99: Instagram Marketing Trends & Predictions for 2026 (Part 1): Why Instagram Feels Harder Right Now
Instagram feels harder than it used to. Your views might be down. Your reach might feel inconsistent. Your content might feel like it is disappearing into the void.
This is not your fault.
In this episode, I kick off a four part series on Instagram Marketing Trends and Predictions for 2026. I break down what is actually happening on the platform using real data from two massive studies that analyzed more than 44 million posts and nearly 2 million accounts.
You will learn why reach is down, why competition is up, and why this shift is secretly the best opportunity small businesses have had in years.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
00:00 – Why Instagram feels harder right now
03:02 – What two major studies reveal about reach, Reels, and competition
08:10 – Why more content means less average reach
09:27 – How the algorithm has shifted toward recommendations and DMs
12:21 – Why small accounts are growing faster than big ones
16:06 – What resonance over reach really means for your business
17:01 – Why views and income are not the same thing
15:09 – How I grew my business by 300 percent with lower average views
20:11 – Why niche content now beats broad content
20:41 – How shareable content wins in 2026
24:00 – Why community matters more than ever
24:56 – Why Reels still matter and how to think about them differently
25:51 – The three strategic takeaways you need to focus on this year
Key Takeaways:
Instagram is not broken. It has evolved.
The platform is more competitive because more people are posting.
The algorithm now favors recommendations over follower feeds.
You do not need a big audience to reach the right people.
Small accounts are seeing the highest engagement growth.
Reach is down across the board. This is normal.
Resonance creates sales. Views do not guarantee income.
Shareable content wins in 2026.
Community is becoming the real asset.
A Truth You Need to Hear:
“Visibility and income are not the same thing. Resonance is what drives results.” — Elizabeth Marberry
S3 Ep99 Transcript: Instagram Marketing Trends & Predictions for 2026 (Part 1): Why Instagram Feels Harder Right Now
00:00
Today we kick off a brand new four part series that I've been working on for weeks. It is called Instagram Marketing Trends and Predictions for 2026. And honestly, this might be the most important series I've ever created for anyone who uses Instagram to grow their business. Here's why. Instagram feels completely different right now than it did even a year ago. Maybe you've noticed that your reels aren't getting the views they used to.
00:27
or maybe your reach feels inconsistent. Maybe you're posting consistently, but feeling like you're shouting into the void. If any of that sounds familiar, you are not alone. I've spent the last month diving deep into two major studies that analyzed over 44 million posts and nearly two million accounts. And what I have discovered is gonna change how you think about Instagram strategy in 2026.
00:55
Over the next four weeks, we are going to cover why Instagram feels harder right now and why that's actually creating massive opportunity for the right creators and brands, how to stand out without burning out in an oversaturated market, what actually is going to drive more leads and sales to your business. And of course, we're going to wrap it up with your complete 2026 strategy for sustainable Instagram growth.
01:24
I'm backing everything up with real data, real stats, and real examples from my two businesses and my clients who are thriving right now despite all of these changes. So if you've been feeling frustrated with Instagram lately and you've been wondering what you should focus on, or if you just wanna get ahead of the curve for 2026, this series is gonna give you so much clarity. I hope you're pumped. Let's go. oh
01:55
Welcome to Strut It, a podcast about creating bold visibility on social media with zero apologies. I'm Elizabeth Marberry, your host and Instagram marketing coach. I help small business owners get seen on Instagram and monetize their offers so they can make more money doing their sole led work. If you're tired of spinning your wheels on Instagram and you're seeking simple, proven Instagram marketing strategies that actually work, you're in the right place.
02:25
Let's dive in.
02:34
Welcome back to Strut It. I'm so thrilled you have joined me for part one of this four part series on Instagram marketing trends and predictions for 2026. This is the podcast where we talk about how to create that bold, unapologetic visibility on Instagram, not just for the follows, but to drive actual leads and sales to your business. I wanted to kick off this episode by saying if Instagram feels harder right now,
03:02
Or if you feel that what was working for you six months ago or 12 months ago or 18 months ago isn't working as effectively as it used to, please know that you are not alone. I've been getting so many DMs and I've been in conversations with lots of different creators and business owners who are feeling frustrated, confused, and honestly feeling a little defeated by how Instagram is shifting and changing. And maybe you've noticed that
03:30
your reels aren't getting the views they used to, or maybe your reach just feels really inconsistent. If any of that resonates, I want you to know that what you're experiencing is real, it's valid, and most importantly, it's not a reflection of your worth, if you have a good business, if your products or services are valuable, or your potential for success. The social media landscape changes all the time, right? Algorithms evolve.
