

If I was starting my Instagram account and wanted to grow in 2024?

I would post Reels (without overthinking too much) one, two or three times a day. But in a way that doesn’t burn me out.

And to not burn out, you just need to find your style and stick to it (until you feel bored or uninspired ~ it will be your sign to evolve).

And remember: Be patient and consistent.

In fact, trend #5 might be super helpful in case you’re struggling with this. It’s actually my favorite trend.

Instagram Trend #5. People are changing… for “real”

I feel like people have had enough to try to “please the algorithm”.

It can feel like you’re on a hamster wheel and you’re never doing enough.

Let’s be honest, it can get exhausting.

What we’re seeing out there is this:

People are starting to do their own thing, and just “document” their life. They are starting to post what they love, without thinking about if they will get likes, comments or views (of course, people can still care about this, but it’s not driving their lives and ruining their day if they don’t get many “views”. They adapt and move on, or are just patient and keep posting what they are passionate about).

What’s driving their life seem to be CREATING for the joy of creating. Creating something they actually like. Creating a feed they love. Posting photos if they want to post photos, even if the world tells them that they “should” be posting Reels.

People in the comments seem to like this shift. You will see more often nowadays people commenting about how much they like someone’s personality (how real, raw and authentic they are). It’s very refreshing.

People are craving “real” this year.

Moral of the story:

Don’t be afraid of posting your behind the scenes, what you’re up to during the day ~ even if YOU think it’s boring. It’s not. Just post it (just snap random photos and videos of things that you like, or things that you do ~ and just post them), and
People are starting to not “overthink” anymore. They post and move on. Of course, they can still have an overall strategy. But there is more freedom and fun involved.

That’s very exciting for 2024!

And now onto the last trend of 2024: Product placement. In particular, subtle product placement

Instagram Trend #6. Subtle product placement

We are getting sold things on social media, non-stop.

I feel like people are starting to get tired. They just want to watch something and relax.

There are some exceptions, of course (like coaching businesses).

But let’s focus on lifestyle influencers for now.

Athough if you are a coach, you can still implement these tips in your strategy, because remember: People are craving “real” this year.

Here is a new trend happening:

Content Creators are using a product naturally in their day-to-day life, without mentioning the said-product. The product is just “part” of their normal life, or scene, instead of being directly talked about in our face.
For example: You watch a video of your favourite influencer doing their skincare, and they talk about everything but the products they are using.
When Content Creators do this, you will usually see people flood the comments section or DMs: “What are you using?”, “Please tag the brand”, etc…
Or, you will see the influencers do their routine, and just tags a brand on the screen (but don’t openly talk about it)

You get what we mean: It’s indirect and subtle, not in your face.

This way of marketing feels much more natural, and it feels like this is where influencer marketing is headed in 2024.

Word of the Year

That’s it for the main trends of 2024.

Before we recap, let’s reveal the Word Of The Year.

I feel like the word of 2024 for social media is FREEDOM.

Actually, let’s make it two words:

FREEDOM and NATURAL.

Reels: You’re free to do what you want (long videos or short videos)
Use hashtags as keywords.
If you have a small account and want to grow, go all in with Reels without burning out
Do whatever you want with your Reels covers – Freedom
Post what you love ~ you’ll be rewarded for being you ~ real, raw and authentic is what people are craving. Be Free & Natural
Use products consistently as part of your daily life as your marketing strategy. So it feels more natural.

And with all that being said, have fun planning your content this year!

We wish you the best, most creative and fun year!