Throughout the start of 2022, many have noticed changes on their Instagram feed. Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over one billion users, and it has transformed content creation for personal and business accounts. While it has always been a platform based on imagery, the app has recently changed its look to attract more content creators and alter how people use its features.
Although the changes to Instagram were announced in May 2022, for many, the update only occurred in June, and there have been many contrasting opinions on its functionality and appearance. So, from a new 9:16 ratio feed to 90-second reels, what exactly has changed with the app?
Putting content first
The most apparent change to Instagram is the feed’s overall appearance, with the aim to put content first. CEO Adam Moressi took to Twitter to announce the new ‘immersive’ scrolling experience. He explained that the format has taken on a 9:16 ratio, taking up the whole screen rather than appearing as the typical square post. So, if posts are now uploaded in the old square format, they will blend into a coloured background. The new vertical, full-screen visual is thought to provide simplicity and focus on creativity rather than the captions and messaging of a post.
With the average attention span of an adult now standing at only eight seconds, the new platform style focuses on imagery, reels and videos to hold the attention of its intended audience. After TikTok’s immense success, it’s clear that a short video is a hit with social media users, so it’s not a shock that Instagram is looking to mimic that style.
Favourites/ following feed
You may have noticed accounts popping up on your feed that you don’t recognise and don’t follow. That’s because the more significant part of your feed is now ‘recommended’. This intends to inspire based on your interests picked up by Instagram’s algorithms. Over time, more recommended posts by unknown accounts will appear. However, if you want to see only posts by those you follow, you can change this by clicking the top left corner and selecting ‘following’. This will change the feed so that you only see your chosen accounts.
Another option is to select ‘favourites’. This is a feature where you can choose 50 accounts whose content you enjoy the most, so their posts aren’t lost in the new feed format. Once you have selected your favourite accounts, their posts will appear in chronological order, starting with the most recent.
New features for creators
For some, Instagram is simply a hobby or social platform to post their recent memories; for others, it’s a job and a lifestyle. With the rise in popularity of social platforms such as TikTok, Instagram has adopted the reels feature, with the time allowance being extended from 60 to 90 seconds and the ability to import your own audio; this is a feature that will be seen much more in the coming months.
Another reel change is that you can now insert interactive stickers, making them as interactive as stories. Instagram reels are an excellent feature for content creators and businesses to post short videos discussing new products, tutorial videos or behind-the-scenes clips that will catch the attention of their target audience.
You can also now pin posts to your profile grid. Similar to TikTok, you can choose to pin up to three posts at a time. The pinned posts can be images or reels, which is a fantastic way for businesses to showcase three different events, products or key messages.
For personal accounts, you can draw attention to your favourite three pictures! To do this, go to the chosen post, click the top right corner and select ‘pin to profile’. This will simply bring the post up to the top of your grid. You can change the pinned posts at any time, so if one is no longer relevant, or you choose a new product you’d like to promote, it is simple and easy to do so.
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