Stay Ahead of the Competition: How to Monitor Industry Trends on Instagram
In the fast-paced world of Instagram, staying ahead of the competition isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a must. Whether you’re a small business owner, content creator, or social media manager, knowing what’s trending in your industry can help you craft content that resonates, adapt to audience preferences, and solidify your position as a leader in your niche.
But how do you keep your finger on the pulse of Instagram trends without feeling overwhelmed? The answer lies in the right tools and strategies. In this guide, we’ll show you how to monitor industry trends on Instagram using powerful platforms like Rival IQ, Brandwatch, and BuzzSumo, and how to turn those insights into action.
Why Monitoring Instagram Trends Matters
Instagram trends can be fleeting, but the impact of staying ahead of them is lasting. Here’s why keeping an eye on industry trends should be a core part of your strategy:
Stay Relevant: Trends give you insight into what your audience cares about right now.
Spot Opportunities: Discover gaps in the market where your brand can shine.
Understand Competitors: Learn what’s working (and what’s not) for others in your industry.
Boost Engagement: Timely, on-trend content is more likely to capture attention and spark interaction.
Top Tools to Monitor Instagram Trends
The right tools make tracking trends, analyzing competitors, and identifying opportunities much simpler. Here are three standout options to help you stay ahead.
1. Rival IQ: Competitor and Trend Analysis Made Simple
Rival IQ is a powerhouse for tracking your competitors’ social media performance and identifying emerging trends.
Key Features:
Compare follower growth, engagement rates, and posting frequency across competitors.
Discover trending hashtags and top-performing content in your industry.
Track Instagram Stories for deeper insights into competitor strategies.
Why It’s Great:
Rival IQ doesn’t just show you what’s trending—it provides actionable insights so you can implement similar strategies that fit your brand.
Pro Tip:
Use Rival IQ to monitor your competitors’ top-performing posts and identify patterns. Are they using specific hashtags? Sharing particular content formats? Use this data to inspire your own strategy.
2. Brandwatch: Comprehensive Social Listening
Brandwatch goes beyond Instagram, offering a bird’s-eye view of social media conversations across platforms, making it ideal for spotting industry-wide trends.
Key Features:
Social listening tools to track conversations, keywords, and hashtags.
Sentiment analysis to gauge how people feel about specific topics or brands.
Insights into trending topics, popular influencers, and audience demographics.
Why It’s Great:
With Brandwatch, you can identify trending discussions and tailor your Instagram content to join the conversation.
Pro Tip:
Set up alerts in Brandwatch for keywords and hashtags related to your niche. This ensures you’re always in the loop when a new trend emerges.
3. BuzzSumo: Content and Influencer Insights
BuzzSumo is perfect for discovering what content is trending and which influencers are driving the conversation in your industry.
Key Features:
Identify trending Instagram posts and content ideas.
Analyze what’s performing well across platforms, including Instagram.
Find influencers who align with your niche and audience.
Why It’s Great:
BuzzSumo helps you understand not only what’s popular but also why it’s resonating with audiences, giving you an edge when planning your content.
Pro Tip:
Use BuzzSumo’s trending content reports to identify topics and formats (e.g., carousel posts, Reels) that generate the most engagement in your industry.
How to Monitor Instagram Trends Like a Pro
With the right tools in hand, it’s time to develop a strategy for monitoring and responding to Instagram trends.
1. Keep Tabs on Competitors
Use Rival IQ to benchmark your performance against competitors.
Analyze their most engaging posts to see what resonates with your shared audience.
2. Track Hashtags and Keywords
Use Brandwatch to monitor trending hashtags in your industry.
Experiment with these hashtags in your posts to boost visibility.
3. Follow Influencers in Your Niche
BuzzSumo makes it easy to identify influential creators.
Watch their content to understand the trends they’re leading and the conversations they’re sparking.
4. Analyze Your Own Performance
Look for patterns in your own top-performing posts.
Identify which trends or content styles your audience responds to most.
5. Stay Flexible
Trends come and go quickly, so be ready to adapt. Use tools like Hootsuite or Later to schedule timely content in response to emerging trends.
Turning Trend Insights Into Actionable Content
Monitoring trends is just the beginning. To truly capitalize on your insights, you need to turn them into engaging Instagram content.
1. Create Timely Posts
Share Reels, Stories, or posts that reflect current trends.
Use trending hashtags to increase discoverability.
2. Engage With the Conversation
Reply to comments and DMs to show your audience you’re listening.
Join trending conversations with your own unique perspective.
3. Experiment With Formats
If carousel posts are trending in your industry, create one that offers value to your audience (e.g., tips, tutorials, or stories).
Jump on trending audio or challenges for your Reels.
4. Collaborate With Influencers
Use BuzzSumo or Brandwatch to find influencers who align with your brand and are already engaging with trending topics.
Partner with them to create content that feels timely and authentic.
Final Thoughts: Stay One Step Ahead
Staying ahead of industry trends on Instagram doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. With tools like Rival IQ, Brandwatch, and BuzzSumo, you can monitor conversations, analyze competitors, and uncover opportunities to connect with your audience in meaningful ways.
The key is to stay proactive: track what’s happening, adapt quickly, and always keep your audience’s interests at the heart of your strategy.
Now it’s your turn! Which tool will you try first? Share your go-to strategies for spotting Instagram trends in the comments below—we’d love to hear how you’re staying ahead of the competition!