Tagged: instagram marketing
Do Social Media Trends Really Help My Marketing?
- by Luke Thiessen
We love a good social media trend.
What could be better than noticing a new trend or format in its early stages – especially one that fits perfectly with your brand – and jumping on it quickly, then seeing it take off and boost everything from your follower count to views and engagement?
That’s the high most of us marketers are chasing a lot of the time. We know we can’t hit that with every post, but it sure feels good when it works, and the numbers make us look even better. But is it worth it?
I won’t leave you hanging here; the short answer is yes – but with some significant caveats.
Let’s look at some data, explore how and when to chase that trend for best results, and maybe even when to let the trend pass you by.
How to capture the moment
There are two main things to consider when deciding whether to jump on a social media trend: timing and fit.
Timing is crucial on several fronts. Most social media trends have a pretty short shelf life, and many users – especially your younger audience – respond negatively to brands posting old or “stale” trends. By the time you’ve noticed the trend, chances are good it’s already past the halfway point to becoming stale. Even if you have caught something fairly early, you’ve really only got a few days at most before your take on it feels too late or irrelevant.
There are some exceptions to this, especially with more niche and industry-specific trends, which tend to move more slowly and have a longer shelf life. And if your audience or follower base leans a little older, this can shift your window and give you a little more time as well.
Another reason timing matters is that you may have other time-sensitive content in the works or in your content schedule, so dropping everything to chase a trend might be a trade-off with more risk than reward. So, consider what it will take to make your trend-chasing post, as well as what you might be sacrificing to make that happen.
If you have caught a trend early enough and the timing feels good, the other thing to consider is fit: does this particular trend feel appropriate for your brand and your audience?
It’s important to remember that while a given social media trend might be popular with certain groups and online communities – maybe even ones you belong to personally – that doesn’t mean it will be familiar or relevant to your brand’s followers. You should also consider your brand’s online personality and image, and whether a given trend would damage or take away from that in any meaningful way.
The potential benefits
The main argument in favour of chasing social media trends is that the algorithms – especially on platforms like Instagram and TikTok – prioritize content that uses trending audio, hashtags and formats. They also value certain types of engagement more highly than others, especially shares – meaning if a user finds a post funny or relatable and sends it to a friend, they will reward you for it in the algorithm.
If you manage to make something that captures a trend well, at the right time and in the right way, you also have a much better chance of making it onto people’s “for you” and “discover” pages, and ultimately going viral. More than two-thirds of videos on TikTok are viewed from the “for you” feed (versus “following”), so breaking outside of your follower base is a huge benefit of going even slightly viral, and can often grow your follower count noticeably in a very short period.
The challenges and pitfalls
For all the benefits of posting a video or reel that goes viral, there is evidence that it’s getting harder to do, and that the results can sometimes be counterproductive.
After rapid growth in 2024, Instagram Reels saw a decline in overall reach and impressions last year (down by more than a third in 2025). A report last year from Sprout Social also found that one-third of consumers feel that brands jumping on social media trends is “embarassing,” and another quarter feel it’s only effective within 24 to 48 hours of a trend’s beginning.
Perhaps most significantly, research shows the longer-term effects of going viral on social media are neutral or even net-negative for many brands. Engagement tends to drop sharply within days of a viral post, often dipping below what it was beforehand, and despite an increased follower count, a viral post doesn’t seem to improve engagement for a brand at all. The researchers in this particular study suggest that, according to the data, consistent high-quality content over the long term is more likely to lead to stable growth and engagement.
My post went viral, now what?
When you have a post go viral, there are some things you can do to take better advantage of the moment and to mitigate some of the inevitable post-viral slump.
Posting again shortly after the peak of a viral post is helpful, as well as prioritizing high-engagement types of content for a time. On Instagram, carousels have become one of the best post formats for engagement and algorithmic performance, so consider making your next post a carousel.
Another thing to do is adjust your expectations. Going viral is unpredictable, and despite your past success and best efforts, you may not do it again, or at least not right away. Many brands who gain followers with a viral post will also lose up to one-third of those new followers within a month. Recognize the data around your viral post to be an outlier, and continue working toward sustainable growth.
We can help
If you haven’t heard by now, social media content and data are kind of our thing, and we’d love to help your brand maximize its online presence. If you need someone to help your brand build a strong and engaged following online, and maybe even make some viral content along the way, get in touch for a free discovery call today!
