You may be familiar with Instagram’s newly launched galleries function allows users to post up to ten pictures at one go, similar to a carousel ad. As with all updates and tweaks, the world’s big brands and influencers on Instagram are quickly making use of this new function to benefit themselves. In short, the increase in posts means an increase in engagement, per post.
How it works: With the new feature, when scrolling down your feed you’ll notice a group of dots below the photo, signaling that there are more photos for you to view, just by swiping left. And while there might be more photos to view, users can still pick different captions and filters for all each respective picture. The only thing you can’t do is tag people on the posts in post-edit, so they’ll have to settle for a mention in the caption instead.
Fashion brands, in particular, seem to be making use of this new feature by showcasing their collections or runway looks – all in one post. Brands that operate primarily or solely on Instagram are annexing it in different ways also, with the ability to show more, while keeping their feeds clean and free of multiple posts.
As a brand or an influencer, you can use this feature to create and curate content, as Instagram provides engagement on each individual post – an easy way to gauge what your readers are interested in.
A cardinal rule of Instagram is not to post too much content as that’s guaranteed to keep away followers. Instagram’s algorithm also works in a way that if you post more pictures in a short time span, you’re more likely to not appear at the top of user’s feeds. So, by compiling groups of photos into one single post will allow you to post more without losing followers over complaints of too many photos or good old fashioned spam.