03:59
platform shift priorities, user behavior changes. And if you've been doing this for a while, you probably have lived through multiple versions of quote unquote, what works on Instagram, right? And I have been studying social media marketing for the last six years. I've been an entrepreneur for over 15 years and part of my job, both as an Instagram marketing strategist and coach,
04:27
but also as the host of this podcast is truly to study what is actually happening behind the scenes so you don't have to live inside of the noise and the confusion. And my goal truly is always to just simplify things for you and share with you only what you need to know as a busy small business owner because if you're like me, you're not a full-time content creator, right?
04:57
a business to run, you have payroll, you have lots of different things on your plate and content creation and marketing is probably just a small part of what you do. So my job is to really simplify and demystify Instagram for you so you can start leveraging this platform to really boost your brand visibility so people know you exist, right? Because they can't buy from you if they don't know you exist and teach you really simple and proven ways
05:27
to drive more leads and sales with your organic content, meaning no paid ads. So today I wanted to start this year of 2026 with a four part series of Instagram marketing trends and predictions. I'm not just sharing my opinions or gut feelings. I'm really backing this up with data from two different comprehensive studies that have analyzed millions of posts and accounts. In addition to my own experience of
05:56
growing a brick and mortar service-based business as well as an online business and of course coaching my private and group clients. They're all business owners and creative entrepreneurs from lots of different niches and industries. I'm so happy that you're taking this time to learn and invest in yourself and your knowledge. And I'm gonna share a lot with you throughout this series. Remember, you're gonna hear what you need to hear.
06:21
Success goes to the implementer. So take one thing away from each episode and go and implement it. And I promise when you do that and you make those one to 5 % upgrades each week in your life, in your marketing, in your sales funnel, within 12 months, your business is going to be totally next level, right? So just keep going, brick by brick, one thing at a time.
06:44
Let's talk about what the data is actually showing us. I recently got my hands on two major studies that I want to reference throughout this series. The first is from Metricool called Social Media Trends 2026, which analyzed over 39 million posts from more than 1 million accounts. The second is a study called The State of Short-Form Video in 2025, which looked at 5 million video posts from nearly 600,000 accounts.
07:13
Now I wanna be clear about what this data represents. These are accounts connected to these platforms analytic tools. So while it's a large sample size, it may not represent every single Instagram user, but the trends are significant enough that I think they're worth paying attention to. So here's what these studies are showing us. First, Instagram has reached massive scale.
07:41
According to Instagram CEO Adam Mazzari, Instagram has now surpassed 3 billion monthly active users. That's more than one in every three people on the planet using Instagram every single month. Second, there's significantly more content being created. So the short form video study found that short form video posts increased by over 71%.
08:10
in 2025 with 51 % more accounts publishing video content compared to the previous year. Okay, and we're gonna get into what this data means for you and your strategy moving forward, but let's just stay focused on the data. Third, this increased competition is affecting performance.
08:33
The studies show that reach and views are becoming more competitive across different account sizes. For example, the short form video study found that in their data set, Reel's views dropped significantly compared to 2024. And that information is important if you notice that, wow, in 2024, my views were up, in 2025, they went down. The data is mirroring that back to you.
09:01
Well, the social media trend study showed reach declining by 35 % for Instagram Reels. The fourth takeaway is that the algorithm has fundamentally shifted. According to Instagram's own data, there's now more content being shared in DMs, direct messages every single day, than there is content being posted to feeds.
09:27
This means that the algorithm is prioritizing shareability and recommendations over chronological follower feeds, meaning that the algorithm's job is to show you content that it thinks that you're gonna like and you're gonna consume. I'm sure you've noticed this. If you are a consumer on Instagram, if you're scrolling on Instagram, oftentimes you don't see the content.
