Speaking of content, I think there will be even more sponsored content on the platform with even more brands dabbling into influencer marketing. However, only those content creators who can tastefully combine promotion with value and make it seem unforced and organic will see the best results.”

There’s a lot of talk about Instagram changing and adding features so its important for both personal and business accounts to evolve and grow with it. I do my best to test them out and before I know it, it becomes part of my new routine and I think Instagram sort of rewards accounts that adapt well to the changes. I think it’s important to move forward with that mindset and understanding to continue to grow on IG.”

Coming up on next year is exciting — there’s a lot that’s changed between Instagram’s algorithm and how influencers are working with brands. We expect that more ways to consume video will be introduced, and it will start to be prioritized even more than we’ve seen already. Also, new options for bloggers/influencers to monetize. Wouldn’t it be interesting if in addition to ‘Shop Now’ posts, users could ‘Book Now’ when viewing a hotel or a destination? We anticipate more distinguishing features between businesses and personal accounts.

Instagram has so much going on behind the scenes. The year 2018 might also be when we start to hear more about the way they are using AI to analyze content. We might also see the first introduction of 360 video this year and other VR integration.”

Another prediction is that users’ hashtag strategies will change as more and more users start following specific hashtags, a new feature rolled out within the last few weeks.”

Unique technology that in turn helps others create unique storytelling experiences. The biggest challenge of visual storytelling today is that everyone now has a platform so creative minds need to go the extra mile to do something that “wows” people, grabs their attention, and sparks meaningful conversation. New technologies like AR/VR and 360 video will take a front row seat in the visual storytelling arena in 2018 to immerse audiences into unique experiences they’ve never seen before in a way that is authentic.

Portrait mode and simulated depth effects will reach new heights. Right now, it’s pretty easy to spot errors and artifacts on portrait mode and studio lighting effects. This will only get better in 2018. Eventually, the quality of photos will be so high that it will be hard to tell it apart from the big guns – DSLRs – in most situations.”

“My view on being deliberate on social media is to create once and post often. It’s a pyramid strategy, with my pinnacle piece of content as blogging, and all of my social media serving as a reinforcement of that particular blog post. When I empower my clientele with this, there is always a sense of ease. It’s constancy, consistency, and clarity.

Instagram is where it’s at right now, but we anticipate it becoming more of a pay-to-play platform over time, like Facebook. Their recent algorithm shifts have been felt by all, so it’s only a matter of time until their analytics develop to suit their businesses’ needs. We all know that Facebook is looking right at Snapchat and will be blocking any and all momentum toward growth. They’ve rolled out Messenger for kids, “streaking,” and their own version of “stories,” so we can expect to see a lot more features in the future.

Just remember that you can’t be everything to everyone, or else you will become nothing to no one. Take steps to identify and clarify your brand and your content “buckets” (as I like to call them). From there, you can narrow down your cadence (how often you should post) based on your ideal audience. The Instagram audience is much different than the twitter or Facebook audience. The most important thing is to identify your voice. I’m also a huge supporter of building out one’s own email list. Reason being, they are yours! Unlike Facebook followers and Instagram followers who own that information, not you. When you have your own database, you can speak—and connect—directly.”

A disruptive feature I predict for Instagram soon will be deeper integration into the Facebook eco-system (WhatsApp, Oculus VR, etc.) Facebook owns dozens of companies which they can borrow features from, and these usually end up being platformed in someway onto Instagram. So, if you see it on Facebook, the chances are good it will be coming to Instagram soon too. I predict a native “Re-Gram” feature emerging soon, so it will be easier than ever to cross promote other users content quickly. The Instagram stories will continue to gain market share over snapchat as users slowly transition from snapchat to instagram.

If you want to build a business or social following on instagram, the best thing is to be an active part of the community. Comment on others photos, like photos, and research who (or what) is currently in your niche. Develop your niche and continue to target fans of that particular topic. Just like anything else, Instagram takes hard work to be successful at, so stick with it! Have fun with your content and engage your audience in discussions around your posts whenever possible.”