This Year's Instagram Trend is 'Naturalness'... Emphasis on DM Communication and Stress Relief

Kim Jin-ah, CEO of Meta Korea, is speaking at the 'Instagram 2024 Year-End Review Press Conference' held on the 4th. Photo by Lee Jung-yoon

This year, the most notable trend on Instagram was found to be 'unfiltered content.' Additionally, expanding offline relationships online and relieving stress in one's own way also emerged as key trends.

On the 4th, Instagram held the 'Instagram 2024 Year-End Review Press Conference' at the Centerfield Meta Office in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

At the event, Da-jung Jung, Head of Instagram Public Relations, introduced new Gen Z trends and culture that have emerged this year.

Jung first highlighted unfiltered content as the most prominent trend this year. He stated, "Recently on Instagram, content that captures naturalness is gaining attention more than perfectly staged posts," adding, "There is also a trend of using Instagram like a personal diary."

For example, this year, the 'Photo dump' trend, where users upload multiple photos and videos on their Instagram feed like a digital diary without embellishment, gained popularity. Users tend to freely express their authentic selves.

'Expansion of friendship' was also cited as a trend this year. Jung shared characteristics of Gen Z expanding offline friendships online through Instagram. In particular, direct messages (DMs) have emerged as a primary channel for sharing friendships.

Lastly, the 'anti-burnout' trend, where users relieve stress in their own ways, also gained attention. Jung explained that the anti-burnout trend appeared in two main forms: an active, dynamic approach involving physical movement or stimulation, and a calm, static approach through writing to soothe the mind.

Representative dynamic methods of relief included sports such as running and climbing, which sparked a craze this year, as well as cold water bathing. As a static method, 'text-hip,' which finds coolness in the act of reading and writing itself, was highlighted.

At the event, Ki-young Park, Head of Meta Creative Shop, introduced how brands are discovering and communicating with Gen Z consumers through Instagram.

With 70% of respondents visiting Instagram at least once a day, Gen Z keeps Instagram close.

Park said, "Brands are strongly connecting with Gen Z by leveraging short-form content, which is how Gen Z consumes and enjoys content, and creators who are influential voices that move them."

Cases were also shared where effective use of music led not only to increased exposure of Reels videos but also to sales growth. Park emphasized, "75% of Reels users watch videos with sound on, or in 'sounds on' mode. Creating ad materials that match the music can significantly increase viewer attention."

Additionally, Park shared cases of employing Meta's AI-based automated solution, Advantage+ Shopping campaign, to execute more effective marketing strategies.

The Meta Advantage+ Shopping campaign is a marketing solution that uses AI to optimize ad creatives, placements, and budgets in real time. It provides a personalized experience by discovering potential customers and showing them suitable ads. As a result of applying Meta's AI solution, not only did new customer acquisition increase compared to the previous month, but it also effectively targeted customers who showed interest in products and had a high purchase intent, thereby improving conversion rates.

A session introducing notable creators and Reels of the year was also held. Nayoung Kim, Head of Meta Global Partnerships, explained, "This year, active exchanges among creators transcending gender, age, and nationality were impressive."

Instagram also encouraged creator interaction by piloting automatic translation for Reels and increasing the number of collaborators to up to five.

Kim evaluated that meme-style Reels and the activities of Gen Z and sports creators stood out. Additionally, InstaToon is establishing itself as a new form of webtoon consumption. Numerous InstaToon creators, from amateurs to professional artists, are emerging.

Jina Kim, CEO of Meta Korea, stated, "Instagram is the platform that can detect changes in trends the fastest," adding, "We hope to observe changes in trends and gain insight into new possibilities that will arise from them."