Expanding into new areas
Instagram is one of the largest and most popular social media platforms, with over 500 million daily users and over 1 billion accounts created on the app. The announcement shows that businesses should always be looking for the next solution to keep up with competitors and establish longevity. Let’s take a look through Instagram’s new brand goals and what they are aiming to pursue next:
Creators
According to Instagram’s official website, their main priority on the app is creators. These are profiles that can showcase their work to make money including public figures, artists, and influencers. This is an option now built-in user’s Instagram profile. They are predicted to give away $1 billion away this year to rewards creators.
This ties in with the most current marketing trend of influencing, in the last few years we have seen the rise of influencers and particularly through Instagram. This shows Instagram are focusing on creating a better user experience for influencers to monetize themselves on the platform.
Video
Instagram moving into a video platform is something we have seen coming for a while now, particularly, this is due to rivalry with the latest social media giant: TikTok. We have seen changes in Instagram’s algorithm to enable more reach for users producing video content.
Video content is much more effective in transmitting a message to your audience, users retain information at a higher rate than written content. Instagram want to be part of this trend, as they are already a hub for visual content. Making videos integrated makes sense for the company to be the next step.
Shopping
In the video, Mosseri states that the pandemic has accelerated commerce from offline to online by a number of years. He made it clear that they are trying to lean into the trend through their shopping features.
Social commerce shopping channels are becoming platforms in their own right. This is an easy and effective way of selling products online.
The rise of social commerce is not one to ignore. Facebook and Instagram now act as their own independent shopping platforms providing users with relevant shopping ads suited to their interests. Users can buy products without even leaving these social media websites.
This is beneficial for businesses as they are easily able to target potential customers and remarket their products to those who have previously viewed.
Messaging
Instagram is aiming to become much more immersed as a messaging platform. They want this to be the main method that people connect.
With all major social media platforms featuring a messaging spot for users to stay connected, it does seem that Instagram has fallen behind this trend. The move to focus on messaging may bring all new features to the platform but we will have to wait and see.
Rivalling TikTok?
Instagram has been experimenting with its algorithm for quite some time now. The transition from photos to videos comes as no surprise. Often, videos are randomly selected onto user’s feeds and prioritised over photos. With TikTok being one of the fastest growing social platforms of all time, it is no surprise that Instagram wants to keep up with them.
What are your thoughts?
Is Instagram making the right decision to stay in line with competitors? Or are they going to lose what makes them unique? Instagram have made it clear they are no longer satisfied being a “square photo sharing platform” and there’s going to be some big changes coming soon.
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