Instagram has been rolling over new updates over the past year in an effort to advance the platform and to engage more users as well as brands.
The application considered all of the users’ needs from updating the create mode to make it more accessible to supporting brands and influencers with new advice accounts.
In case you’re lost and can’t keep track of all the updates, here are 10 important updates every Instagram user needs to know according to Social Media Today.
1. Shopping for Sponsored Products
Instagram is very much known to be a very supportive app to influencers and brands who make profit off of social media.
In 2019, Instagram accounts increased their use of the #Ad on posts by 33% compared to Q2 2018. Now, Instagram made it easier for users to shop for products via ‘Shopping for Creators’.
Influencers now have the option to tag all products and enable in-stream shopping so the customers never have to leave the app. All they have to do is click on the item and the website for it will appear right on the app.
2. Supporting Small Businesses and Influencers
While big organizations and companies make profit on Instagram, the app is also supportive of start-up businesses and influencers who are still trying to make it.
To help in the process, they have created two Instagram pages dedicated to them: @Shop and @Creators.
@Shop advertises products and shares inspirational stories from business owners around the world. @Creators provides influencers with tips and tricks on how to make it as well as update them with new stats.
3. Revamping The Explore Tab
Keeping up with the trend of making everything look more accessible and clean, Instagram also updated the Explore tab format.
The navigation bar on the explore tab now has new categories like IGTV, Photography, Fashion, etc. that make it easier to discover new content.
There is also the option to filter out stories on the Explore tab now which increases Stories visibilities from brands trying to engage their followers.
4. Labelling False Information
Instragram will soon be making the initiative to make the platforma clear of any fake news and discourage sharing it on the app.
Over the next month, the app will adding ‘False Information’ labels to posts containing fake news and debunked by Facebook’s fact checkers.
This update is a part of Facebook’s initiative to protect the 2020 US elections from fake news going viral.
Over the next month, content that has been rated “false” or “partly false” by an independent fact-checker will be more prominently labeled so you can better understand if information you’re seeing is reliable. pic.twitter.com/TPgOjL6HIK
— Instagram (@instagram) October 21, 2019
5. Landscape Videos on IGTV
A small but highly impactful update from Instagram is allowing landscape videos to be viewed on IGTV.
This way YouTube video teasers can also be promoted on IGTV even if they are in landscape mode to increase follower engagement.
IGTV is also making it easier for content creators to be involved by adding the option to publish previews on the News Feed.
6. Instagram Threads
Instagram gave the chance for all users to be a bit more private in what they share by creating a new close friends messaging app called ‘Threads’.
Users can select a small group of their followers that they want to share content with and use the app to send pictures, videos, and private messages.
The close friends list appears in both Instagram Direct messages as well as the Threads App.
7. Create Mode on Instagram Stories
Recently, Instagram updated Stories by adding a Create Mode which makes it easier to access creative tools in one place.
In addition to use the creative tools as normal, users also now have the option to put a GIF as their background and add stickers without having to take a picture first.
This year, the most important creative tools added are quiz stickers, polls, questions, and GIFS.
Instagram has a new Templates feature for stories pic.twitter.com/TJy7oNIuAE
h/t @satyam_sinha_
— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) October 9, 2019
8. Testing Hiding Likes
Finally, Instagram tested the option of hiding the total number of likes on posts by starting in Canada and then expanding to six other regions.
This is part of Instagram trying to make the platform a safe environment and looking out for their users’ mental health.
This way people can focus more on what the actual content is and follow people for the quality of their posts and not the amount of likes they get per post.
9. Removing The “Following Activity” Tab
Instagram removed every stalker’s favourite tool on the app the Following Activity tab.
Users can no longer check the likes and comments from the accounts they follow or any updates on which account they followed.
This is due to the tab losing it’s meaning which was to explore new content but then became just a way to stalk people you follow.
10. More Control Over Third-Party App Use
Lastly, users will now have more control over the Instagram data shared with third-party applications.
Many third-party applications can ask people to share their Instagram account information and users tend to forget which ones they’ve given access to over a period of time.
Over the next six months, the new update will give users the option to see all the third-party apps on Instagram in the settings and delete the ones they no longer use.
These are only the updates to come in 2019 and roll over to 2020, but who know what Instagram has planned more over the next year.
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.