Instagram always feels like it's changing. So, what do you need to know about marketing your wedding business on Instagram in 2022? What will be the latest Instagram trends in 2022 for wedding pros? When it comes to marketing, I believe that keeping it simple is, more often than not, the best approach. I also strongly believe in showing up where your ideal customers are hanging out, and for most of us, that's Instagram! If you are looking for a few tips (and some sage advice) on using Instagram for wedding pros in 2022, you are in the right place. In this article, I will share all the details on how to use Instagram for your wedding business in 2022.

First Instagram Trend in 2022 for Wedding Pros… You Need Instagram Reels in a BIG Way

If you've been avoiding making Instagram reels, hoping and praying that they're just a fad that'll fade–I'm sorry to tell you, sister–they're here to stay. Regardless of whether or not you've taken advantage of this feature in the last year, it's now 2022. Get on that shit.

If you use Instagram for wedding business building, it's time to play with this feature. And YES – I said play. You've likely heard me say before that marketing is just one big experiment sometimes. If there was ever a feature to have fun with, it's IG Reels!

Let's get some mindset stuff out of the way first. You can create reels without showing your face (share your screen/view or even just a slideshow of photos!). You can create voiceovers of popular audio that literally take three minutes to create. Basically, no matter what your “comfort” level is – and I will encourage you to move past that anyway – you CAN do this.

Why are Instagram Reels Important for Your Wedding Business Marketing Plans in 2022?

Here's the tea –

1. Reels will help you reach cold audiences. If your phone isn't ringing off the hook with referrals, this is a GREAT tool to use during engagement season (and really, anytime you want to grow your audience and reach more people!).
2. They are what IG prioritizes in the explore feed (and really, in every part of the app). Instagram has made it clear that this is *not a drill* and that Reels are here to stay.
3. IG rewards content creators who use their features with more engagement. And to my friends in the USA (for now!), you can also earn a little cash. If you have been looking for a way to diversify your revenue streams, why not embrace this? Instagram is literally paying you to create.
4. I hate to break it to you, but more opportunities will come your way if you use reels. I'm not a woo person, but I believe in putting yourself out there to attract new and exciting opportunities.
5. You can connect with your ideal clients more easily using video content. There is a reason Instagram is prioritizing video, and it's not to make your life harder. Instagram users love videos (and that includes your customers!). Like it or not, people buy from those they know, like, and trust. Video helps ensure the person they know, like, and trust is YOU.
6. They're easy to make–when you set aside the time. Sorry, should I have put a trigger warning there? If you have been procrastinating using Instagram reels because you just don't have the time, I hate to break it to you, but that's a load of BS.

Stuck in the “how”? Here is some insight into using Reels effectively.

Instagram is investing heavily into Reels development – with even more features to help you connect with your customers. As small businesses, we need to follow the money and start picking up what they are putting down. Keep the conversation going by making a new Instagram Reel from an old comment. USE any and all features to drive up your engagement. If I can challenge you in Q1 of 2024, it would be to try a little of everything and have fun. Detach yourself from the results, and just see what your ideal customers love!

In case you haven't picked up on it yet (you will!), I'm kind of a data nerd. So I love diving into what platforms are doing and what's performing well a little more than what's “normal.” This is why, when an Instagram marketing authority like Later predicts the introduction of “one feed” that combines feed posts, videos, and IG reels together, I'm listening. If IG does combine the feed, we need to pay EXTRA attention to what they are prioritizing. Let me repeat: we aren't guessing here. IG has come out and said that Reels and Videos are being pushed further. It's not something we can continue to ignore (even if we would rather be photographers than videographers and businesses rather than content creators).