09:55
that you follow, you'll see recommendations that the algorithm has for you. So let's say you are constantly consuming recipe content, like you're obsessed with gluten-free recipes. As you're consuming that content, it's gonna show you more and more creators and it's gonna recommend content that is within that topic because that is how the algorithm works, right? Instagram knows that for them to make money and for you to want to keep coming back to the platform,
10:25
you have to see what you want, right? And so the algorithm has really shifted into prioritizing that shareability piece, which is meaning like the content that is shared in the Instagram DMs and recommendations over that chronological follower feed of like what you would see if you were just scrolling through your feed and just seeing what the accounts you follow are posting.
10:53
Now, before you panic, here is the most important context. This is happening to everyone, okay? So this isn't about your content suddenly getting worse or the algorithm punishing you specifically. This is a platform-wide shift. So think about it logically. When you have 3 billion users and a 71 % increase in content creation, of course individual posts are gonna get less reach, right?
11:22
As one of the studies puts it perfectly, more content means the pie gets sliced into more pieces. But here's where it gets interesting. So while overall reaches down, as we just discussed, the algorithm has shifted to prioritize recommendations over follower feeds. And the good part about this for you, my beloved small business owner, creative entrepreneur, creator, who's trying to get your products and services out there on Instagram,
11:52
This means that you don't need a massive following to reach your ideal clients or customers. You just need content that resonates with the right people, with your ideal audience. And the most encouraging part is that this data shows that small accounts, meaning those with under 1,000 followers, are the only account sizing growth and interactions on Instagram.
12:21
Now, when I say interactions, I'm talking about the total engagement on your posts. That's the likes, comments, shares, saves, and clicks combined. Basically, anytime someone does something with your content beyond just viewing it, that counts as an interaction. Small accounts saw a 22 % increase in these interactions and a 30 % increase in engagement rate.
12:50
which is your interactions divided by your reach. Don't get too overwhelmed or caught up in the numbers. We're gonna really break this down into why this matters for you. An important framing for all of this data, no matter how big or small your account is, is that it's actually a much more level playing field now on Instagram. So,
13:17
you can let go of any story that you have about, you're too late to the Instagram game. This is really more an opportunity to study how the rules have changed and how you can understand and take this data and leverage it in your Instagram marketing strategy in 2026. I want to move into a mindset piece because this is really important. And this is where
13:47
I want to protect you from falling into a scarcity spiral because I see this happening all the time in the online marketing space. So when people hear stats like reaches down, the immediate reaction is often panic. Like, oh my gosh, does that mean Instagram is dead? Does that mean I should have started sooner?
14:10
Does that mean there's no room for growth or for me or my business on this platform? And what I want you to understand is that there have always been more than enough clients, customers, and opportunities for everyone on this platform. Remember how I said there's over three billion monthly users? That is a huge opportunity, right? And let me share some personal proof.
14:40
of this idea that even if your reach is down or your views aren't as high or your follower count isn't growing as quickly as you want it to, there are more than enough clients, customers, and opportunities for you on Instagram than ever before. And it's really all about clarity in who you're speaking to, specific messaging, all of these different aspects that really
15:09
allow Instagram to be a driver in your marketing and sales funnel. In 2025, my business, my online coaching business, grew by over 300 % in revenue. This past year was my best year ever financially. And you know what's really interesting is that my average real views
15:36
were actually lower in 2025 than they were in 2024. So how is that possible? Because I got clearer on who I was talking to, what I stood for and how I could serve my audience. And here's the key, and this is the part I really want you to focus on. To have that massive financial leap in my business, I focused on resonance over reach.
16:06
I had fewer people seeing my content, but the right people were seeing it. And those people were much more aligned, more engaged and more ready to invest in working with me, right? And this taught me something really critical and that is that visibility and income are not the same thing. Resonance is what drives results. What is resonance? Resonance is
16:36
activating your ideal client or customer. So they say, ooh, that is for me. Like this piece of content serves me. This piece of content sees me. This piece of content is helping me to achieve a certain result or a certain feeling. This piece of content is helping me to feel less alone. This piece of content is
17:01
driving that sense of belonging in my heart. I'm finding my community through this content. You can have a million views and zero sales, or you can have a thousand views and totally book out your services. The difference isn't the size of your audience, it's the alignment between your message and the people who need to hear it.
