If you use Instagram for marketing it can be hard to keep up with what has recently changed and what’s going to roll out globally in the coming months. Here are some of the major recent changes and things they are testing.
1. Instagram moved the IGTV button: Do you know that IGTV is a great way of posting videos longer than 60 seconds into the newsfeed of your followers? However, Instagram has removed the IGTV button from its home page and the link to view or create IGTV posts can now be found when you go into Explore (Tap on the magnifying glass) You can read more about why they made the change here https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/18/igtv-button-gone/
2. New Instagram story reply feature: Instagram users can now reply to a story using GIPHY GIFs, To apply a GIF, users can run a search by keyword in the reply text box. You can read more here https://www.socialmediatoday.com/…/instagram-rolls-…/571730/
3. Instagram added some new options for its Boomerang camera: Instagram has added three new creative options to its Boomerang camera mode, including ‘SloMo’, ‘Echo’ and ‘Duo’ variants. The features can be accessed via Instagram Stories creation mode in the Boomerang tab, giving users more ways to create engaging experiences in Stories. Users can trim and tweak their Boomerang loops to better control the final clip.
4. Instagram tests ‘Latest Posts’ feature for the newsfeed: Instagram has been spotted testing a “Latest Posts” feature, which provides a way for users to see the most recent pictures and videos from people they follow. The feature appears as an interstitial pop-up over the main feed, providing the option to “get caught up” with the most recent posts in their feed. You can read more here https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/13/instagram-latest-posts/
5. Instagram Is Testing a New Video Response Option for IGTV: Instagram is testing a video response option for IGTV that would enable IGTV creators to allow viewers to respond to their content with videos of their own. This is similar to video responses on TikTok and could help generate more engagement with your IGTV videos. You can read more here https://www.socialmediatoday.com/…/instagrams-testi…/573407/
6. Instagram tests DMs on the web. Instagram is testing the ability to direct message users on its desktop version. In mid January Instagram began testing the feature on a small percentage of the platform’s global users, who are now able to access their DMs from Instagram’s website. The new feature could really useful if you would like to use your PC during office hours. You can read more here https://www.theverge.com/…/instagram-web-dm-test-launch-bro…
As you can see there have been lots of recent enhancements and more in the pipeline.