The IG Chronological Feed Is Coming Back *Rejoice*

This Instagram trend in 2022 is something we can seriously get behind. Who else is looking forward to the chronological feed coming back? From a user perspective, I'm looking forward to seeing a little more variety in my feed (does anyone else get shown the same ten accounts repeatedly?!). For the most part, I think this will be a good thing for our small businesses that can't compete with companies pushing out viral content 10 times daily. Many of us in the wedding industry have smaller audiences, which is absolutely okay (after all, you probably aren't trying to work with thousands of couples per year!).

Although there is no way to know for sure if the chronological order will help your content to get seen more easily, as marketers of our businesses, we should try to adapt quickly. My advice? If your followers choose to see posts in chronological order, you'll have to pay closer attention to your posting times.

For most of us, that will be first thing in the morning (while our followers are still in bed snoozing the alarm clock!), during their lunch break, or in the evening when they are curled up watching Netflix and scrolling on their phones. The keyword here is IF your followers return to the chronological feed.

Now is a great time to poll your audience to keep your finger on the pulse. How do THEY feel about the chronological feed?

Listen, I love to dive into the numbers and make decisions based on data and a little intuition (but I'm definitely not a woo girl). As Instagram starts to test the chronological feed and make changes to the algorithm, your metrics and statistics will be more important than ever if account growth is a priority. Again, you don't need a big audience to run a profitable wedding business. But the days of relying on the Instagram algorithm to push our 4-day-old content might be over sooner than we think!

Polished Over Perfect

I love that this is trending. Gone are the days of the perfect Instagram feed, and the hottest Instagram trend in 2022 for wedding pros is polished over perfect. This is your big fat permission slip to ditch trying to make everything perfect and, instead, just keep it polished. That's right, I'm not pushing for full transparency here because your followers likely don't want to see your messy bed. With that said, you don't need to plan your grid a month at a time to make sure everything is aesthetically flawless.

Perfectionism gets in the way of you putting your message out there–and if you're not marketing your business–who will? Instead of perfect, focus on polished.

How to Create Content on Instagram for Wedding Businesses that's Polished (not perfect!)

1. Share some of that “imperfect” real-life content.

Audiences have been saying for a while now that they want to see the real… which means loosening the grip and sharing your imperfect content. A little tip, though? You are not only your business, and it's okay for you to have boundaries about what you will (and will not) share. Your followers don't need to know what you ate for breakfast or what you and your husband like to do on date nights if you don't want to share. Find ways to incorporate your real life into your brand, but don't feel pressure to show everything.

2. Look at what's going viral already!

Content that goes viral now isn't professionally shot photo/video. Instead, most of what goes viral are pictures and videos taken from a phone. This is GOOD news for you and your small business because it's easier than ever to create content on the fly. Share the behind-the-scenes of a site inspection, sneak peeks of a wedding design board you are creating, and your office dog reminding you that it's lunchtime.

3. Keep it polished by applying easy-to-use in-app filters or with 3rd party software like Lightroom presets, a color story, etc.

Although I'm trying to let go of my perfectionist tendencies, I won't tell you to bring your inner hot mess to your feed. I believe in deciding what you want to be known for and taking your brand seriously. With that said, we don't need to overcomplicate things! There are so many resources available at our fingertips and on our phones to keep everything you post looking beautifully branded without slowing you down. I love a good set of Lightroom presets myself!

2022 Is Going to Be All About The Collab

In the wedding industry, we are no strangers to collaboration (after all, who doesn't love a good styled shoot?). With the rollout of the new collab feature on Instagram, they are encouraging creator collaborations and rewarding you with a massive reach. If growing your audience and brand awareness is your priority in 2022, this is something you don't want to miss out on. My two cents? This is SO much better than the good old-fashioned “tag.” After all, when was the last time you checked who tagged your favorite people in something? I know that's a tab on IG profiles I rarely visit myself!

That's why this is one of my FAVORITE Instagram trends in 2022 for wedding pros. All we DO is collab with other vendors!

ICYMI: Instagram now allows you to “collab” with other creators. This means you can mark a post as a collab with one of your vendor partners, and when accepted by them, your image/video/content will also be shown in THEIR audience's feed.