25 Instagram Reels Ideas to Grow Your Business
- by Alicia Kurz
A common theme between most of our clients is that they don’t want to film Reels. And, we understand the hesitation. We’re also working from home, often in our cozy clothes, and our Reel filming days require a lot of prep. Organizing Reel days for our clients typically include a lot of poking (ok, nagging), to get it done, but it’s part of the job, and the payoff is worth it.
That’s straight from the horse's mouth, people! Reels do better than other content.
We Hear This All The Time…
“I don’t have fancy equipment to make high-quality videos”
You don’t need it.* Period.
Instagram wants to show you what you’re interested in seeing. Nowadays, people are sick of the “picture-perfect” videos and endless highlights of your business, so if you want to connect with your audience, the best way to do that is through authenticity and transparency. That means showing the messy middle.
Okay, if your lighting is truly terrible, consider grabbing a $30 ring light on Amazon and that will do just fine. Otherwise, natural light can do wonders.
Mosseri even has a recent Reel titled Production value doesn’t matter and says, “Too often creators are worried about production value…If you’re trying to create relatable content, production value is almost like an anti-goal.”
@haleyybaylee, the kind of problematic, yet hugely successful content creator (you know, the one who was dressed as Marie Antoinette at the Met Gala and told people to “let them eat cake,” among other things) was featured on this Reel and said she posts videos that she would send to her group chat.
Putting aside the few TikTok and Instagram scandals she’s been involved in, what she’s doing to grow her following is working.
*This section is not for you if you’re promoting a luxury brand. In that case, you do need fancy equipment to make high-quality videos.
“I don’t have a lot to say”
You don’t need to say a lot! Instagram wants short-form videos. Mosseri even spelled out why in another recent Reel:
When you watch long-form videos, you see less of other content. That means you spend less time liking, commenting, saving and sharing. Since Instagram wants you to spend more time on their app, and engage with more content, long-form videos would work directly against their objectives.
The head of Instagram said specifically, “Instagram will not focus on long-form video.” Their goal is to connect you with friends and help you explore your interests — usually through short-form videos.
This is a hot take from Instagram, considering TikTok is expanding into longer videos.
“I don’t want to show my face”
Instagram posts with faces get 38% more likes than those without. Do with that information as you will, but you also don’t HAVE to show your face.
There are plenty of faceless accounts, and you can show behind-the-scenes things like how your product or service works, showing processes, customer reactions, time-lapses, etc. The options are endless.
“I don’t know what to post”
That’s why you clicked on this blog post, silly! When we show up to Reel filming days with our clients, we have Reel ideas prepared, props and scripts ready, and it’s a fun and easy day.
However, you might be doing your own socials, and we’re here to help with ideas for that, too.
25 Reel Ideas
Show Your Workspace
Anyone can participate in this! From at-home desks to warehouses to restaurants. These behind-the-scenes glimpses remind your audience of the work that goes into your business.
Step By Step Videos
These are great for recipes, companies to make items, or “how to” videos. Having a visual element makes “doing the thing” more accessible.
Showcase New Products
Get creative with how you show off your new products. Search the Explore Page for inspiration — this creator has the right idea!
A Day In The Life
There are many examples of these type of Reels, but if you’re camera shy, this is a good faceless option!
Testimonials
Have your clients share short video reviews of your product. If your clients are camera shy, ask them to write a testimonial and you can share them in a similar style as this creator.
Dance
Choreographed dances aren’t really our thing, but they are never leaving the app. If you can master the moves, shake what your mama gave ya!
Introduction
Introductions and reintroductions are all over the gram. It’s a chance to give new followers a better idea of who you are.
Meet the Team
These don’t need to be complicated. Making a meet the team post into a Reel, instead of a photo, is a more engaging way for people to get to know your staff.
Time Lapse Videos
Thanks to these apps, we’re all impatient. That’s why it’s so satisfying to see a project happen from start to finish in less than 90 seconds.
Celebrate a Milestone
Always celebrate your wins! Plus, telling your audience about your significant milestones is another way to add credibility to your business. Is this post, Alyson shares some valuable lessons she’s learned in the last 10 years of owning a digital marketing agency.
The “Making Of” Videos
Jenna Rae Cakes is a great account to go to if you want to see how to make their delicious desserts. Will we ever make a fancy cake? No. Do we ever skip a video? Also no.
