It’s not like the minute the ball drops, the trends are going to instantly change. Don’t worry!
You might look at this list and think, “Nothing new here!” and you wouldn’t be wrong.
After analyzing what’s been working best for ourselves and our clients, as well as some internet research- we’ve broken down what’s *probably* not going anywhere and where you might want to focus your time when it comes to your content game for the new year.
1. Short Reels
WHY: Get more reach to new accounts and grow your following
Yes, even shorter. Users are seeing success with 5-10 second reels. You’ll see us experimenting with more short form content like behind-the-scenes videos of our process and client experience. Put some relatable or educational text over the video and SEND IT! No need for high production on this type of content.
2. Original Content
WHY: Builds authority as an expert in your niche as well as nurture your existing audience
Rather than doing only trending sounds/voiceovers, try some face to camera “talking head” style videos. Good news is- these are the easiest type of content to batch in one session, and these videos are typically evergreen (they won’t die off after the trend tires out- and you can repurpose them down the road.)
Other forms of original content would be skits about moments that are relatable to your industry.
3. Photo Dumps
WHY: Users have FOMO and want to swipe through every photo in your post. The longer that users interact with your content, the more the algorithm with serve it up to more people.
It’s no secret that less polished content is more authentic and relatable. But what do we do as brands who want to portray an elevated visual story? Our favorite way to have the best of both worlds is to make reels and carousels using mostly real-life BTS content shot on our phones, but to make the cover photo or first image in a carousel more intentional and on-brand. That way you can still make a great first impression when someone lands on your profile, and deliver the raw content that everyone loves right now.
4. Short Captions
WHY: People have shorter attention spans (Especially on Instagram!)
Save your longer form writing for places where that’s more expected (like emails or blogs)
Most users won’t read long form captions on Instagram anymore, so if your wondering why your CTAs (Calls to action) aren’t getting the engagement you were hoping for- it’s probably because they’re at the bottom of a longer caption. One more reason we see the short caption trend taking off is because user behavior is heavily influenced by TikTok- and you won’t see long captions on TikTok.
Tip: Try to think of a way to condense your caption into 1 sentence or statement. Can you read it without having to click into the “Read More” tab?
Tip: Repurpose your long form written content into informational carousels. Like this article- you’ll see this same content being used on our Instagram. But this is way too much information to put in an IG caption, so I’ll break it down into bullets and design it onto 10 graphics that you can swipe through. Then, I can opt for a super short caption.
5. Vlog-Style Reels with Voiceovers
WHY: Build your Know/Like/Trust factor through being transparent with what your days look like and get people used to hearing your actual voice.
People love getting a look into your every day life, and listening to complete stories. Plus these are actually pretty easy to batch. Take a bunch of video clips throughout your day, week, or the course of a project you’re working on. Then dump them all into a reel with some music and add a voiceover to narrate what is going on in the video.
⚠️ DISCLAIMER: Don’t feel like you have to use any or all of these tips for all of your content- we sure don’t!
Do what is easy for you, and what feels good. These are NOT rules, and you’ll see us experimenting with all sorts of variations of these tips. Think of your marketing like a scientist. Test different strategies, notice what’s working for your audience, and then double down on those things.