If you have taken the client cocktail, you know that I believe one of the keys to booking more ideal clients (the ones planning magazine-worthy weddings with 6 and 7 figure budgets) is getting in front of where they are hanging out. If you are a wedding planner, for example, what better way to get in front of them than to collaborate with the venues they are already booking? And by the way, if you haven't signed up for the client cocktail yet, can I also remind you that this $47 investment will save you a lot of time and help ensure you are taking this tip and running to the right partners in 2022.

More than just attracting new clients, I also think this is a great feature for developing stronger relationships with the other vendors in your field. Oftentimes on Instagram, we focus so much on getting customers. Don't get me wrong – that IS important (after all, you don't really have a business without them!). But seriously, don't underestimate where some strategic vendor relationships can take you. I talk more about how this helped me build my wedding business quickly here.

It's Time For You To Create Your Own GIFS

Like I said at the start, being able to position yourself to stand out in a crowded market will always be more important than which social media platform is trending at the time. This last trend is an opportunity to have a little fun in your marketing on Instagram for wedding businesses! Branded gifs have been around for a while now – and it's time for you to create your own. And for those who are “just not good at tech”, I promise that it's really not as hard as it seems. You can create your own gifs (or hire someone to help!) and upload them on GIFPHY pretty seamlessly. Once your GIFs are uploaded, you AND your customers can search them on Instagram and share the love.

And in case you have any doubt, I practice what I preach over here. A few months ago, I hired Nicole Yang to create some custom gifs for me. She created a few “program specific” gifs to help with a course launch at the time (if you haven't jumped into the client cocktail, it's still the best $47 you'll spend on your wedding biz!), and she's also created a few evergreen wedding industry gifs that I just love to use.

If you search “Candice Coppola” in your IG gifs, here are just a few of the gems you'll find (and if you are in the wedding industry – feel free to use them and tag me @candice.coppola – I love to see how creative you are!).

Trust me – your customers will love using your branded gifs, especially after they've hired you! What better way to attract more ideal customers than having your current ideal customers share the love in a fun, on brand way! If you want to build better brand awareness (and offer a more curated, exclusive feel to your marketing in 2022!), this is one trend on Instagram for wedding pros I suggest jumping on before engagement season is over!

Trying to skip to the good part? If this blog post were an Instagram reel, here's the 30 second version on Instagram trends in 2022 for wedding businesses:

1. If you only do one thing, it should probably be Instagram Reels. They aren't going anywhere, and your ideal customer IS watching them.
2. The Chronological Feed Is Coming Back, and while we can't predict the future, now's a good time to start watching your insights.
3. When it comes to posting, choose polished over perfect. Say goodbye to perfectly curated feeds and hello to editing on the fly with easy-to-use filters.
4. 2022 Is All About The Collab.. and that's great news for us in the wedding industry. After all, we already know the power of teamwork, don't we?
5. It's Time For You To Create Your Own GIFs. Branded Content is EVERYTHING in 2022.

Ready to hit the ground running but wondering what to post? If you are a wedding planner, make sure to run (don't walk) to the waitlist for the next round of the Planner's Playbook. A monthly marketing plan is just ONE of the many incredible features we include.

Explore More Wedding Industry Resources

• How To Build Your Portfolio As A Wedding Planner When You’re Just Starting Out
• Wedding Planner Marketing: How to Attract and Speak Directly to your Ideal Client
• How To Level-Up Your Storytelling In Your Marketing (And Attract Clients)
• Grow Your Wedding Business with 2022 Pinterest Trends
• 5 Social Media Mistakes Every Wedding Planner Makes
• Why You’re Not Attracting The Right Clients and How to Fix It
• 8 Free Ways To Market Your Wedding Planning Biz
• Why You’re Not Attracting The Right Clients and How to Fix It
• 4 Strategies That Will Help You Book MORE Of Your Ideal Clients

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