Introduction
The past couple of months have seen some intriguing Instagram updates to align with the latest social media trends. In case you missed them, here are some notable ones and the impacts they could have for your brand and social media strategy.
Read on if you use social media to promote your brand and like to be kept up to date.
Update #1: Insights
Instagram is rolling out views as a primary metric over plays and likes.
What does this mean?
Well, the way you track your content’s performance is changing for the better.
Implications For Your Business
Let us explain.
If you use Instagram to promote your business, the new Instagram updates will allow you use insights more accurately.
For example, with “plays” being replaced by “views” for Instagram reels, you can see which types of content are resonating with your audience by keeping track of who’s actually watching. This is because a “view” is recorded when someone watches content for 3 seconds plus. It’s no longer notifying you of the mindless scrollers who play your video for half a second.
You might be thinking this sounds detrimental; won’t it decrease the number of views on your content? Yes, it will look like less, but it’s actually championing quality over quantity. This will help you to more accurately compare different types content, finding what resonates with your audience so you can make more of the good stuff.
This latest Instagram update also aligns with how insights are recorded on other social media platforms. Cross-platform analysis just got a whole lot easier.
Use insights to tweak your content strategy – this latest Instagram update will help you make informed decisions on the best ways to reach your audience.
Under the new update, views also reflect when someone in your audience watches a video more than once. This means short-form videos are the way to go. Again, quality over quantity is the key to growing your business on socials in 2024.
How To: Find Views On Instagram
- Tap the menu in the top right corner of your business or creator profile (3 vertical lines).
- Tap Insights.
- Select a piece of content to see how it's performing.
How To: See Instagram Views Using Meta Business Suite
- In your Meta Business Suite account, click Insights in the left-hand menu. Or tap More > Insights if using the app.
- Switch between Facebook & Instagram using the dropdown arrow at the top of the screen.
Update #2: Music On Profile
Instagram have announced an update which lets you add a song to your profile.
Add this to the ever-growing list of ways to express yourself and what your brand is all about on socials!
It works best for smaller and personal brands since business accounts are restricted from using copyrighted music.
But if you’re an entrepreneur looking to grow your reach and build a following, you can switch to a Creator account to access more music for your Instagram profile and reels.
Here’s how:
How To: Switch From Business To Creator Account On Instagram
- Navigate to your profile and tap the top right menu (3 vertical lines).
- Tap Settings and privacy, the Creator tools and controls.
- Next tap Switch account type and switch to Creator account.
Update #3: Vertical Instagram Grid
You might have noticed that the iconic square grid seems a little stretched recently. Instagram are trialling a vertical grid which has rolled out to some accounts in the past month.
Implications For Your Business
While not changing a whole lot when it comes to views and follower engagement, this recent Instagram update may affect your profile’s aesthetic.
It might be worth considering making future posts in a vertical format so that everything is visible in the new layout.
One helpful tip is to make your posts in the vertical format, but keep all the most important elements towards the centre of the image.
Here’s an example:
In our content shoot for Lucky Liqueurs, we made sure the labels were clearly visible in both the portrait and square format. This is important at the moment as the vertical grid hasn’t rolled out across all accounts.
Instagram Updates: Key Takeaways
So, what does all this mean for your social media strategy on Instagram going forward?
Here are our key takeaways for businesses:
- Focus less on likes and more on content views.
- More easily compare content performance across platforms.
- Create short-form videos, it’s all about quality over quantity.
- Express your brand in more ways than ever.
- Choose the best possible format for your posts.
If you’d like some help creating a social media strategy to grow your business, get in touch with us at MB Media.
Your brand is in good hands with our team of social media marketing experts!
