With the coronavirus affecting our mobility and increasing our time at home, Australians are finding creative new ways to stay connected with their friends, family and colleagues and offer support to those who need it most during this evolving time.

People are embracing the digital world more than ever before and we’ve been inspired by how the Australian community is coming together on Instagram.

Here are four unique ways that Aussies are connecting and supporting each other through this unprecedented time.

With many businesses affected by the coronavirus, there is a growing movement to support those who are most impacted.

The tradition of Aussie mateship is thriving. In just a few short months 2020 has already seen some wonderful acts of selflessness, with people turning to Instagram to rally around small businesses. Earlier in the year we saw initiatives such as @buyfromthebush to help people support the businesses most affected by the drought, and when bushfires ravaged communities, @spendwiththem was created to help regional economies get back on the road to recovery.

This supportive spirit has been elevated to a whole new level over the past month. Aussies are looking to shop local and #supportsmallbusiness was one of the country’s highest trending hashtags in early April.¹

We’ve seen new movements to engage people with the local businesses they love. @SavingPlates is connecting people with restaurant quality meals at a time when they can’t visit their favourite eateries.

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And they aren’t the only ones tapping into this movement of supporting local. Furniture manufacturer @Koala has partnered with Deliveroo to offer $200 vouchers to customers who buy from its range of beds and sofas. It’s a clever approach that sparks attention and supports local businesses at a time when people are going digital to buy household items and their favourite cuisines.

Australian Businesses are also using the suite of new tools on Instagram that help them engage with the people who want to support them. Businesses can now share “Food Order” and “Donation” stickers in Instagram Stories and as a button on their profiles. With the new “Support Small Business” sticker on Instagram, people are showing their love for their favourite local businesses in Stories, which are also compiled into a featured shared Instagram Story.

In the face of this ‘new normal’ of more time spent at home, people are using social media channels as a helpful way to keep in touch with family and friends, express their creativity and share positive encouragement.

Many Aussies are sharing a peek into their daily routines - from fun workout ideas, to home office set-ups and quarantine cuisine via Stories. In fact, Australians share one million Stories on Instagram every day.²

Instagram’s Stay Home sticker has been used over 300 million times globally since its launch one month ago.³ Any accounts using the sticker were added to a shared Instagram story, allowing people to see how others were also practicing social distancing at this time, and encouraging a community spirit of staying safe.

We’ve also seen many furry friends join the WFH life, with @DogsWorkingFromHome bringing moments of joy to the new home office. Accounts like this, featuring humour and memes, have been a source of joy and relief for people around the world during this time.

We’re seeing new forms of entertainment grow as people bring the things they love - travel, sport, events - into their homes virtually. 32% of Australians surveyed also say they are spending more time on their hobbies and pastimes⁴, while video viewing globally is estimated to have jumped 60 points.⁵

In Australia, Instagram Live views doubled in a week in March at the beginning of the lockdown.⁶ Everything from painting classes, tutorials, challenges and virtual tourism are being embraced via digital platforms.

One made-to-order event that has quickly amassed 30,000 followers is the Isol-Aid concert. With the cancellation of gigs across the country, Isol-Aid was created to give musicians a platform to perform, and raise funds for not-for-profit Support Act. The Sydney Opera House also launched its "From Our House To Yours" campaign, which uses Instagram to give people access to a vast archive of concerts to watch from home.

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The amount of time we’re spending at home is seeing many get inventive and discovering their inner DIY expert.

The kitchen is the new place of experiment, with a huge surge in interest in home cooking in recent weeks. Presented with the gift of time, more than half (55%) of Australians say they are spending more time preparing food at home.⁷

Elsewhere, workspaces are being rapidly assembled, gardens are flourishing and outdoor settings are receiving plenty of TLC, with these new-found passions frequently shared via Instagram.

Self-care and DIY beauty is another way people are finding pockets of joy at home. Creator Rowi Singh (@rowisingh) is curating new looks and sharing them via tutorials with her 230,000 followers.

Retailer David Jones is getting on board with this DIY from home trend. Through its “At Home With DJs” campaign it is ensuring that its products are readily accessible to people who suddenly find themselves able to take on that household project they’d been constantly putting off. What better way to make the most of the extra time at home?

As we spend more time working from home, people are finding inventive new ways to support one another through fast evolving circumstances. Instagram is playing a meaningful role in keeping us connected and helping businesses continue to trade, as well as delivering a few smiles along the way.