Authenticity Is Taking Over Instagram
Customers are leaning towards more realistic and relatable content on Instagram. Should brands do the same?
“Individual creators and even average Instagram users feel the need to curate a personal brand in the photos they share,” states Katja Vujić, social media manager at New York Magazine. The social media platform, once primarily used for personal communication, has now become an indispensable aspect of running an engaged business. The potential that Instagram has to offer in terms of enhancing, communicating, and curating a brand image has impacted not only the way brands operate on the app, but general users, too. Patterns of the kind of content users post and share arise from both technical changes and shifts in the society.
The preferred type of content changes alongside new features introduced on the app. The most recent feature launched by Instagram is “dual camera” which appeared in July 2022. It considerably mimics BeReal, a social media app which prompts its users to take an authentic and instantaneous photo once a day using both the front and the back cameras. Prior to this, there have been other updates paving the way towards more realistic content. The introduction of the “stories” feature in August 2016 which called for more instant and seemingly less-curated content sharing, largely influenced by the rise in popularity of the instant messaging app Snapchat.
The supposed division between candid stories and curated feed posts remained intact until the pandemic irreversibly altered the way content was being created. Global restrictions meant that both field professionals and general users were creating content without any production assistance. This resulted in the emergence of a more laid-back, realistic, and less curated content and aesthetic. Most significantly, the pandemic also saw the surge of popularity of video sharing app Tiktok which primarily focuses on relatable and entertaining user-generated content. In August 2020, Instagram followed the trend and launched its own version of the feature called “reels,” and its algorithm has been readjusted to prioritise video content over still imagery ever since. Considering the profound lean towards preferring more realistic content, businesses need to evaluate how they can adjust to this change on Instagram, a platform that has grown to be heavily curated but is now being forced to return to the simplicity of its very beginnings.
The relationship between Instagram and businesses is progressing constantly. “For many, it is one of the primary ways to share information and get the word out about whatever it is they’re doing or offering,” explains Vujić. Offering features such as activity insights or shopping pages, Instagram is an indispensable step for smaller businesses. “It is very much a community and creative hub beyond design,” says Tia Adeola, designer of her namesake fashion brand whose Instagram provides a realistic yet seemingly effortless insight into the brand. She emphasises the role it has in creating a comprehensive but cohesive brand image and engaging both existing customers and attracting new ones: “It’s about staying true to ourselves and the process. If you go through our Instagram page, you see content of everything from sketches to reposts of customers in garments to editorials styled by some of our favourite stylists and more.” Feeling represented is essential for attracting and – more importantly – maintaining devoted customers, as they are seeking to see themselves as part of the brand’s community. While brands are certainly progressing with this matter, there is no one who is better at being aspirational yet relatable than influencers.
“The power of influencers and social media is for people to relate to you; therefore, you need to be relatable for others to follow you,” says United Kingdom-based influencer Iga Wysocka who boasts 122k followers on her curated and colour-schemed Instagram. It is becoming progressively difficult for influencers to remain relatable, as brands demand high-quality content but still want the personal flair that an influencer collaboration offers. “If it was up to me, I would only take photos with my phone because it’s easier, but I need to switch to camera because it’s what brands expect you to do,” she says. The highly competitive market also pushes influencers to adjust their personal brands to Instagram trends, but it can be complicated to remain sincere.
Since starting out seven years ago, Wysocka has seen the platform go through many changes but remains sceptical about the current efforts to return to more realistic content. “Everyone’s trying to be real but how real can you really be when you are just forced to show your everyday life?” she questions the sincerity of the trend. However, Wysocka acknowledges that not following Instagram content trends can be damaging and result in stagnation. “What I was doing two years ago is not really relevant in the current Instagram situation anymore,” she says. Following content trends should not equal to giving up your personal brand. “There’s so many trends that you can’t follow all of them. You have to choose your own niche and aesthetic,” suggests Wysocka. Remaining true to your personal brand image is essential for authenticity, and this is something that users are actively looking for.
30,2% of Instagram users are made up of Gen-Z, the first completely digital generation whose opinions about the platform have been largely shaped through their own experiences on the app. 67% of Gen-Zers who are active on social media consider Instagram as the most influential platform in terms of affecting buying decisions. Alongside navigating around an information-saturated feed, content creation often causes pressure for Gen-Z to adhere to certain society expectations. While the demands for authenticity on Instagram are their efforts to relieve the stress, this also presents brands with the opportunity to build more personal and long-lasting relationships with customers, as Gen-Z now amounts for a buying power worth around $360 billion.
While businesses still need to curate their brand image on Instagram, it should only be done to a certain extent, as promoting the business in a realistic and genuine way is the most effective way to attract devoted consumers. When following content trends on Instagram, it should also be done in a way that feels true to the brand. “It’s not very real when you feel the pressure to show how real at the moment you are,” says Wysocka, and even though Instagram content trends are likely to change again, demands for authenticity on social media are not going anywhere.