12 Key Instagram Updates from 2019
12 Key Instagram Updates from 2019
2019 has been a very busy year for Instagram, with a range of updates and changes that have helped advance and evolve the platform and provide new opportunities for both users and brands.
There have been a lot of ads on the Facebook-owned platform, ranging from options to facilitate purchases in the stream, to hide I like it as a means to reduce social pressure on the post. In fact, there have been so many updates that it has been difficult to keep up.
Do you trust that you are in all the latest Instagram updates, especially those relevant to your marketing efforts?
To help with this, we have put together a list of the most important Instagram updates that every social media administrator should know as we move forward in 2020.
These are the key changes that can affect your future Instagram approach:
1. Pay on Instagram
In March, Instagram had a good start to the year when it introduced Checkout on Instagram. The option facilitates the purchase of an article through the application, which is a small step for the platform and a great leap for brands that seek to maximize their e-commerce opportunities.
The update makes it much easier for users to move from navigation to purchase, all within the application. When a user touches a product that interests him, the “Pay on Instagram” button appears, which allows him to buy a product without having to leave the application.
And the best part? Once a user completes the information, it is saved for future use.
We have to say that, of all the updates Instagram has released this year, this is one of our favorites, and one that is probably significantly more relevant in 2020.
2. Donation stickers
It’s no secret that Stories have exploded on Instagram, with more than 500 million daily active users.
In addition to Stories’ interactive capability, Instagram launched donation stickers for Stories in May, giving users the ability to raise money for nonprofit groups through the option.
This allows users to take advantage of the popularity of Stories to raise awareness, with 100% of the profits received going to the relevant organization.
3. Purchases or creators
Influence marketing reached a new peak in 2019. Our data shows that the use of the #Ad hashtag on Instagram increases by 33% compared to the second quarter of 2018.
It’s a significant leap, and that doesn’t even take into account the influencers they owe, but sometimes they don’t, include #Ad in their sponsored publications.
Due to the increase in influencers marketing, Instagram has also made it easier than ever for users to buy items worn by content creators.
Instead of taking screenshots or searching Google for specific items of clothing or accessories, influencers now have the option to tag items within their posts to allow in-stream purchases, through ‘Shopping for Creators’.
The option expands the marketing capacity of influencers on the platform, providing more means for users to discover new products and more ways for influencers to generate revenue from their efforts.
4. @Shop releases
The Instagram team also launched @shop, an Instagram page dedicated to small businesses and creators.
The page features unique content and inspiring stories from business owners, and can be a great place to learn the best practices of fashion companies.
5. Explore the renewal of the tab
One of the best updates we saw on Instagram this year was a renewal of its Explore tab.
By expanding its navigation bar, Instagram made it easier than ever to discover new content, adding tabs such as IGTV, Shop, Food, Art and Travel.
This has also been a great victory for brands, as it now has a better chance of capturing the attention of the competitive feed.
When it comes to clicking on a category, such as Store, users also have the ability to limit their search, improving the product discovery process. For example, you can specifically filter publications dedicated to beauty if that is what you are looking for in the market.
But the best update for the Explore tab is probably the redesign of the grid to present Stories content. It is an excellent way for brands to gain more visibility of their stories, which can also help them build their audience in an organic and natural way.
6. IGTV supports landscape videos
Not all updates have to be complete renewals to be meaningful. Sometimes it is the smallest updates that can have the greatest impact.
The IGTV landscape video release on IGTV is just that.
Instagram also made some significant changes to IGTV to facilitate the participation of content creators, including the ability to post IGTV video previews in the News Feed. The horizontal update also puts the user’s wishes to the front and center, since they can now consume various types of content in the way they were intended to be consumed.
7. Instagram themes
Instagram also recently launched a new “camera first,” a separate messaging application designed to help.
The threads allow users to share photos, videos, messages, stories and other content to a specific group of people. The application offers users the ability to control who sees their content, allowing them to create a more personalized communication experience for their closest circle of friends.
8. Create mode updates
In this day
# ThrowBackThursday became more than a hashtag with the Instagram update to create the mode. Users can now see a feature “on this day” where they can see the feed posts they published on that same calendar day in the past.
It’s a great way to encourage users to share content through Stories, outside of their daily updates.
Quiz Stickers
This makes it easier than ever to ask questions of your audience. Ideal for fast interactive content.
Center
Use quick surveys to assess the interests and tastes of your audience. You can also choose from shortlisted polls, such as “Sweet or Salty” or “Best First Date: Dinner or Movie?”
Questions
Ask your audience with quick questions. Again, there is a preset list of selected questions to choose from, or you can create your own.
GIFs
The best cherry when it comes to content creation. While GIFs could always be searched through Stories, GIFs in creation mode can also be used as background, rather than overlapping at the top.
9. Instagram Testing Hiding Like
Instagram also launched a new test to hide the total likes on posts, an option that has since expanded to Facebook. The Instagram test initially started with users in Canada, before expanding to six other regions.
It is worth noting that the likes are not completely hidden in the test: the poster still has access to its total likes counts and users can touch the likes listings to see a list of all the people they They liked any update. The only difference is that the summary I like count is not visible below the image itself.
The idea behind this test is to help facilitate a safe environment for sharing and mental well-being. Instagram says it wants people to focus on the quality of what they share, instead of looking for it.
And while it could be a big change for marketers, adapting the platform to better suit the needs of the public seems the right move. We still have to get an idea of how the initial test is performing, but we hope to see more about this in 2020.
10. Instagram removes the “Next” tab
Instagram also recently announced that it will remove the ‘Following’ tab, also known as the stalker tab.
The platform says that many users do not even know that this tab exists, and with all the expanded options available within the Explore tab, people can discover new people to stay there, rather than on other people’s pages.
11. Instagram launches @Creators
Instagram also launched a new @creators account, which will provide content creators with information, tips and tricks.
Here you can see the inspiration of other Instagram experts along with statistics, such as “80% of the stations have fewer than 1,000 followers.”
It is probably worth following to help you improve your efforts on the platform.
12. Instagram offers users more control over data shared with third-party applications
This is an update that will cross into 2020 territory, but nevertheless, it is still great news.
The purpose of this recently announced update is to give users more control over the data they share with third-party applications.
According to Instagram:
“You will have the option to remove third-party services that you no longer want connected to your Instagram account. When you delete a third-party service, you will no longer have access to new data in your account.”
The update will be implemented for all users during the next 6 months.
As you can see, there have been many changes on Instagram, and you can expect to see many more as we move into the new year. Instagram is the fastest growing social media platform, and with new options and tools designed to help brands connect with users through their posts, it should be a consideration for all social media marketers in 2020.
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