Instagram Notes Is Coming, so What Does This Mean?
Instagram is testing out its latest feature (among others— hello new image ratio!), so roll out the red carpet and get ready to ideate on what to do with Instagram Notes!
What is it?
Later, the social media scheduling app, has compared the incoming notes feature to the late, great MSN messenger status, but I like to think of it as a child of Snapchat and Twitter.
Instagram Notes allows users to post text updates and announcements that appear in the inbox on the app. What’s more, the note will disappear after 24 hours (literal chat with a little less snap) and are limited to 60 characters (bringing us back to those days of less characters on a Tweet).
You’ll be able to post notes to followers who follow you back and your Close Friends, and those recipients can access Notes in their inbox and reply via messages.
As a head’s up, followers won’t be notified if you post a note, but that doesn’t mean it’s not another tool for brands to communicate with their super users or star audience members.
Why Notes?
Instagram’s been looking at the users themselves and how the market is now utilizing social media.
For instance, Instagram and Tiktok are surpassing Google in terms of searching and research. Obviously, video is winning in terms of content. Audiences are in the apps themselves sharing the content to chat.
More importantly, Instagram is investing in their messaging features. New features earlier this year helped make the DMing experience easier and much more fun. Plus, engagement with the Instagram Stories buttons has always been high.
These forms of direct communication brings us through a wandering path to Notes. Notes feels like an extension of all of that, encouraging DMing, announcements, and text.
How can we use it for brands?
It’s hard to say until we all get the feature, but Instagram Notes sounds like an ideal way to have some fun with super users, offering special content or pointing them towards a deal.
I can also see this being a method to capture some hardcore feedback from users or up your brand’s probability to pop up in the follower’s feed.
Time will tell, but I’m open and slightly resistant (as is my way), but hey, something new to try out and become the winner of right?
Why have’t I seen it yet?
Instagram is rolling out this feature to a few, select users right now, so check out Tech Crunch for a sneak preview.
In the mean time, social media managers, like myself, are doing due diligence on how we’ll utilize it in our content strategies. It’s a lot as we’re busy resizing their images, because Instagram is going crazy with their updates right now.
If you’re trying to keep up too, follow head of IG Adam Mosseri on IG for the latest in app news.
