Instagram brought their A-game this fall with a handful of new features, and also some tweaks on a few old ones. Most of these new features allow creators to monetize their content, but any brand could benefit by using them!
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Links in Stories
You may have noticed that the “swipe up” feature hasn’t been appearing in any of your favorite influencers’ stories lately. That’s because IG kicked it to the curb to roll out “link stickers.” The feature used to only be available to accounts with a 10,000+ follower count but is now available to everyone worldwide.
2. Branded Content Partnerships
There’s a new kid on the block and it’s helping creators make the big bucks! The new feature is currently in a trial phase to iron out kinks– so only a select group of creators and brands can use this feature right now. As far as we know, the feature will serve as a messaging and discovery tool. That means it will help brands identify creators for sponsorships (hello influencer marketing) without leaving the platform.
3. Desktop Publishing
If you spend time on the desktop version of Instagram, you may have noticed a new icon in the top right corner. The new icon is a posting tool that allows users to create and publish feed posts from their web app.
The long-awaited desktop feature closely resembles the mobile publishing flow and even allows you to post carousels. However, the new feature does not allow you to rearrange your carousel posts yet, so plan on uploading your photos in order.
4. New Reels Effects
Instagram has clapped back at its rival app TikTok yet again. IG introduced three new video editing features for Reels that help them keep up with features drawing users to TikTok.
Superbeat. TikTok users are already familiar to this feature but the tool helps users create videos paced to the beat of the audio clip of their choosing, automatically applying edits based on the selected audio track. Think “auto sync.”
Dynamic Lyrics. The karaoke-style effect automatically adds song lyrics to a Reel for users to sing along to. A feature we didn’t know we needed but are totally into.
3D Lyrics. Basically the dynamic lyric feature but in 3D– futuristic move, IG.
(Photo: Instagram)
5. IG Live Scheduling
New Instagram Live tools will now make it easier for publishers to schedule and promote live broadcasts on the platform. You can now schedule live sessions 90 days in advance using the Live Creation form.
Creators will also have the option to share their upcoming live broadcasts with a new Stories sticker and as a feed post to encourage people to sign up for reminders. *Cough cough.. A new webinar platform*
According to Instagram, 41% of recently surveyed Gen Zers attended a broadcast event on Instagram Live in September 2021. So if your target audience is Gen Z, this might be a good option to reach your followers.
6. A New Video Format Replaced IGTV
Instagram announced that IGTV and feed videos will now be combined into one format– Instagram Video.
The IGTV profile tab has officially been replaced by a Video tab which makes it easier for users to browse an account’s video content in one place. You may have noticed that the videos on your feed are getting longer and longer.
Instagram allows creators to post videos up to 60 minutes long with a 60-second feed preview. For now, standard post-editing features are available for longer videos, including trimming videos, applying filters, and adding account and location tags. Peace out, IGTV!
There are a lot of changes happening in the world of IG content creation. There are nearly a dozen features in testing and could be released as soon as next month. If you’re feeling like IG changes every time you open the app, you’re not alone. You can join our email list to stay in the know on changes in the digital marketing world.
