What Instagram’s 2022 Updates Mean for Your Business
Over the past few years, Instagram has continued to grow and maintain its position as one of the most used social media platforms in the world, and 2022 is no different. With new updates and features introduced almost every month, it can be challenging to keep up. To help you out, we’ve outlined the top 4 most recent updates that will impact your business.
1. Collaborations on Instagram Posts
Instagram recently released a new feature where two users can collaborate on a singular post. Each account's username is displayed at the top of the post with the same visual content and caption. This feature is beneficial for businesses who work with influencers or want to collaborate with other businesses for giveaways or promotions. All kinds of businesses can utilise this feature to reach a new audience through the second account attached to the post.
An example of how a business could utilise this tool is for giveaways. If a brand wants to collaborate with another brand to give back to their followers, instead of posting the same content separately on each account they can share a collaborative one. This allows users who follow one of the brands to see the other account on their own feed, potentially getting the secondary brand new followers while increasing their reach into a new user base.
2. New Story Stickers
Shopping features have been a part of Instagram for a while now, but a new update allows shopping stickers to be added to stories. Using this sticker allows users to make a purchase directly through Instagram Stories which helps small businesses sell products more easily by creating a smoother process for users. This way, users don’t have to take multiple steps to purchase such as going to a link in an account’s bio to find the product they want. Instead, users can simply click on their stories to buy the product quickly and seamlessly.
A popular and useful feature has also been made more accessible. Accounts with less than ten thousand followers are now able to use the link sticker on their stories. This will help smaller accounts tremendously by allowing them to create links to their website, blogs, events, and more. Previously, story viewers would have to be directed to click the link in an account's bio to access this information, which could deter them. Now, all accounts can customise their links and get more people clicking their content!
3. Reply to Comments on Reels With Another Reel
In 2020, Instagram Reels were released giving users the option to post short-form video content with the ability to edit together clips and photos with music to share to their feeds. Reels are fantastic assets for businesses on the app as Instagram pushes reels to a much larger audience giving your brand a wider reach across a range of accounts that don’t already follow you.
Similar to TikTok, Instagram has now introduced the ability to reply to comments with a reel. This allows for more genuine interaction between content creators and their audience. Through replying in video style to explain questions their followers have, it creates a space to learn and share information while strengthening relationships and connections. This interactivity allows users to feel connected to the creators and encourages them to watch multiple videos instead of just one by clicking on the comment the creator is responding to taking them to the previous video.
4. Reintroduction of a Chronological Algorithm
Without a simple-to-follow feed structure in place, many creators have struggled to crack the code of what exactly the algorithm on Instagram is. Instagram received a lot of pushback from users when it moved away from a chronological feed and changed it to be a more perceived interest style feed. In 2022, Instagram has listened and has decided to allow users to switch to a chronological feed with the new feed options; home, following, and favourites.
This change makes it easier for businesses to optimise their posting schedule to post at the best times for their specific audience. Through this posting optimisation, the chances of organic exposure and engagement are increased, making it easier for businesses to connect and share content with their followers.
Keep Up to Date
Instagram is constantly evolving and adding new features at a rapid pace. To help your business thrive, it is important to stay up to date to stay ahead of the competition. Keep an eye out for update announcements and blog posts like this one to get information on the newest app additions right when they’re released!
