The one constant in social media is change, and that’s especially true for Instagram, which is continually adding new features and updates.

Instagram has over a billion users, and is, therefore, key to any successful social media marketing campaign. So if Instagram is a part of your marketing strategy, here are the latest trends we want you to know about.

1. It’s all about the video

Instagram Stories now have over 500 million viewers a day, as opposed to the Instagram feed, which is dropping in popularity among regular users. In addition, a third of the most-viewed Stories are from various brands promoting their products. If this isn’t your primary method of sharing content on Instagram, maybe you should begin to consider it. Stories allow you to showcase your personality and put your product or service in the best light. Because Stories vanish in 24 hours, you can pick your favorite and/or most successful Stories to save indefinitely on your profile’s Stories Highlights.

2. IGTV is the future of Instagram

The vertical video format and long-form content now available on IGTV is tailor-made for mobile devices. Thanks to this new feature announced last year, you can now make videos as long as an hour, and the content is limited only by your imagination. Some uses might include sharing events, demonstrating how to use your product, even featuring user testimonials (think about those late-night TV ads that make you want to pick up the phone and order whatever it is they’re selling—testimonials are convincing). Just remember that, short or long, you have to produce quality content.

3. Engagement is (still) king

To cut through the increasing clutter on Instagram, you need to engage with your fans and prompt them to engage with your content. Think about using polls, questions, emoji reactions, countdowns—anything that “wakes up” fans and makes them want to play along. Consider asking customers to take a snap of them using your product or service, sharing it on Instagram, and tagging your brand.

Innovation and originality are key to capturing followers’ attention, but to keep them coming back, you must remember that engagement is a two-way street. With the recently added Quick Replies tool, it’s easier than ever to respond to fans’ questions and comments. You can also post FAQs on your Stories Highlights.

4. Shopping made easy

Instagram added several new features last year that made shopping easier, and shoppers are flocking to them. This includes product tags in feed posts, a shopping feed through Explore, and shoppable product stickers in Stories. Also look for the upcoming in-app Checkout feature, currently in beta test. If and when it’s officially introduced, you’ll pay a fee to use it, but the initial reaction from merchants seems to be that it’s worth it to simplify shopping for their customers.

5. Focus on your bio

Finally, the best place to invest time and energy is in making your Instagram bio as perfect as you can, because this is where your brand begins, and where you can make it stand out from your competition. With a 150-character limit, you need to devote some time and thought to get the most out of your bio. You need to: make it clear what your business does; include the right hashtags; showcase your personality; and create a compelling call to action. If your bio doesn’t accomplish all these things, you need to revise it.

101 Management, Inc., is perfectly positioned to help you keep abreast of—and adapt to—the constantly changing trends of the various social media platforms. Be sure to look to our experts to help you maximize your social media marketing efforts.