What’s with Instagram?
This post is part of a challenge where every week (for at least 1 month) my followers choose / suggest themes being the most voted for each week, the theme I will write about.
Since the beginning of this year, with the ‘boom’ of social networks and digital media — partly caused by the Covid-19 crisis, installed since last year — Instagram, in particular, has been the target of reference and criticism. With an average of 1.16 billion active users per month, Instagram is one of the most accessed networks — being integrated with Facebook, the top of the list.
Pointing out some recent changes
With the digital world having a huge impact on the world of marketing — as well as on how small (and large) businesses promote their products and services — the platform has long explored a potential that goes far beyond the acclaimed selfies of 2010 (when the platform was launched).
Since last year, we’ve experienced an avalanche of updates, perhaps at a faster pace than we (millennials) were used to. Among them, some called my attention:
1. Following options
One of the recent changes that caught my attention was managing who you follow. It is now possible to see more clearly which profiles we less interact with and the ones who appear most in our feed. This change made me immediately reflect on whether I was following relevant profiles or just merely following them back.
“What does this profile offer, share or advocate? Maybe it’s interesting to take a look at profile ‘y’, send them a message, read their posts” are points that we could start taking from this update. This somehow implies that a total “x’’ number of followers and followed profiles doesn’t mean much if there is no interaction.
2. Where did my likes go?
And then the ‘likes’ were omitted. This change took effect some time ago, but is not yet definitive. A while ago, for a brief period of time, I noticed that the likes on my posts had been omitted to my followers — visible only to me when checking my post’s insights. Instagram is still testing this in some locations around the globe. So I wonder when and if it will really be established.
There has been a debate about the frustration of following guides to the “perfect post” but getting very little in return. Maybe this is the main reason why Instagram has been testing a feature that would somehow result in the “end” of the culture of ‘likes’. But how much is a ‘like’ interesting to you? Would you like to encourage empty achievements, or would you rather build a community that interacts beyond those ‘likes’?
In fact, many of us even like the content of multiple posts without actually clicking the “Like” button. Therefore, sometimes sharing a post becomes more useful.
3. Beyond selfies and ‘static’ posts
We already knew this, as the app gradually changed and included elements such as Stories, IGTV, Business and Creator’s account.
From 2020, Instagram has increasingly explored its potential in video and storytelling. The arrival of reels, in a way, gave the users a new usage perspective as well as a new tool. Also, whoever wanted to get more views without having to install TikTok, could follow a somewhat similar style using reels. On the other hand, Instagram seems to have wanted to become a kind of TikTok — a fact that left many people desperate or annoyed.
4. Guides
One of the recent features that I liked the most were the guides. Although they were released last year, they are perhaps less explored than reels. With guides, you can assemble your own posts by categories, you can create a “tour guide” of places for a particular purpose, you can gather relevant material from other profiles, and even serve as a mini-catalog for displaying your store’s products.
Another wonderful aspect is seeing that guides are a brilliant way to connect with other people and companies, sharing their work and thus generating (mutual) support — especially in times of crisis. Useful feature for small brands that want to attain more reviews and visibility.
Revolutionary or toxic?
Changes in digital platforms will always come into effect and, like trends, our role is to adopt what is useful to us and what contributes to our growth. Can I continue publishing posts and photos? And why not? There are many who don’t really embrace reels as their new marketing strategy, and everything is fine. What we can’t forget, with each update, is that our principles and goals should remain the same.
On the other hand, a highly selective algorithm shouldn’t “force” us to a different pace. Hence, the importance of always analyzing results and studying what works for you.
Perceive changes as a range of possibilities that you may or may not follow, and I believe you will have a much healthier relationship with Instagram or any other platform.
