An Ultimate Guide to Instagram's Newest Features and Trends

Amidst all the change that 2020 has brought, the social media industry has continued to evolve right along with it. This can be a lot to keep up with, especially with larger issues pressing our world. That’s why we’re here to bring you a breakdown of Instagram’s newest features and trends all in one place. Grab a snack and keep on reading to learn more about how you can incorporate these new additions into your Instagram strategy!

IG REELS!

Who got the app update yesterday that came with IG Reels access?! We did! IG Reels is Instagram’s response (and essentially, their copied version) to compete with TikTok. While we’re still figuring out what this means for consumer usage and how to use it to grow your account, we experimented with posting one to our Instagram yesterday! It’s not *quite* as user-friendly as TikTok yet, but it essentially works and looks exactly the same. We’re sure Instagram will “reward” accounts that start utilizing this new feature, so you might as well give it a try!

Tip: When you post an Instagram Reel it will be automatically shared to your profile grid, but you can choose to remove it once it’s posted!

For more IG Reels tips, check out our ReelTok Course.

DM ME STICKER

If you want an engaged audience on Instagram, it is important to post content that prompts your current followers to start a conversation with you. This sticker is the perfect opportunity for businesses to collect customer feedback like this! For example, as an agency advocating for a better relationship with social media, we could utilize this sticker on our Stories by asking our followers to DM us their biggest frustration with Instagram. We can then note the replies we received most and improve our content strategy by incorporating more of those hot topics! Responding to each DM is also a great way to build trust and a strong relationship with your followers.

INSTAGRAM SHOPPING

This feature seriously couldn’t have come at a better time. E-commerce activity continues to rise in light of COVID-19 lockdowns, and Instagram Shops just made one of our personal favorite pastimes that much easier! Essentially, this new feature allows businesses to create catalogs, where users can browse, share, save, and purchase products right on the app. This is incredibly helpful for brands that are looking to further immerse their business in the online space!

Instagram Shops can be found in several places throughout the platform, including on the Explore page, participating business profiles, shoppable posts, and, perhaps most notably, in the navigation bar. Has anyone’s navigation bar been updated with the cute shopping bag icon? Slowly rolling out to users, this button leads to a page filled with shops and products tailored to each user’s interests and following. Consider this tab comparable to the Explore page, but for shopping!

SUPPORT BUSINESS STICKERS

Four new stickers for Instagram Stories were created to further support businesses during this hectic season of life and beyond. The Support Small Business sticker allows users to tag and share their favorite business with friends, which can do wonders for expanding a small business’ discoverability! 

The Donation sticker allows users to fundraise for an eligible nonprofit of their choice. What makes this feature extra special, you might ask? Instagram covers payment processing fees so that the organizations receive 100% of the proceeds!

The Food Order and Gift Card stickers are available for business accounts to utilize. When a user sees one of these stickers, they can tap to purchase! Does anybody have a “that was easy” button nearby or did we leave those in the early 2000s? Because stimulating the economy has truly never been easier.

PINNED COMMENTS

Instagram recently released the capability for users to pin up to three comments on each of their feed posts. To utilize this feature, swipe left on the comment that you are wanting to pin. Selecting the thumbtack button will then pin the comment, moving it to the top of your comment section. Instagram stated that this feature was created in hopes of allowing users to highlight positivity and help set the tone for their comment section.

Pro tip: Start using this feature on your posts now, even if your post only has 3 comments total! It’ll “show” the Instagram Algorithm that your account utilizes the newest features, which it will want to reward.

SUPPORT FOR CREATORS

To support creators on Instagram, the platform has rolled out two new features: IG Live badges and IGTV ads. It’s no secret that IG Live has flourished in recent months, so Instagram created badges, which viewers can purchase during a live stream to show the creator some love. Think of this feature as a tip you would give at a restaurant! Instagram will also be sharing advertising revenue with creators through IGTV ads, which will play for up to 15 seconds when a user clicks on an IGTV video on their feed!

AUTHENTIC CONTENT

Overall, the greatest trend in 2020 may have brought us is the strong value for authentic and honest content. Whether it's taking a stand on something you believe in or just sharing a work from home selfie in your PJs, feeds have become more genuine than ever- and we’re here for it! There’s no better way to connect with your audience than relating to their highs, lows, and everything in between.

We hope this guide was helpful to you in staying up to date on all things Instagram. For more social media tips, follow us on the ‘Gram and subscribe to our weekly social media newsletter. Chat soon!

xx, The Homies