Instagram has become so much more than a social media platform. It’s become a hub for entertainment and, for some, business.
Its technology and features have helped create a community of 2.4 billion users strong each month. This is because it has implemented ways for people to keep up with the latest trends.
Trends can reveal the type of content people like and enjoy. This can be particularly useful for businesses using Instagram as a marketing channel, as it allows them to identify what could work when releasing their content.
What technologies has Instagram integrated to help find trends?
Trends have become an integral part of the success of an app like Instagram. They help to keep the platform relevant by continually attracting users to its pages as they look for the latest viral sensations. At the same time, trends can prolong the amount of time people stay on their pages, which can increase ad revenues for the brand.
Avid Instagram users will already recognize that the platform has several elements that help identify trends. Some of the features that will be outlined have become synonymous with the platform, leading others to arguably copy the same methods for their use.
Hashtags
Hashtags are the most obvious way to find a trending topic. They can be included in captions of the content that has been posted, which is then clickable. At the same time, content posted with these hashtags can become discoverable by those who search for keywords that have been used. Once clicked, the algorithms can show content related to them and items that might suit your preferences through the ‘For You’ feature.
Stories
Instagram Stories can be a great feature to find out what is trending. Users can often share what they find funny or have seen go viral through this feature, as it will disappear within 24 hours. It will not leave anything on their main profile, either. Stories can also often provide real-time updates, behind-the-scenes content, or other features that accounts may not want on their main user profile. The use of this feature can help enhance viral content further, as the free Davinci Resolve clean Instagram Stories templates allow for a backdrop that doesn’t take away from the shared content. Hashtags can be placed on top of them, driving engagement further.
Explore Page
Perhaps Instagram’s best feature, the Explore Page, is arguably the location you want to explore if you are looking for trending content. It allows for new trending posts to be found based on a user’s preferences and settings. It uses an algorithm to drive and push forward content similar to what has been enjoyed before, as well as media proving popular with accounts with similar interests. This app section can be incredible when finding the latest trends, as the search feature also highlights what others are looking for.
Look at what is trending worldwide
Even though Instagram is useful in finding trends, it is even more effective when used together with other sources. It is evident that the social media platform can tend to trend depending on the current issues happening in the world. Having news sources on the platform helps you know a little bit of what could be trending shortly. This can help you become viral where you post content before it hits the mainstream media or discover content to share before others have.
Keep an eye on accounts
Even though there are billions of active accounts on Instagram, it is rational to follow the active people who often post popular content and media. These accounts are useful in that they can provide you with all the information you need on a particular subject without you having to go looking for it.
Use other online resources
There are many websites which have been established with the aim of focusing on the trends that are currently popular online. These can be very helpful if you are in a position of seeking to discover what is trending and what is being discussed at the current time. They can expose information that may not be easily obtained on one’s own and can thus be useful to know if one wants to be noticed.
The importance of staying on top of trends
Staying ahead of the latest trends is important regardless of your reasoning for using Instagram. They can give users insights about current events or things being enjoyed, which can help shape their app usage.
Individuals can use trends to stay informed or be entertained by the same things that others enjoy; companies can use them from a marketing point of view to succeed in business.