17:30
Now, I want to share something personal that I think will help you navigate this challenging landscape. And one of the most important things I've learned over the past few years is when to put the blinders on. So what I found within myself is that when I consume too much of what everyone else is doing in my niche,
17:52
When I'm constantly looking at other creators' content and analyzing their strategies and comparing my results to theirs or my analytics to theirs, I stop hearing my own voice. It really shuts down my creativity. I start second-guessing my instincts. I start chasing trends instead of leading with my own perspective. Instead of really writing from a place of thought leadership, I start just
18:21
overthinking and over-perfecting my content. But when I put blinders on and focus on my own mission, my own audience, my own unique approach and intention, that's when the magic happens. And that's when I create content that truly resonates. And that's when I attract the right people. So I'm giving you permission to do the same. Not that you need a permission from me, but if you're listening to this, I hope it's resonating.
18:51
full permission to show up, you don't need to know what everyone else is doing in your niche, especially if it's shutting you down or causing you to freeze or feel paralyzed every time you go to create or post. You don't need to follow every guru or implement every strategy. You need to get clear on your own voice, your own brand of values and mission.
19:20
and trust it, trust yourself. So let's talk about why this changing landscape on Instagram is actually creating opportunity and not limitation. First, recommendation-based algorithms really level the playing field, right? We've already talked about this a little bit, but the Metricool study found that Instagram is now showing content to more non-followers than followers.
19:44
This means that you don't need a massive following to reach new people. You need content that resonates, right? That really clicks with your ideal followers, right? Your ideal clients or customers. Second, smaller creators have an advantage. So remember that stat I shared earlier, small accounts are the only ones seeing a growth and engagement on Instagram. Why?
20:11
because they're more nimble, right? They're more authentic. They're more willing to be personal and specific. And big accounts often feel this pressure to appeal to everyone, which means they end up appealing to no one. So small accounts can really afford to be niche, to have a point of view, to speak directly to their ideal clients. And of course, everyone has the opportunity in 2026, no matter the size of your account, but the playing field is so level.
20:41
Third, the barrier to viral content has actually lowered. According to the studies I referenced, the algorithm is prioritizing shareability above all else. So think of that content right now that's sitting in your DMs that your partner sent to you or your best friend sent to you or your colleague sent to you. That is shareable content, right? Content that gets shared in the DMs, content that means
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people think, my friend needs to see this. That is what is breaking through the noise on Instagram right now. And you know what's really shareable? Content that makes people feel seen, heard, understood, or simply that makes people laugh. You don't need a huge production budget or a massive team to create that kind of content. You don't need to be bigger, you just need to be clearer. And what I mean by that is,
21:40
If you're wondering, okay, Elizabeth, I get it. I need to create shareable content that helps my ideal follower, my ideal client or customer feel seen, heard or helped. Great. How do I do that? This is where you need to have clarity about who is that specific target market. What do you stand for? Clarity about the transformation that you provide. Like if you're a service provider,
22:09
Where am I on day one? Where am I on day 90? Right? There's a transformation that you provide. Or if you're a product-based business owner, what kind of community can you build around your product? I just ordered a planner. I don't know about you, but I am kind of old school when it comes to really reflecting on the past year and setting goals for the new year.
22:38
And even with my daily to-do list, I am just a sucker for a pen and paper. Don't get me wrong, I use Chad's dbt every day as a strategic thought partner. Of course I'm on my laptop all the time. I have all the systems, all the tech, but for some reason when I write things down, it just helps me to feel more clear. And so I ordered this product by a company called Cultivate What Matters and it is their 2026 PowerSheets
23:08
goal planner. And why I'm sharing this with you is that one thing that immediately stood out to me as a marketer is their mission. There's a lot of companies that sell planners, right? But their mission statement is, at Cultivate What Matters, we're passionate about helping you uncover what truly matters and living out with joy. For over a decade, our tools and teachings have sparked positive and powerful change in thousands of lives across the globe, including ours, and we're grateful you're here.
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It's our joy to walk alongside you as you cultivate your most intentional life. So their whole branding is like helping you to cultivate an intentional life. And they walk you through, you know, different goal setting practices and, you know, reflection exercises. And they have a whole online community of people who are setting goals and going after their goals. so.
