Instagram is throwing updates by the minute…….You’ve barely had the chance to understand the last one and a new one just came up. Shoot! All social media folks would agree, Instagram is a staple for their brands but it’s definitely hard to keep altering your brand strategy every time a new update comes out.
Folks, this latest instalment of our On Q Blog is tailor made for you. We are highlighting the most important Instagram updates that are here to alter the landscape of marketing in 2018, in case you missed any of them.
1. Ask Me Sticker
So Instagram came up with another update overnight, it’s the “ASK ME” Sticker. The sticker sticks on your story, offering a medium for followers to submit questions about your brand.. When DM’s are flooded with questions, a few of the important ones occasionally get lost in the mix, therefore, using the ask me sticker will allow users to personally ask you a question in a more direct manner and hence, increase the engagement on your Instagram account. This will also build trust and credibility between followers and a brand because you will be taking the initiative to answer their questions and concerns.
2. IGTV
A button popped up on the top-right corner of our Instagram app a few weeks ago and it since has me glued to my phone, exploring all possibilities of this latest Instagram instalment.
Here’s what we know about IGTV:
It’s a channel app that lets you upload one-hour-long videos. That’s great, right? Longer videos means more content. Goodbye short-lived content!It’s an Instagram feature as well as a stand-alone app. An app that is tailor made for your phone. And when I say tailor made, it means that the videos can be viewed in the same way that you use your phone, meaning you will be able to watch them in portrait mode.
IGTV can revolutionize your brand’s social media if you do it just right! Instead of putting out pre-made videos and commercials, have the audience engage with your brand by giving them a chance to interact with you. It’s a great way to convey a message or announcement of a new product as well.
The option of creating a channel is available to all business users as well as personal users. The videos start playing as soon as you open the app. Users also have the option to subscribe to videos. The downside? Instagram stories can give you vital information like who has viewed your precious moments, but IGTV cannot do the same, so you can’t track how many people actually saw your videos. Let’s hope that the ad feature does come out!
3. Shoppable Posts
Instagram is on its way to turning into a full-fledged e-commerce platform. The new update is available to all business accounts. This feature allows you to tag your products with their prices and the user can only see the price if they tap on the product posts.
Upon clicking, Instagram will give them an option to visit the website and buy online. Having your Instagram and website connected in this way is a great opportunity for brands to drive traffic to their websites and converting customers!!! $$$$$
4. Upcoming Usage Insights
CAUTION: DANGEROUS UPDATE AHEAD!!!!!
Instagram is introducing Usage Insights or a ‘time well spent’ feature which will tell the users how much time they spend on Instagram. The CEO mentioned that it is their responsibility towards people to tell them how much time people are spending on the app.
Seeing the scary numbers, users might start using the app a little less. This feature can possibly cause a dip in impressions of ads as well as organic content. Hold on tight!
5. Insta-Share
That’s what we like to call it. This feature has been out for several weeks now and it allows users to cross-promote a post they want to re-share through stories. For example, if a user wants to share a post by their favorite brand, they can use the re-share feature and the post will appear on the user’s story with a link leading back to the brand’s original post. The story will also have the name of the account mentioned on top. With so much ease in re-sharing posts it will likely increase the amount of reach a brand’s organic post can have.
Looks like it’s going to be an Instagram-worthy year for our brands!
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