Instagram is a fast and fun way to show off your accomplishments or just share your daily life. Editing tools and filters make it easy to personalize your pictures and stories, getting lots of likes, shares and comments. Like all popular social media, Instagram constantly evolves as new ideas become popular. Here is a list of some of the biggest Instagram trends of 2018.
The Emoji Slider
New to Instagram in 2018, the emoji slider allows people to interact with their friends by showing how they feel about something. To add the emoji slider to a story, users can just select it from the tray after taking a picture or making a video. Then you can place it anywhere, and write out your question, such as “How much do you like this new movie?” When you see an emoji, you can animate it by dragging it to the left or right while you make your decision. After you release the emoji, you can see how other people have voted.
Vintage Filters and Templates
Among the most popular trends of 2018 were filters and other edits that made photos look retro. Some users also took pictures with film apps that could add dust and scratches or change the lighting for a retro feel. The most popular app is HUJI Cam, which auto-applies a single filter and creates illusions like light leaks and film dust, leaving a 1998 film stamp in the corner. Popular influencers use the app, as does Selena Gomez.
GIPHY GIFs
These new GIFs are so popular because there is such a wide variety of new fun GIFs and with GIPHY, they are now really easy to add to an Instagram story. With just one click, Instagram users can turn any GIF into a perfectly looped 15 second .mp4 that can be uploaded directly to your Instagram account. You simply go to the GIPHY website, click on the Instagram emoji by the GIF you want to use, and enter your email address. When you get the .mp4, you can download it to your phone and onto your Instagram account.
Growing Use of Stories
Over 300 million people are engaged in stories every day, and users are taking advantage with Ads, Reshares and other ways to increase marketing and get friends and followers to interact. Social Sprout can help you keep track and try to build your own Instagram followers.