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My support to you is whether you have a product or a service, think about what kind of mission or value system can you build a community around, right? It's not just a product. Like if they were just trying to sell a planner or a goals planner like everyone else, they probably wouldn't be very successful. But this company has really built a very loyal community, right? So that is going to be more and more important in 2026 that you are
24:30
really building community around your business. So that clarity around who you serve, what you stand for, about the transformation, when you start to have that clarity, the algorithm, the recommendations algorithm becomes your friend, not your enemy. You'll be so grateful for it. As we wind down this episode, I wanna be crystal clear about something. After looking at all of the data,
24:56
Reels are still your best bet for reaching new audiences on Instagram. So even with the increased competition, saturation, short form video consistently outperforms static posts and carousels. Side note, yes, carousels are totally having a hot moment on Instagram right now. We're gonna dive deeper into those in this series, but essentially...
25:21
The biggest takeaway for you is that the data doesn't say stop posting reels or that reels are not effective. It says post better reels. And that's where clarity about who you serve and your messaging and how you're capturing attention and all those different pieces that are involved in an effective Instagram marketing strategy are gonna come into play. To close out today's episode, remember this is just part one of our four part series on what is working and what's not working in
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2026 with Instagram marketing. I wanna give you three key takeaways from today's episode. And remember, just take that one lesson from today and see what you can shift in your marketing strategy in the coming week. So first of all, Instagram has not failed you. Instagram's not broken. It's not going anywhere. Your ideal clients and customers are absolutely hanging out on the platform. They're purchasing their products and services from this platform.
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and it has evolved, right? The platform is responding to user behavior and market saturation in very logical ways and understanding this helps you to adapt your marketing strategy instead of resist it. Second, the landscape changing creates opportunity, not limitation. So when the rules change, it creates space.
26:45
for new leaders to emerge. So no matter the size of your following, you have the opportunity to reach your ideal client or customer anywhere in the world. And that I hope is so thrilling and exciting for you. Third, resonance matters more than reach. A smaller, more engaged audience will always be more valuable in terms of
27:13
driving leads and sales and building that community than a large massive following that is disengaged or scattered, right? So if Instagram is one of your major growth channels for your business or a place of focus for you in 2026, where you see that you really want to blow up your brand visibility and get in front of more of your ideal clients or customers, I invite you to join my.
27:40
Hot Reels VIP wait list, okay? Because the doors are currently closed, but you definitely want to get on the wait list. So Hot Reels is my 12 month Instagram content lab. It is my signature program where I help entrepreneurs and small business owners learn how to create that scroll stopping content that actually converts followers into paying clients. We focus on exactly what I talked about today, right? Clarity over volume, resonance over reach.
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how do you find that messaging that is gonna activate your ideal client or customer so you can get not just followers, but like what I call high value followers, meaning people who are actually interested in buying your products or services. So doors open again in the spring and wait-listers get first access plus exclusive VIP bonuses that are only available to folks on the wait list.
28:38
So I want you to head on over to Elizabethmarbury.com slash hot. That's Elizabeth Marbery, M-A-R-B-E-R-R-Y.com slash hot to get the full program details and it'll take you 30 seconds to join the wait list or just DM me the keyword hot, H-O-T.
29:02
on Instagram, make sure you're already following me if you aren't already. My handle is Elizabeth Marberry, M-A-R-B-E-R-R-Y, DM me the word hot and my sexy robot assistant will send you over the link to join the wait list. I can't wait to see your name pop up on there. And next week, we are diving into part two of our Instagram marketing trends for 2026 series, standing out without burning out.
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I am so excited. I hope you got so much value out of today's episode. If you did, please share it with another business colleague or friend who is trying to figure out how to best show up on Instagram for their business. I so appreciate you sharing and getting the word out about the show. And of course, if you haven't rated or reviewed the show on Apple podcasts, I would be so absolutely grateful. That really helps us in the algorithm. And I cannot wait to start it with you next week.
30:01
Thank you for listening to Strut It. If you're ready to start leveraging Instagram to grow your business, then you're gonna wanna grab my free Monetize Your IG Guide, where you'll learn seven simple and proven ways to finally make money on Instagram. You can grab your guide at elizabethmarberry.com slash freebies. That's elizabethmarbury.com slash freebies.
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to get my monetize your IG guide. If you got some incredible value from today's episode, be sure to leave a review and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. And I cannot wait to start it with you again next week.
