Instagram’s New Update Changes The Entire Heckin’ Platform
Why Things Are Going To Look A Lot Like TikTok Around Here 💅
Instagram wants to kick Tiktok’s ass (And YouTube’s too).
Here’s how they’re planning to do it.
Zuckerberg said that Instagram will try out a 9:16 ratio format, which is a full phone screen. Just like TikTok (and YouTube Shorts). Insta Reels are already 9:16, but now all posts, carousels, and videos will do it too.
Plot twist, they’ve also added other knock-off features.
Soon you too can edit your Insta videos by:
· Adding voice-overs
· Importing audio
· Utilizing text-to-speech
· Adjusting the volume
· Putting in stylized captions
Plus, Instagram’s iconic square grid is on the chopping block. They’re stealing TikTok’s rectangular drip:
Speaking of copycats, we should also mention that Instagram wants 90% of your Home feed content to NOT be photos anymore.
Holy shit.
That’s right. They’re putting video first, pictures deadass last.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri called this a new “immersive viewing experience” for the Home feed.
We call it a goddamn game changer.
Ok, So What Does Insta’s New Update Effing Mean?
This update is a hell of a MASSIVE shift for creators on the platform.
Instagram started as a photo sharing app. So many photographers, artists, influencers, and businesses have built their communities around posting pictures.
Now, they must go with the current or get drowned out.
So yeah… .
Photographers especially aren’t too happy about these brand spankin’ new changes.
We get it.
We have mixed feels too.
As we mentioned above, one of Instagram’s strengths is — or was, cough cough — being able to pick what format and size best suits your brand, communication style, and content.
People consume online content in different ways. Not everyone wants to watch a video all the fricken time. Especially if you’re looking for a list of ingredients on a recipe or steps in a tutorial.
That just doesn’t work.
So why kick the shit out of your OG users like this?
Well, take a look at the competition.
TikTok has one billion users worldwide and the app has been downloaded more than 3.5 billion times. No bullshit, it’s one of the most popular social media networks out there.
YouTube isn’t dragging ass that far behind it either. YouTube Shorts, launched in March of last year, are watched by over 1.5 billion users every month.
It’s already been over a year since Twitter started fully displaying taller, bigger images for phones.
Shorter, mobile focused videos aren’t just where it’s at, they’re where it’s BEEN at for a long damn time (if you want to know more about TikTok and short form video, check out our TikTok for Biz Mini Course here).
Like, back in ’20, Netflix straight up called TikTok a serious competitor. This year, Netflix announced that they’re going to make a cheaper, ad-supported tier. You could say they want to throw hands with TikTok and Youtube — which are both free, ad supported platforms.
Because that shit WORKS.
It’s no surprise Instagram that finally understood the assignment and took notes. But it’s hauling everyone else on the bus along with them …
…and the volume here is about to get ASTRONOMICAL.
Yes, Instagram’s New Update Is Going to Sink Ships
Businesses are already stretched thin trying to keep up on every damn social media network, short-lived trend, and audience.
Now they have to research, write, film, produce, edit, and upload videos on top of that?
That’s just NOT happening for everyone.
A lot of creators, influences, and businesses who have less time to post are going to suffer from this update.
It’s also going to be harder than ever to know what to do.
The whole platform is going to shift — will it just become TikTok 2.0 or will the existing audience lean towards completely different content using the same format?
So many businesses already make the mistake of just randomly chasing trends to stay relevant (learn how your business can set its OWN trends and check out our social media strategy here).
Even big corporations fall into that trap.
Remember that time that DiGiorna unintentionally used a trending hashtag about domestic violence to advertise pizza?
Yeah, awkward af.
A lot of people are going to end up eating someone else’s dust if they don’t stay on top of this. Because people need time to adapt, but it’s not going to take Instagram any time to roll this shit out.
The emotional damage is already piling up.
Engagement on tasty food pics is already being pushed down, along with the sales that this advertising brings in. To get the same reach, people NEED to invest in video production.
And do it real effin’ fast, too.
By the time this update slides into everyone’s DMs, it will already be too little too late.
Will This Update Sink Instagram?
It’s hard to say.
