It's only February and a lot has happened on Instagram this year.
While you've likely come across a few of these changes yourself by pure observation and using the platform, some aren't rolled out to everyone yet or aren't as obvious.
For that reason, I will use this newsletter to catch you up on all the significant changes that have happened on Instagram recently.
This way, you can better use the platform to achieve your business goals.
Let's get into it.
Instagram updates you need to be aware of
1. Instagram is releasing a new app called Edits
Kicking things off on our list is Edits, Instagram's new editing app.
Similar to how they used X as the inspiration to create threads, Capcut seems to be the main inspiration for Edit.
They’re doing this because they know Capcut is at risk because TikTok owns it.
While TikTok has been allowed to continue operating in the US for now, its future is still uncertain and if it does get banned (again) then Capcut will follow suit.
That'll leave a lot of Capcut users in the US without their editing app of choice so Instagram is putting their new app edits out there as a potential alternative.
The app hasn't been released yet but is due to be launched this February.
From the information that has been released about it, it's supposed to be a full creative suite for serious creators.
Here are some of its confirmed features:
An editor for editing video (like most other video editing apps).
An option to capture content directly in the app.
The ability to turn static images into engaging videos with AI.
A dedicated inspiration tab for things where you'll get things like reels ideas and trending audio.
Collaboration option to allow you to share with your team and work on projects with them.
Watermark removal.
Detailed insights on how your videos on Instagram are performing.
And potentially much more.
They’ve looked at the most popular editing apps available and taken their best features while adding some new ones (classic Instagram)
I’ll test it once it’s released and see how it measures up to free editing software like Capcut.
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Now, back to the good stuff.
2. 3-minute reels
This is a feature that has already been rolled out to people in the US. It allows you to upload reels that are up to 3 minutes in length.
If you don't have it yet, just hold on as it’s still being rolled out in other places (besides the US).
Here's the thing about this though...
We’ve always thought that shorter reels are better (because they typically allow you to get much more watch time).
Even IG themselves have said reels shorter than 90 seconds are the ones that are most likely going to be recommended on the reels tab and Explore feed.
So the question then becomes: "Why did they increase the length?"
It's like they're saying “No, we changed our mind, longer videos are actually better”
Here's my recommendation...
Just because you can create longer reels doesn’t mean you actually should.
You should already know how tough it is to get someone to pay attention for 30 seconds to watch your reel. Think about how much harder it’s going to be to get them to stick around for 3 whole minutes without scrolling to the next video.
Don't try to make your content unnecessarily longer now just because you can.
If you do, they might not get the same amount of traction.
If you're confident that you can make longer reels work though then you can go ahead and test it out once you have the option.
Then check the data and see how it measures up to your shorter reels.
If they work well for you then keep doing them.
If not, stick to shorter videos.
3. Changes to the home feed
There have been 2 changes that Instagram has revealed that it's making to the home feed. One has been rolled out to most people while the other hasn't been rolled out yet.
Portrait home feed
If you use Instagram frequently then you should have noticed this already.
Your home feed posts no longer appear in a square (44) ratio but as a portrait (45) ratio.
This basically means your home feed is more vertical now rather than square.
If you’ve been creating content in a portrait format all along then this doesn’t affect you. Just keep doing what you're doing.
If you’re someone who has been creating square posts though, this is just another reminder to move away from that.
Using the bigger portrait (4*5) not only gives you more space to work with when designing but also allows you to capture more real estate on your audience's screen.
This allows you to capture their attention faster and prevents them from scrolling away to the next post on their timeline as easily.
With this new update, it seems Instagram itself is moving forward and leaving its square post days in the past.
I recommend you do the same.
Moving highlights to the profile grid
This hasn’t been as rolled out like the first one yet but IG is also going to be moving the highlights from where they are currently to having their own tab on your feed
Here’s what Instagram themselves have to say:
“We’re trying to figure out a way to improve the profile and get more of the content above the fold and simplify it. You will still have control, you can still pin things, they’ll be a dedicated highlight tab but we don’t need to have pogs and square are and have it all be complicated and pushing everything down”
So highlights will no longer have their own position between your bio and feed content but will be a part of the feed with their own tab - similar to reels and tagged posts.
I’m not a fan of this because it means your highlights will get less attention.
Where they are currently is prime real estate which makes them impossible to ignore, easy to see and interact with which gets them more views.
Moving them to their own tab on the feed introduces friction.
Users will have to manually click on their tab to view them and this will mean less people will see them.
This still remains to be seen though as that’s just my assumption
But before you decide to devote too much time to improving your highlights, hold on and let this be rolled out first.
Revamping your highlights might look worth it now but might not be in a few months.
I hope this was helpful and I’ll see you again next week.
Niyo
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