If you have spent any time scrolling through Instagram the last few months, you may have noticed some not-so-subtle tweaks to this social media platform. In fact, 2020 saw the channel’s first major UI design changes in ten years, prompting a mixed response of backlash and praise from its user base. However, the updates may prove beneficial for businesses and social media marketing. Here’s a look at a few of these design changes and break down of how they may impact your user experience.
Reels
Among these changes, Instagram introduced Reels – the answer to its globally popular short-form video competitor, TikTok. Similar to TikTok, Instagram’s Reels allows users to create 15-second video content set to music or popular audio, in addition to using special effects. When first introduced, Instagram’s Reels was located at the top of the Explore page or within user profiles, making the content difficult to find. However with the platform’s November update, Reels replaced the camera button (which is now located at the top of the home screen above stories) on the home screen – a decision in which many people argue is a key indicator of the platform’s intent to keep the feature long-term.
Business owners and Instagram managers who oppose this update argue that the addition of Reels might potentially make the app feel too cluttered and saturated with too many forms of content, though Instagram states that Reels ultimately benefits creators in crafting unique content more accessible to their audiences.
Shopping
Instagram’s new shopping feature is the platform’s push for more streamlined integration of ecommerce, which also prompts an additional change to Instagram’s navigation for some users, where the “Shop” tab replaces the activity tab on the home screen. With this new update, Instagram states that users can easily shop their favorite brands and creators directly from this platform. On the “Shop” tab, users can search for specific products and view personalized recommendations, as well. This effort to better connect users with creators and their products may certainly prove advantageous for businesses and social media marketing campaigns.
Additional Updates
Product tags are now available for Instagram ads, which essentially help point people directly to a product page. For U.S. checkout enabled businesses, customers can purchase directly in-app.
To improve the transparency of branded content on the app, Instagram’s branded content tagging tools disclose when sponsored posts are a part of a partnership, while allowing businesses to better access the overall performance of their campaigns.
Additionally, Instagram added automatic closed captioning for IGTV – its long form video content.
Whether you are a fan of the new design changes or not, it’s likely that these updates will remain a permanent component of the app moving forward. Regardless of your particular goals, our social media marketing team can help your business create dynamic and engaging campaigns to best connect you to your audience.
To learn more or schedule a consultation, please contact our team.