Biggest Instagram Trends to Watch in 2023

The only thing that remains a constant with Instagram is just how much it changes.

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Last year was a crazy one for the platform… Anyone remember Adam Mosseri responding to the Kardashian’s plea to “make Instagram Instagram again”?

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While things have calmed down a lot since then, there are still plenty of new features to try and trends to be aware of if you want to get the most out of Instagram in 2023.

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Let’s take a closer look at what those are.

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Biggest Instagram trends to watch in 2023 ⤵︎

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The roll-out of paid subscriptions

In February, Meta announced that it was rolling out ‘Meta Verified’ in Australia and New Zealand. This new subscription service will cost $11.99 for web access or $14.99 per month on iOs or Android and will give users a blue ‘verified’ check, better access features, and more visibility in search. Their comments will also be prioritized.

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It’ll be really interesting to see how many people sign up to this service and what impact it’ll have on the reach, discovery and engagement of those who don’t. 

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Steven Bartlett’s Head of Social, Grace, had this to say on the news.

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Her points about no longer worrying that your account will get deleted or hacked are valid. However, it does seem surprising that in 2023 it’s still almost impossible to get any customer support from Meta until and unless you pay to advertise with them.

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Social media analyst Matt Navarra said he won’t be signing up to the service because he “doesn’t think it’s worth it” and that “additional security features and tech support” should be free as part of using Meta’s product. 

Big focus on community

One of the biggest trends to watch in 2023 is Instagram’s emphasis on community. 

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With new features like ‘Notes’ and ‘Candid Stories’ (currently being tested), it’s clear that Instagram wants to make connection and conversation easier for users.

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The Notes feature allows you to send short 60-character messages to groups of followers that disappear after 24 hours. You’re able to view and respond to these Notes in your Instagram inbox. They’re a great way to spark a conversation, promote something specific, or simply let your followers know your status (like old school Facebook).

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Candid Stories is Instagram’s answer to photo-sharing app, BeReal. Currently being tested in South Africa, Candid Stories allows users to share an image that includes a photo from both front and back cameras. You’ll also be sent a daily notification reminder to share a candid photo and can do so via the Stories camera or a multi-author Story.

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Instagram Broadcast Channels launches

Instagram Broadcast Channels is the latest chat feature announced by Mark Zuckerberg in February 2023. 

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It is a public, one-to-many messaging tool that provides creators an organic way to connect with their followers. It supports text, images, polls and reactions and will soon expand to include collabs and guest appearances.

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Once a user joins a channel, news and updates will appear in their Direct Message inbox alongside other messages. They can then read and react to messages posted in the chat (they can’t add their own messages to the conversation).

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The feature is currently being tested with a handful of US creators including Karen X Cheng and David Allen.

Reels still reign

One trend that shows no sign of slowing down is Reels. At the beginning of 2023, Adam Mosseri confirmed that video will always have an important place on the app “because that’s what’s driving overall engagement more.”

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As long as TikTok continues to grow, Instagram will continue to enhance the Reels platform to encourage consumption and creation of video. 

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So if you’re reading this and wondering whether 2023 is the year you finally go all-in on video… do it! Reels are fast and easy to make. They don’t have to be polished works of art to perform well. 

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In fact, it’s often the off-the-cuff videos filmed quickly on a smartphone (no studio, no fancy lighting, no expensive camera) that generate the most engagement.

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The importance of photos

If you’ve noticed more photos in your feed over the last few months, you’re not imagining things. This is part of Instagram’s drive to re-align with the more authentic, image-led experiences that launched the first iteration of the app.

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One reason for this may be the rise of BeReal, whose downloads increased by 315% between January and April 2022. The simplicity of the app—’Every day at a different time, everyone captures a photo within 2 minutes’—harks back to Instagram’s very beginnings, when it was just a candid photo-sharing app without all the bells and whistles we’ve become accustomed to.

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Meta will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on BeReal’s success and, most importantly, their user base. If young adults continue to display a preference for the app, we’ll almost certainly see heavier focus on photos on Instagram and the clone of some of BeReal’s core functions. 

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More rewards for creators

Last year, Instagram signaled its support for creators with the roll-out of new features like Badges, Bonuses, Creator Marketplace and Achievements for Reels.

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While some of these are still in the testing phase/aren’t available to creators worldwide, it certainly seems that Instagram is keen to incentivize and reward its community in 2023. 

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Badges

Instagram Badges are a way for a creator’s audience to show their support during a live video by purchasing a badge. 

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Bonuses

Bonuses is Instagram’s way of financially rewarding a creator for content based on the number of plays they receive. The more plays a Reel gets, the more they can earn. Currently, this incentive is invitation-only for US creators with less than one million followers.

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Creator Marketplace

Creator Marketplace is an influencer discovery platform that connects brands with creators, allowing them to filter by gender, age, number of followers, and interests among others. It streamlines the process of messaging, briefing, and managing influencers and helps campaigns run more effectively. Brands can register their interest to join the marketplace here.

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Achievements

Reels Achievements encourages the creation of Reels by presenting creators with badges when they use trending audio or collaborate with another creator or post multiple times in one week. Since these badges are token rewards and don’t offer any financial remuneration, time will tell whether this feature will stick around. 

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