Instagram has released its listing of top trends for 2018, but rather than taking the traditional route of sharing the most used hashtags, emoji and other user stats, the platform has chosen to focus on specific elements, including the most popular GIFs, face filters, and the most engaged communities and movements on the platform from the last 12 months.
As explained by Instagram:
"With 2018 almost coming to a close, we’d love to highlight some trends from the year and share all the different ways Instagram’s global community came to the platform to creatively express themselves and get closer to the people - and things - they love."
The switch in focus enables Instagram to highlight the popularity of specific communities, as opposed to more generic usage trends. The downside is that those insights are not as helpful to marketers, but still, it provides an interesting overview of the most popular trends on the platform, and the popularity of various social movements.