Share Your Favourite Products, Services, or Tools
You’re the expert in your niche. Your audience would love to know what your favourite things to use are.
Unboxing Videos
Small businesses have to order products all the time. This allows plenty of opportunities for unboxing videos, like this one from WillowPress.
Explainer Videos
We’re just going to tag Molly PcPherson’s entire account because her whole page is explaining PR crisises. However, you can explain your products or services, or even your company culture.
Educational Videos, But Make It Fun
The TSA account is hilarious, but also shares information that travellers would definitely find useful. Check out this example from a couple of years ago, but their account is awesome in general.
Copy Trends
Don’t hop on every trend, but if it works with your brand, definitely do it. Here’s a current popular sound that most businesses can relate to.
Remix Reels
Trigger warning: this one is heavy. It’s also relevant and important to women's health.
We will give a special shoutout to the KamalaHQ account because they are working at lightning speed to stay relevant on all platforms. Truly unbelievable work.
Tell A Story
The Fingernails Are Pretty account slays at keeping things genuine. Her followers love her because she shares her products in an unconventional way, and it’s relatable to a lot of people because *depression*.
Share Bloopers
Blooper Reels are so funny. If you want to make your audience laugh, consider sharing the slip-ups it took to get to the finished product.
Give Tips
We love a Canva hack, but any quick tips that an average person could benefit from are so valuable. We’ve learned so much on these apps over the years. Thanks for not gatekeeping!
Before and After
You can add two photos, put a transition between them, add audio and boom - a very satisfying before and after video is born.
Answer FAQs
This creator shares FAQs from her audience, giving some consistency in her feed, and it helps build her reputation as an industry leader.
Expectations Vs Reality Videos
You know what we’re talking about with these videos. So, we thought we would share the human version of Instagram vs reality videos with the Australian comedian Celeste Barber, who has built her page around the idea.
Share a Collage
The base of a lot of Reel templates are photos strung together to a sound. This style of Reel tends to get high views because they are short, and the photos go by quickly, forcing people to watch more than once to really see the photos.
The best, and worst part about Instagram is that it’s always evolving. It’s also a space full of creative people, so it’s a constant flow of ideas and inspiration that you can mimic in your Reels strategy.
Remember, the goal is authenticity and connection, so if any of these don’t feel true to your brand, don’t do it. But before we send you on our way, here’s a few other things to consider when posting Reels.
5 Hot Tips for Posting Reels
1. Think about making videos, and content in general, that people would want to send to their friends.
Instagram prioritizes Reels based on what it believes a viewer will be most likely to interact with, and uses a set of signals to help rank content. Sends are high on the Instagram ranking list — it means it’s content you want your friends to see.
2. Keep experimenting
This seems to be Mosseri’s consistent tip for people who are in View’s jail. Keep trying new things to see what your audience engages with.
3. Don’t post Instagram Reels that are low-res, blurry, have watermarks from other apps, or reposting others content.
These types of Reels will be deprioritized — meaning nobody will see your content.
4. Cover photos make a very minimal difference in Reels performance.
They are only seen on your feed, or on the Explore Page. Most of your reach comes from the Feed or Recommendations. So, if cover photos are something that’s taking up a lot of your marketing time, maybe it’s time to reevaluate.
5. Use Audio on your Reels
Audio makes the Reel more engaging. When your content is immersive, you are more likely to get more attention, which helps get more likes, comments, and a higher reach.
Using Audio puts your content on the Audio’s page. People go there for inspiration, where they could come across your Reel, giving you an even higher reach.
DYK 50% of people have their audio turned on when using the app?
As you can maybe tell, we love making content. Whether it’s writing copy, coming up with campaign ideas, or creating a Reels strategy tailored to your business — it brings us joy.
Let our team write, schedule, and promote your social media content for you. Contact us here for a free quote.
7 Habits of Highly Effective Instagram Marketers - The Insider's Guide to Winning at Social Media Marketing
- by Alicia Kurz
Why You Should Be Using Instagram for Your Marketing
In today’s digital world, Instagram is one of the most powerful tools for marketing. Its user-friendly interface and powerful analytics make it the perfect platform to help your brand reach a wider audience.
Instagram offers a wide range of features that can be used to promote your business or product. From creating engaging content to utilizing best practices for Instagram marketing, there are many ways to get the most out of this powerful platform.
