To help you stay up-to-date with the latest Instagram updates and adjust your business to them, we put together a list of the latest updates in this month. Let’s get started!
Reels.
Instagram developers are afraid that their entire audience (influencers and all their audiences) will flock to TikTok. Therefore, they are constantly trying to come up with something new (like Paid Badges for influencers or IGTV Monetization).
This time, Instagram has launched its TikTok competitor, a short video feature called Reels in India, after Brazil, Germany, and France. Thus, the company wants to attract an audience of TikTok, which was blocked in the country along with other 58 Chinese apps, including the WeChat social network and the Twitter Weibo analog. India banned the operation of these apps at the end of June, saying that their activities are detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of the country, defense, state security, and public order.
What is Reels? It's a feature that allows users to create short-form (15 seconds) videos. Similar to TikTok, Reels provide options like audio from Instagram Music library, speed, effects, and timer. Reels can also be reviewed, deleted, and re-recorded if required. Unlike usual Instagram Stories, Reels can be shared in the Explore section and viewed by everyone on the platform.
To start users will first need to open the Instagram camera menu and select Reels to start creating 15 seconds video. You can save it as a draft, or add it to your Instagram profile. After recording a feature, users can simply choose the audience they wish to share their Reel with.
So, Reels could be considered a direct response to the growing popularity of TikTok — which has surged in popularity over the last year.
Pin Comments.
All users can now ‘pin’ up to three of their favourite comments on a post, similar to YouTube comments. By the way, pin update to the comments section is part of a group of new Instagram features focused on combating online bullying. Pinned comments can be especially helpful in situations where a user is getting an abundance of mean or inappropriate comments. To use the pinned comments feature, users can simply swipe on a comment they want to pin, from right to left. And the new feature is available to all Instagram users globally.
So, we think this can be used to highlight good engagement from loyal members of your Instagram audience.
Instagram Shop Page.
Instagram launched a Shop page in the Explore tab where users can buy brand products. The Shop page will also give users personalized recommendations on things to buy (based on their profile and in-app activity), and purchases can be made in the app itself. Payment process can be made through the Facebook Pay payment system. Both these features are coming to the US first.
In-testing this month: IG "Personal Fundraiser" feature.
Instagram announced a new tool for personal fundraisers. The company is beginning tests of the feature, which will allow users to link directly to a fundraiser from their profile page.
As always, stay tuned with Persollo – we'll let you know about all the upcoming changes as they’re rolling out!
What do you think? How will these new updates impact your marketing strategy?Share your views in the comments section below.
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