2026 Instagram Predictions

2026 Instagram Predictions

From The Social Strategist by Michelle Gifford

November 25, 2025 · 29 min · Season 6 · Episode 6

About this episode

Michelle Gifford shares her predictions for Instagram in 2026 and offers actionable strategies for businesses to thrive online.

Get ready, friend—2026 is right around the corner, and big shifts are coming to Instagram, social strategy, and the way businesses grow online. In this episode, I pull out her crystal ball and share my top predictions for the year ahead: from the rise of storytelling content and search-driven discovery to live selling, community-building, in-person events, and the continued surge of carousels and long-form content. I also break down what you should be doing now—tightening your systems, getting serious about content strategy, leaning into Stories, using AI the right way, and finally letting go of "the way Instagram used to be." If you're ready to stop complaining, start creating, and build a business that thrives in 2026, this episode is your pep talk, your plan, and your pat on the buns. Let's get to work. Come join Club 10 and grow your next 10K followers with daily Instagram prompts, trending audio, and a supportive community — so you can spend less time guessing and more time growing. Let's hang out on Instagram! And as always, please leave a rating and review! It means the world.

People in this episode

Host: Michelle Gifford

Topics covered

  • Instagram predictions
  • social strategy
  • content creation
  • business growth
  • community building
  • live selling

Keywords

  • Instagram
  • predictions
  • social media strategy
  • content strategy
  • business growth
  • community building
  • live selling
  • Stories
  • AI

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Instagram, Club 10

More episodes of The Social Strategist

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Social Strategist podcast page.