Social Media Updates

Big news for Instagram fans: the app is making a major change to its navigation bar in February. Starting next month, the Create shortcut is moving from the top navigation to the center of the bottom bar, a spot currently occupied by the Reels button. The Reels shortcut will shift to the right, replacing the Shop button.

“But wait,” you’re thinking, “What does that mean for the Instagram Shop tab?” Don’t worry — Instagram shopping isn’t going away entirely.

Users will still be able to access all their favorite shops through Discover or other channels on Instagram (like ads, in-feed posts, Reels, and Stories). This means shoppable content will likely be spread throughout all aspects of the Instagram experience instead of in its own tab.

Read More

Big news: Instagram now allows users to add up to 90 seconds of music to their in-feed photo posts.

Instagram announced the update on their @creators Instagram feed, saying, “Music is a huge part of expression on Instagram, and we’re excited to provide the ability to add music to Feed photo posts like you can with Reels and Stories.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Instagram’s @Creators (@creators)

(In a somewhat ironic twist, the announcement post doesn’t include music. Unlike TikTok’s photo mode, it looks like Instagram carousel posts don’t support music yet.)

Read More

Instagram is testing an in-app scheduling feature, according to recent reports.

Now you can schedule posts on the Instagram app! ✨

You can schedule posts and reels by going to Advanced settings when creating new content. #Instagram @MattNavarra pic.twitter.com/yJykq108wK

— ㆅ (@WFBrother) October 18, 2022

While users have long been able to schedule Instagram posts using Creator Studio, this test marks the first time they’ve offered scheduling within the Instagram app.

Read More

Instagram continues to test the option to add multiple links to bios, according to reports released earlier this month.

The test is not yet in wide release, but users like fashion creator Allegra Shaw are already putting the additional link space to use.

Read More

Get your Rickrolls ready! Instagram is (reportedly) bringing back the ability to add a song to your profile.

That’s right — the feature most commonly associated with 2006-era Myspace (and Hinge profiles, apparently) may be coming soon to an Instagram account near you.

Read More

September was a busy month for Instagram. The platform continues to adapt at breakneck speed, with new features and changes launching almost weekly.

Will Instagram continue to chase TikTok’s runaway success or find a new way to stand out? And will the pivot to Reels pay off? Stay tuned — we’re just as curious as you are.

Here’s what happened in September on Instagram:

Read More

Meta has released a guide to help brands adjust their advertising strategies in response to Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) update. The update allows iOS users to opt out of data tracking across 3rd-party applications.

Launched on April 26th, 2021, the ATT update has had a direct impact on Meta’s ability to use user data to serve targeted ads on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. 

In response, Meta commissioned its 2022 Signal Resiliency Guide. “Signal resiliency” is Meta’s way of saying “how to target your ads with less data collected from 3rd party apps”. The guide will help social media marketers adjust their strategies for this brave new world of online data privacy.

Read More

Instagram is testing a new post option that looks a lot like one of Twitter’s most popular features.

Reposting, or sharing others’ content with your followers, may soon be available for your Instagram feed.

The platform has been working on a repost feature since May 2022, according to app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi.

#Instagram is working on Reposts 👀

— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) May 12, 2022

However, Instagram has now confirmed to TechCrunch that the feature is now in testing “with select users.”

Read More

The Instagram Shop tab will soon disappear from the app, according to an internal memo released earlier this week.

The Information reports that Instagram will be scaling back its shopping features as the platform refocuses on generating ad revenue.

Read More

Instagram is testing a new way to categorize Reels, according to social media consultant Matt Navarra.

New! Instagram lets you add 'Topic' tags to Reels

h/t @TSbyJacki pic.twitter.com/TVqdmH5bNa

— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) September 5, 2022

The new option allows users to add “Topic” tags to their Reels when uploading. The topic tag should help users “reach people who share your interests.”

Read More

Instagram is testing a new feature that looks very similar to BeReal, according to app researcher Alessandro Paluzzi.

#Instagram is working on IG Candid Challenges, a feature inspired by @BeReal_App 👀

ℹ️ Add other's IG Candid to your story tray. And everyday at a different time, get a notification to capture and share a Photo in 2 Minutes. pic.twitter.com/caTCgUPtEV

— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) August 22, 2022

Read More

Users can now schedule both Facebook and Instagram Reels through Meta’s Creator Studio app, the platform announced today.

Previously, Creator Studio only allowed Instagram users to schedule feed posts and videos, not Stories or Reels.

There are a few confusing caveats to this update, though.

1. You can only use Creator Studio for Instagram if your Instagram account is connected to a Facebook business page.
2. On the Facebook tab of Creator Studio, the Create reel option is easy to spot under Create post, but on the Instagram tab, you’ll select Instagram Feed or IG Video, depending on the length of your video. (Back in July, Meta announced that all Instagram videos are now Reels)

Read More