Instagram's new updates: why they are important and what they mean for the future
The past few months have been big for Instagram as they keep churning out more and more updates! Just when we thought things couldn't get any better after Reels got extended to 30 seconds, a whole new batch of updates came out.
Of all the latest updates, three of them stand out to us in particular and might even reveal to users where the platform is heading in the future.
Three new updates and why they are important:
1. Updated menu bar
Source: Instagram
Instagram is currently testing out three new menu bar options that make Reels and Shops easily accessible. These new tabs have either replaced the activity and content creation tab entirely or have been added next to them. This is hugely important because, by placing these features front and center, it demonstrates how strongly Instagram is promoting these new features and encouraging users to use them.
Instagram Shops:
Instagram has been very vocal about working to enhance the platform's shopping features in the past. With the latest update, it will be easier than ever for businesses to open an Instagram Shop, and creators will be able to tag their products in their posts, stories, and Reels, enhancing user's shopping experience and further encouraging sales through the platform. Eligible US creators and businesses will be able to use the new in-app checkout feature, which runs using Facebook Pay (Ad Espresso). Instagram's emphasis on shopping and influencer marketing is nothing new, but this new feature demonstrates that these are now among the platform's top priorities.
Instagram Reels:
Instagram released Reels only a few months ago (The Verge), but they have been working hard to try to make them the next big thing. So much so that the algorithm has started to prioritize this type of content over traditional posts and especially Reels created by users with large followings, aka influencers. If this is truly Instagram's strategy, we predict that they will continue to heavily promote and prioritize Reels and release new features regularly. It is clear that with the introduction of IGTV in 2018 (Tech Crunch), and now Reels, Instagram is serious about expanding its niche to include video sharing.
2. IGTV Introduces Automatic closed captions
Source: Social Media Today
With this new feature, users will now have the option to turn on automatic subtitles for their videos, making the platform more accessible to a wider audience. This new feature uses the latest automated speech recognition technology in AI and has been made available in 16 languages already(Hootsuite). Subtitles are notoriously good at sparking viewers' interests and boosting engagement. Studies show that users are 80% more likely to watch a video all the way through if it has subtitles, and videos with subtitles get on average 7% more views (Lemon Light).
The ability to add subtitles to IGTV videos also demonstrates how the platform is investing in and encouraging video content more than ever. We predict this feature will continue to be expanded throughout the platform and could potentially be integrated into Reels and video stories in the near future.
3. Facebook Messenger and Instagram have integrated
The last key update is the new integration of Facebook Messenger with Instagram's direct messaging system, allowing users to interact across the two platforms seamlessly. Below the surface, this new update is very strategic from Facebook's end. Integrating the two platforms will enhance the security of messages sent between the two platforms, as they will be encrypted under a single system. And once these two systems are fully integrated, they will be inseparable, meaning that the information and personal data collected between the two platforms will be combined into one massive database that will be under the Facebook brand, furthering Facebook's monopoly in the social media industry (the Conversation).
These three new features don't just act to enhance the user's experience on Instagram, but they also represent larger changes that are happening within the platform as a whole. We are confident that these won't be the last of exciting updates that Instagram releases - in fact, they could be just the beginning!
Have you tried out any of these new features? If so, let us know in the comments what your experience was!
Written By: Leah Ross, AMR Digital Marketing, Copywriter