As much as Instagram reels seem to be taking over, the original image posts are still widely used and play an important role in your social media marketing plan.

How we post these images can appeal to different audiences, and trends are always changing.

Here are some things we’ve noticed recently.

Photo dumps

You might see people captioning a post and calling it a ‘Photo dump’, but what does that mean?

Photo dumps are a more casual and light-hearted way of posting, using the carousel feature, meaning you can post many images at once for the viewer to slide through.

The algorithm also prioritizes Carousel posts, helping you get more interactions.

Photo dumps are lowkey and effortless, as it’s just a string of images, the images can be completely random or an array of images from one event/period.

Unedited casual posting

Similar to a photo dump, casual posting in general is in!

Instagram is often very material and high quality, so opposing that with unfiltered content is starting to circulate.

Authenticity is in (finally), so embrace that blurry picture.

This is great for brands as it cuts down on photography and editing costs, but it only works for certain brand personalities and overall vibes.

This doesn’t mean you don’t have to think about your content though, there should still be a plan and message conveyed through your posts.

Creator centric photos

Instagram is a great place to showcase your personality, and who your brand really is, but an easy way to do this is by showing the people behind the brand.

Whether it’s a selfie or photos from a staff night out, bring a bit of life to your business’ brand account!

If you look at all the major Instagram influencers, all of them are creators, take inspiration from their content and posting style and see how they are successful.

You can learn a lot from them, editing and post styles especially.

Oversaturated images

Lighting is always a big thing when it comes to your Instagram photos, but recently, bright and oversaturated photos are in.

This is a stark contrast from what we’ve seen in previous years, as high-quality images with clear lighting have been the preference.

If your brand is considered edgy or alternative at all, high brightness and saturated images can work very well in your favour, as it is reminiscent of the early 2000s myspace type photos.

It’s bold, different, and overall fun.

Text over images

Outside of captions, text with imagery is starting to pop up more frequently in our feeds.

The text incorporated into an image can quickly and easily provide context and any important/extra information to your audience.

It can also work in favour and improve your design if done well.

Text can also strengthen your brand, as it can fit in with your website/logo font, brand colours, and tone of voice. 

For more advice on social media marketing, contact our chimps.