Instagram sure does have a lot more monetization options right now.
Because, unlike TikTok, Insta has put its money where its mouth is … on eCommerce.
Previous updates let businesses turn their Insta into their own sweet storefront with a product catalogue and shopping tags for their posts.
Which is a damn smart move.
Because according to the 2022 Instagram Trend Report, over one in four teens and young adults are expecting to shop directly through their social media feeds.
Hell, some of the top hashtags were actually:
· #shopsmall
· #shoplocal
· #shopsmallbusineses
So … looking for ways to make content more engaging through video?
That’s not a complete mistake.
But it’s sure as hell an oversight.
Because copying another platform’s tactics also means you’ll copy their problems, too.
YouTube and Tiktok are all about the camera, baby.
They technically have fewer “social” features for a social media platform … and it shows.
They’re more like Netflix. Which everyone binge-watches when a show goes viral only to forget about it like a week later. Which is a problem.
On Instagram, right now, you’re more likely to look at who’s posting what content, slide into someone’s DMS to thank them for following you, and have your comment featured on your post.
At least, for now.
Something to look for with this coming update is how the community handles these changes — will it look like TikTok2 or is Instagram making a really smart move here for their platform?
We’ll have to wait and see.
This Update Isn’t All About You — It’s About THEM
All of these changes are scary, we get it.
But don’t forget the most important part about this update … your fricken audience!
Compared to TikTok, Instagram tends to provide better, tighter connections with its community.
YouTube is famous for having a terrible comment section and content moderation problems out the ass:
TikTok has also def been in hot water before because of this.
Dangerous viral challenges spread like fire there, possibly because of the younger audience. Remember when everyone ate Tide Pods?
Tiktok and YouTube also push for watch-time. They do this by constantly trying to predict what someone might want to watch next based on their interests.
For example, TikTok’s For You Page shows mostly new content. It’s not a feed where you see only the content uploaded by creators you follow:
Many YouTubers have complained about YouTube hiding videos from their subscribers or unsubscribing followers without explanation.
Instagram really doesn’t do any of this. On Instagram, you’re more likely to look at who’s posting what or remember individual creators rather than binge content.
This update could be a MASSIVE opportunity in disguise.
Sure, right now it might feel like two kids in a trench coat trying to get an R-rated ticket at the movie theatre….
But the potential here is HUGE:
So How Do You Carpe This Diem?
As per our last email — ahem, as per we mentioned earlier, early adopters are going to win here.
So go resize old posts, Reels, and update your grid. After you do that, go hit up your analytics.
What content was your most viral? Your biggest views or comments? What do those posts have in common — theme, tags, format, or time posted?
You’re going to want to make more of that … but with sound, with motion. Don’t like showing your face? No problem.
You’re not trying to make it to the Oscars here:
So don’t sweat it if it feels weird at first. Also, remember, you can do more out than just stare dead-eyed into a camera.
If you sell products, show ’em off. Zoom in on a product while you talk about it. Film how your hands design it, wreck it, package it, or use it.
Take a screenshot. Throw in a voice-over on it.
Show more behind the scenes such as responding to criticism, how you package your products, or progress updates on your recent project:
There’s no shortage of ways to spin your content.
If you’re totally effing lost, talk to someone who knows how to do this (spoiler, we do, so check out our check out our Social Media for Business Setup here).
At the end of the day, we suggest you treat social media like a funnel.
Your TikTok could be a great lead to your Insta, then you link to your services or freebies, which are on your website, which prompts people to sign up for your email list … and so on.
Here’s What You Take From This Update
Whether you like it or not, Instagram has the wheel here and they aren’t afraid of swerving into a new lane at the last minute.
So take note: Photos are out, video is in.
Creators, influencers, and businesses are going to end up posting to dead air if they don’t change. The people who will thrive here are already scheming how to post in new and interesting ways.
If you want to stand out, you’re going to have to do the same. So get goin’ girlfriend.
In a handful of years, Instagram could follow Vine’s footsteps or it could overtake TikTok and YouTube. It’s all going to depend on what the users do with this next chapter in Instagram’s development.
But we’ll have to wait and see.
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