What’s Working on Instagram in 2025: 7 Smart Content Shifts Every Small Business Should Make
Let’s dive into the 7 biggest shifts you need to know about.
Instagram is no longer just a place to share pretty pictures—it’s now a full-blown marketing machine for small businesses. But what worked even 12 months ago may already be out of date.
If you're a business owner in property, trades, interiors—or any hands-on industry—this blog will walk you through what’s actually working on Instagram in 2025, and how you can update your strategy to grow with confidence.
Let’s dive into the 7 biggest shifts you need to know about.
1. 🎥 Raw & Real Reels Are Outperforming Polished Content
The days of over-edited, overly curated videos are behind us. Audiences want to see real people doing real things. For interior designers and trades, this is your time to shine. Think:
✔️ A quick "before & after" video
✔️ A timelapse of a space being transformed
✔️ You talking directly to the camera about your process
Keep it simple, vertical, and under 30 seconds. Done is better than perfect.
2. 📅 Consistency > Perfection
Forget agonising over the perfect grid. In 2025, showing up consistently (even if it’s 3 times a week) wins over perfect visuals.
Tip: Use scheduling tools like Metricool to plan ahead and batch your content to stay consistent without the stress.
3. 🔍 SEO-Optimised Captions Are a Must
Instagram is now a search engine—yes, really! Your ideal customer might be searching “kitchen fitter in Suffolk” or “luxury butler services London.”
Use keywords naturally in your:
- Bio
- Captions
- Alt text (added during post creation)
This helps you get discovered by people actively looking for your service.
4. 🧠 Engagement-First Format Choices
The algorithm now prioritises posts that get people to pause, click, or comment.
What works best?
- Carousel posts with tips or transformations
- Reels that open with a hook
- Questions and polls in Stories
- Comment prompts like “Would you choose this colour scheme?”
Engagement tells Instagram your content is valuable—and it will show it to more people.
5. 📱 Instagram as Your ‘Mini Website’
Your profile is often the first impression before someone even lands on your site.
Make sure yours has:
- Clear bio with keywords and location
- Professional profile image
- Highlights (services, testimonials, FAQs)
- Pinned posts showcasing what you do
Think of it as a mini landing page that sells you.
6. 🙌 UGC & Testimonials = Trust Builders
People trust people. Sharing real reviews, videos from clients, or even screenshots of great feedback builds instant credibility.
Ask your clients for short testimonial clips—or turn their WhatsApp praise into an aesthetic quote graphic.
7. 🔁 Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose
Work smarter, not harder.
📌 Post your Reels to TikTok
📌 Turn blog tips into carousels
📌 Clip training content into educational Reels
📌 Turn FAQs into Stories
This saves time and grows your presence on multiple platforms with minimal extra effort.
Ready to Refresh Your Strategy?
If you’re feeling a bit stuck or unsure what to post next, you're not alone.
👉 Book a 1:1 strategy call
👉 Join my next Social Media Mastery course
👉 Or DM me for a quick grid audit (it’s free!)
Let’s make Instagram work for your business in 2025—without the overwhelm.
Written by Alexandra Stanley,
Social Media Expert for property, trades & interiors.
Follow @alexandrastanleysocialmedia for more real talk on content that converts.
