Instagram, one of the favorite networks of the Travel-Insight team’s community managers, continues to develop and bring new features to its users.
Back in July, we revealed new features such as Reels and the ability to pin comments, but the application has gone even further since then!
Here are the new features you won’t want to miss in recent weeks:
A new interface for Instagram
As you’ve probably noticed over the last few days, Instagram has given itself a facelift, changing two tabs on its interface.
From the home screen, the shortcuts for publishing content and accessing notifications have given way to Real and the long-awaited new Shop, migrating to the top right of the News Feed, next to the Inbox.
It’s been a long time since Instagram modified its interface, and this underlines the importance of these two new features for the social networking giant.
On the one hand, there are the Reels, which we no longer need to introduce, and which have managed to prove their worth in just a few months, and which Instagram wishes to position on a par with stories and publications.
Thus, by highlighting this new short video format, Instagram hopes to encourage users to produce content on the app by providing them with greater visibility.
Finally, this strategy is positioned in direct competition with the giant TikTok, a specialist in short-form videos, which now occupies a privileged place on the podium, particularly with young people.
It’s true that this video format has been enjoying dazzling success for several months now, and a number of applications have also joined the race: Triller, YouTube Shorts and Snapchat Sounds.
On the other hand, the shop tab, a veritable marketplace that lists publications related to our centers of interest and containing products for sale.
Shop tab
Instagram has decided to step up its Social Shopping game with the arrival of the Shop tab, accessible with one click from the home page.
This new feature facilitates the discovery of branded and designer products, and above all enables users to buy directly via the application.
On the user side, the aim of this tab is to offer personalized recommendations based on browsing history or products already spotted.
It’s worth noting that this innovation is no coincidence, as the current global pandemic is forcing users to resort more and more to online purchasing.
While this tab should delight brands and influencers, the question arises as to how it will be received by users for whom Instagram is a source of inspiration, escape, entertainment and keeping in touch with loved ones.
Vanish Mode
Following the merger of Messenger and Instagram Direct, Instagram is launching its Vanish Mode, enabling you to send ephemeral text, audio, stickers, photos and emojis.
All you have to do is apply Vanish Mode during a conversation, so that everything you share disappears automatically once your interlocutor leaves the conversation.
Note that this mode is optional, does not apply to group conversations and must be activated by both parties to work.
You’ll also be warned if your interlocutor takes a screenshot.
This feature is currently only available in the United States, but will soon be rolled out in other countries.
Here again, we see that Instagram is doing its utmost to offer its users services similar to those offered by its competitors.
Here, for example, it’s hard not to make the connection with Snapchat, one of its loyal competitors, which democratized this type of message several years ago.
Longer Lives
While Lives are currently limited to 1 hour of live broadcasting, Instagram has announced plans to extend them to a maximum of 4 hours.
It will also be possible to re-share them directly from the private archives, up to 30 days after the broadcast.
A new (yes, again) feature called “Live now” will also be introduced, in Instagram’s IGTV section.
It will enable the discovery of new accounts, and more specifically those broadcasting live at the very moment of the search.
These new features also meet a new demand, linked to the Covid-19 context, dictated by containment.
Many Lives were broadcast during the first lockdown last April, but users were limited to 1 hour of broadcast time, after which they had to restart another Live.
With 4 hours available, Instagram intends to keep its users and prevent them from using other applications.
Guides on Instagram
As you’ve probably noticed this week, it’s now possible to create a whole new type of content on Instagram: Guides.
This micro-blog-like format has been designed to give Instagram creators and marketers a way to share long-form content, whereas until now, photo and video-based media have been favored.
In this way, Instagram hopes to offer its users an easier way to discover recommendations, tips and other content from their favorite creators, public figures, organizations and publishers.
There are 3 types of Guides:
- Publications: to recommend your own publications or those of other creators that you have saved.
- Locations: to recommend publications by location.
You can also share saved publications corresponding to the chosen location. - Products: to share your own products as well as those from various Instagram stores
Want to find out more?
Be patient, we’ll be back shortly with more details on this exciting new tool that’s set to shake up the digital world and how it’s used 😊
Instagram Search update
And last but not least, following on from the Guides, the “search” tool has been extended to include keyword searches.
Previously, the way to find content on Instagram was to search for a username, hashtag or location.
Now, when you search for “baking recipes”, for example, you won’t just have access to accounts containing those terms in the username, location or hashtags associated with those words.
But you’ll be able to view public publications containing baking recipes, even if they’re not literally tagged as such.
While hashtags will surely remain one of the most reliable ways of finding hyper-specific content, the expanded search function will give you more ways of finding what you’re looking for.
The question is: will we have to work on our SEO on Instagram?
To be continued!
Instagram for october
New design for archived Instagram Stories
Instagram is increasingly working on the UX of its app and has revamped the way archived Stories are presented.
Until now, it was possible to view old Stories via a chronological grid that was difficult to read.
As of a few days ago, you can now view your old Stories via a timeline that shows when your Stories were taken (up to three years back) and a map that shows in which locations they were captured.
Artificial intelligence for comment processing
Since the end of 2019, Instagram has been committed to the fight against bullying and cyber harassment, and the network has observed a clear decrease in negative interactions, particularly in comments.
To continue in this direction, the app has launched an artificial intelligence system that automatically masks comments similar to those already reported by a user.
Users can find hidden comments on their account in a dedicated tab, and decide whether or not to re-post them on the publications concerned.
Launch of Shopping on IGTV
In 2018, Instagram launched IGTV, a vertical video platform designed for mobile and integrated directly into the app.
For several months, content creators had been able to monetize their content via ads.
Now, with the arrival of Shopping on IGTV, they can extend their revenues in 2 ways: through integrated purchases directly on the videos, or via redirection to the seller’s website.
Shopping will soon be available through Reels, but no data has yet been released.
Instagram Direct and Messenger merge
The Facebook ecosystem had announced the merger of all its messaging apps, and now it’s done.
The Instagram Direct and Messenger apps are now connected.
When you update your Instagram app, you’ll be able to see the Facebook Messenger logo in place of the little paper airplane.
With the two applications now connected, it will be possible to send messages and join video calls from Messenger or Instagram.
Improved Reels and new dedicated tab
3 months ago, Instagram’s Reels appeared on the scene to counter TikTok.
This new video format, very popular with influencers, was originally a maximum of 15 seconds long.
The app has decided to extend the length of Reels to 30 seconds, allowing creators to express their creativity at greater length and thus offer viewers more entertaining content.
Another new feature is a 10-second timer, previously limited to 3 seconds.
It is also possible to delete or crop the various pieces that make up the Reels, making content editing much easier.
Finally, a new tab dedicated to Reels is now available at the bottom of your application.
An endless stream of suggested publications
Another new feature is infinite scrolling in the Instagram feed.
Once users have scrolled through their feed with all the content from accounts to which they’re subscribed, the app alerts them with a “you’re up to date” mention, and then Instagram offers suggested publications based on their interests, as well as sponsored publications.
With this feature, Instagram is indirectly encouraging its users to spend even more time on the screen.
Good or bad idea?
The debate is on!
As you can see, all these new features will enable Instagram users and advertisers to make the most of the application.
It’s not easy to keep up with everything that’s new, but Travel-Insight, your digital communications agency, is here to help.
Stay tuned, we’re told in the earpiece that you’ll soon find out more about the new “Guides” feature, which is likely to revolutionize communication on social networks.
To be continued!
🙂
Instagram celebrated its 10th birthday on October 6, 2020!
Check out our infographic below, featuring key dates in the history of the social network: 