Whether starting with social media marketing or looking for ways to improve your current strategy, learning how to use Instagram effectively can help you achieve your goals. Let’s look at some tips and tricks that will help you make the most of this popular platform!
Habit 1: Developing a Clear Strategy
If you want to make the most of your Instagram presence, you must have a clear plan. This means defining your goals, identifying your target audience, and determining what content will resonate with them. Here's a quick list of questions to consider when developing your Instagram marketing strategy:
- What are your goals for Instagram marketing?
- Who is your target audience?
- What kind of content will you create to reach your goals and target audience?
These questions will help you create a roadmap that guides your Instagram marketing efforts. A clear strategy will save time and effort in the long run.
Habit 2: Creating Quality Content Above All Else
Quality content should always be the priority when it comes to content creation. Whether you’re creating content for Instagram, a blog, or a website, the quality of your content is what will make it stand out from the rest.
Visual storytelling on Instagram is a great way to engage with your followers and build relationships with them. But if you want to create high-quality visual stories, you need to consider how to make your images stand out from the crowd.
In this section, we’ll discuss some tips on how to create quality content that will help you reach your goals and get noticed by potential customers.
Habit 3: Utilizing Hashtags to Your Full Advantage
Hashtags are a great way to get your content noticed on social media. They can help you increase engagement and reach more people. But if you don't have a good hashtag strategy in place, you won't be able to maximize their potential.
Knowing which hashtags are trending on Instagram or Twitter and which ones are popular for your niche can help you get the most out of your hashtag strategy and make sure that your content is seen by the right people. With the right hashtag strategy, you can make sure that your content stands out from the crowd and reaches its intended audience.
Habit 4: Focusing Your Advertising Efforts on the Right Audiences
Instagram is a great platform for targeting ads and retargeting existing customers. With the right strategies, you can make sure that your ads reach the right people at the right time.
By understanding your target audience on social media, you can create more effective ad campaigns that will be seen by those most likely to engage with your brand. With this knowledge in hand, you can craft messages and visuals that will resonate with potential customers and drive conversions.
Habit 5: Automating and Scheduling Posts with the Right Tools
With the right tools and software, automating and scheduling posts on social media can be a breeze. Gone are the days when you had to manually post on each platform to get your message out - now you can use automation tools to do it for you.
These tools make it easy for you to schedule posts, find content ideas, and even track engagement. So if you're a busy marketer or business owner who wants to save time and effort when it comes to managing your social media accounts, these automation tools are worth looking into!
Habit 6: Posting Visually Appealing Content
Instagram is a highly visual platform, so making your content look good is important. Appealing images and videos help build a strong brand identity and establish trust with your audience. It's all about creating a consistent look and feel for your brand, using high-quality images to grab attention, and telling stories with visuals that will leave a lasting impression. With the right combination of visuals, you can make sure that your content stands out from the competition and keeps your audience engaged.
Habit 7: Engaging With Your Followers
It’s no secret that engaging with your followers is the key to success on social media. But how do you do it? Fortunately, there are a ton of effective ways to make sure that you're connecting with your audience in the most meaningful way possible. Some of the key ways to engage with your followers include:
- Liking and commenting on their posts
- Responding to Direct Messages
- Running giveaways and contests
- Asking for feedback and opinions
- Replying to comments and mentions
- Hosting Instagram Live sessions
- Featuring user-generated content
- Collaborating with followers and influencers
- Encouraging engagement through captions
- Monitoring and responding to comments
- Personalizing interactions with followers
We can’t stress enough the importance of showing up authentically on your Instagram Stories. We get it, you want your feed to look pretty, but people want to support the people behind a brand. Don’t be afraid to show what your day-to-day work-life looks like, books you read, or fun office conversations!
Using these strategies, you can build stronger relationships with your followers and keep them returning for more. Whether you're trying to boost engagement, drive traffic to your website, or increase sales, engaging with your followers is vital to achieving your goals on Instagram.
Social media has become an invaluable tool for businesses and organizations to reach out to their target audience. With the help of social media management tools, or digital marketing agencies like Starling Social, businesses can easily manage their presence on different social networks. They can also use social media ads to promote their products and services to a wider audience.
Social media platforms like Instagram are essential components of marketing strategies today. Businesses that understand the power of these tools will be able to leverage them to maximize their reach and engagement with potential customers. If you need help with your strategy or are ready to take digital marketing off your plate, contact us here to get started.
