Instagram will be making a lot of changes in the coming months, including moving away from its initial focus on sharing images. The impetus for this shift comes after much research on why and how people are using the app. The number one reason? To be entertained.
Based on its research, Instagram has decided to shift focus to a few main categories: video, shopping, recommendations, creators, and messaging. Over the next few months, you’ll likely notice Instagram testing several of these new features. And looking further, once these changes start to become a more permanent fixture, Instagram will likely lean in and prioritize content that’s more tailored to one of these categories.
Changes you can expect to hit your feed in the upcoming months
First up, video. Instagram’s biggest competitors are TikTok and YouTube. In order to keep up with the Joneses, Instagram is starting to experiment more with video as a content format. They’ve already introduced Reels, where people can share 15- or 30-second videos, but these new video features will likely focus on – according to Insta’s head honcho, Adam Mosseri – “a full-screen, immersive video experience.”
Next, is shopping. The pandemic, obviously, has created a huge shift toward online shopping, and Instagram is going to start capitalizing more on an online shopping experience given that trend.
In a similar vein, another of the bigger focuses will also be on recommendations. The app will start recommending content in your feed as you scroll from accounts you aren’t following via suggested and sponsored posts,,. They’re currently testing out a new version of this model, where you can let Insta know what topics you want to see (or not see).
Instagram has also revealed that it’s going to prioritize creators and implement new monetization features to help creators make a living. Mosseri cites the “shift in power from institutions to individuals across industries,” and wants to move the app in that direction.
Finally, messaging. In its research, the app found that, over the years, people have moved away from their feeds or stories when it comes to connecting with friends and family, moving (or sliding if you will) more so into DMs. They didn’t reveal much about what new changes are coming to this area, but they’ve got some changes in the works.
So, what do you think? Is this a long-overdue change, or do you think it’s the wrong move? What else does the future hold for Instagram? Let us know in the comments!
And if you’d like to adjust your own social strategy to prepare for this new shift – contact us today!
