Modern marketing is impossible without Instagram. The social networking service covers 1 billion active users monthly. Comparing to Facebook, it has approximately 20x more engagement, the top 50 brands on Instagram have a bigger audience size.
It is important for each marketer to keep up with the latest updates to gain the maximum advantage of the platform and its developments.
So below is the list of the most current and essential updates of Instagram:
Facebook launches cross-platform messaging on Instagram and Messenger
Nowadays, it is obvious that Facebook actively consolidates its application and messengers within the family. Due to app changes implemented in September, Instagram and Facebook users can chat across one messenger (WhatsApp is expected to join them). New updates allow easily share photos, videos and documents from one app to another.
Instagram Guides
Instagram Guide is another newsworthy feature launched in May.
According to it, select organizations and experts received an opportunity to share materials related to checking your mental health and wellness during the coronavirus pandemic.
Creators share a longer-form content, including texts, galleries, photos and more.
Lately, Instagram managers revealed that they plan to roll the Guides feature out to wider formats and audience. It means content may be focused on promoting travel locations, places and other topics besides healthcare. More details will be revealed soon. Until then, stay tuned!
Four brand-new Instagram Stories fonts
The long-awaited update to Instagram Story feature is finally here!
Four fresh fonts for Insta Stories were added to the classic range. And we must say all of them are incredible! To explore new updates, go to Story editor.
So set your creativity free and try out all of nine fonts available to create engaging content!
Complete purchases all within the Instagram
Instagram brings shopping experience to the whole new level. The new Shops tab located at the bottom of the screen let a user go to the shopping sites through posts, carousels and other regular materials.
Launched in May, this feature makes it simple for business accounts to build a booming and user-friendly shopping experience.
Global pandemic and quarantine measures made a massive impact on online commerce. Today it’s hard to overestimate the value of quality online purchases.
Therefore, ability to fulfil purchase all within a single application as well as find out product information (color options, additional views, prices, etc.) by clicking at the post will definitely increase the shopping integration within the Instagram.
Instagram Launches Reels
Instagram rolls out Reels, a significant effort in challenging Tik Tok. The feature allows users to create short-form creative content (15-second video clips set to music from other Reels videos).
The feature has been released at a favorable time, considering an unclear future of Chinese-owned app in the US. Also, Tik Tok has already been banned in some countries, e.g. India.
Reels debuts in Brazil in November 2019. The feature expands globally and will now be available in 50 key international markets.
Just like regular Stories, Reels can be shared through direct messages. Users have an opportunity to create a collection of Reels and save them similar to Stories collection that doesn’t expire after 24 hours.
New Story Tools
A lot of user needs and habits have emerged during the quarantine lockdown. Instagram promptly responded to trends and rolled out a couple of helpful features.
The first one is Live donations. Unveiled in April, the feature was designed to help users to raise money for certain causes. Due to the tool, viewers can donate money right while watching live streams. Instagram even added a special I Donated sticker to post in Stories.
Accounts received an opportunity to designate programs they want to raise money for. By one click, users can familiarize with the nonprofit organization and then share funds.
The second feature was designed to support local businesses, which happened to go through hard times during the pandemic.
Users could post in their Stories the Share Professional and Support Small Business stickers. The stickers suggest users to post Instagram account name of the small businesses. Such links provide a prompt and easy way to lead viewers right to local businesses accounts.
Find out the least shown accounts in your feed
Have you noticed that your Instagram feed is overflowed with irrelevant content? If so, a new feature of Instagram may interest you.
We mean the following: ‘50 account that you interact with the least’ and ‘50 that are shown the most in your feed’. You can easily find these categories by going to the Following section of your profile.
This updates became an unpleasant surprise for marketers as ‘50 account that you interact with the least’ category basically represents a list of accounts you can unfollow. Still, it is quite a useful control feature for some users.
IGTV Ads Provide Revenue to Creators
IGTV ads is another feature introduced by Instagram. Now creators can make money on the video content. Initial testing of the feature started in February and will continue throughout the year.
What is a revenue share for creators? 55% is currently available for certain influencers. Larger media companies are expected to receive revenue sharing soon, but not until 2021.
The IGTV ads will be represented as 15-second video (potentially skippable) started when a user starts watching IGTV video from the main feed post.
Another useful update – now Instagram Live videos can be saved in IGTV, which means they won’t disappear in 24 hours.
Instagram advertisers no longer need to connect to Facebook page
In June, Instagram announced that accounts that want to promote their posts don’t need to connect it to Facebook page anymore. Apparently, this change was introduced as a backlash to a Facebook advertisement boycott. Stop Hate for Profit movement called on companies to quit advertising on Facebook at least for one month of July. Today only users from the US and Turkey can use this feature.
Based on the shift, some brands are likely to promote pages solely on Instagram, at least for some time.
Currently, we know that some companies, like Unilever, has suspended its advertising on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for 2020. Still, the full effect of a Facebook ad boycott remains to be seen.