Explore Instagram’s latest features: Essential updates every business owner needs to boost engagement and growth

Instagram remains a vital tool for marketers, with 90% of users following at least one business account and 70% discovering new products through the platform. To ensure it stays relevant in the fast-paced digital landscape, Instagram continuously evolves with new features designed to enhance user experience and improve communication between brands and their audiences.

These updates are not just cosmetic—they're designed to address the growing challenges of low reach and engagement on Instagram. While they offer business owners new ways to engage with their audience, simplify content creation, and foster interaction, they should be viewed as tools that may help improve performance on the platform. In this newsletter, we’ll explore the most significant Instagram updates and how marketers can leverage them to potentially drive growth and make Instagram a more effective part of their overall marketing strategy.

1. Instagram Stories: New features to boost engagement

Instagram Stories has long been a popular tool for brands to connect with their audience, and the platform has introduced several new features to make Stories even more interactive and engaging.

Comments on Stories

Previously, interactions on Stories were limited to direct messages or reactions, but Instagram has introduced the ability for users to leave public comments on Stories. Similar to traditional feed posts, these comments appear as small bubbles that other viewers can see and engage with.

This opens up a more public and interactive space within Stories for marketers. You can now use Stories to test ideas, gather feedback, or spark conversations. Imagine launching a product and immediately receiving feedback from your audience through Story comments.

Pro Tip: To protect your brand’s image, use Instagram’s comment filters. This tool automatically hides any comments that contain specific words or phrases you choose, helping you avoid the risk of negative or inappropriate comments appearing on your Stories.

The Reveal Sticker

This feature is designed to build anticipation. The Reveal Sticker allows marketers to blur out content in a Story, which is only revealed when the user taps on the sticker or sends a direct message. This is a brilliant way to increase direct interactions with your audience while building curiosity around your products or content.

For example, a fashion brand could tease a new collection by using the Reveal Sticker on a Story. Viewers can tap to reveal a sneak peek and send a direct message for more information, increasing engagement while offering a sense of exclusivity.

Pro Tip: Automate your responses with tools like ManyChat. If you integrate the Reveal Sticker with ManyChat, you can set up automated replies to users who send a DM in response to the sticker, providing personalized follow-up while saving time.

New Fonts and Stickers

Customization has always been a key feature of Instagram Stories, and the new fonts and stickers make it even easier to align your brand's aesthetic with your content. A particularly exciting addition is the enhanced “Add Yours” sticker, which now includes music. Brands can encourage followers to share their own content based on a theme, complete with their own choice of background music.

Pro Tip: Use the “Add Yours” music sticker to engage your audience by curating community playlists or hosting a collaborative campaign where users can contribute their favourite songs related to your brand.

2. Enhanced feed post features: More interaction, more engagement

Instagram is continually enhancing its feed post features to allow for more creative expression and easier shopping experiences, making the platform more versatile for marketers.

Extended Carousel Posts

Instagram now allows up to 20 slides in carousel posts, up from the previous limit of 10. This is perfect for brands that rely on storytelling or want to showcase a broader range of products. Whether you're sharing a comprehensive tutorial, a product launch, or an event recap, the extended carousel gives you more room to engage your audience.

Pro Tip: Consider using these carousel posts to highlight customer testimonials alongside product images, or create a how-to guide that educates your audience while subtly promoting your offerings.

In-App Text Overlay

Instagram's new text overlay feature lets you add text directly onto images, graphics, or videos within the app. This simple tool allows you to create text-based carousel posts or quickly add captions without leaving the platform.

This feature simplifies content creation on-the-go, allowing marketers to remain agile in their posting. While it doesn’t offer the same depth as design apps like Canva, it’s a handy tool for quick, visually engaging posts.

Polls and Prompts

Polls and prompts are now available in feed posts, adding a new interactive element that was previously reserved for Stories. This encourages engagement, as users can quickly participate without leaving the feed. Polls and prompts are a fantastic way to get quick feedback from your audience or spark discussions on relevant topics.

Pro Tip: Pin polls to the top of your profile to encourage immediate engagement from visitors.

Product Tags and Broadcast Channel Tags

Instagram’s e-commerce capabilities continually evolve, and product tags allow users to shop directly from the feed. With product names, prices, and direct purchase options visible, this feature streamlines the shopping experience for users.

Broadcast channel tags are another valuable tool. They help marketers direct followers to exclusive content or updates within their broadcast channels, encouraging a more intimate, community-driven experience on the platform.

3. Reels: Expanding Short-Form Video Capabilities

Reels has emerged as Instagram's answer to TikTok, and with the platform continuing to enhance its functionality, marketers have more tools at their disposal to create engaging short-form content.

Multiple Audio Tracks

You can now add up to 20 audio tracks to a single Reel, allowing for more dynamic storytelling. For example, you could layer background music with sound effects and voiceovers to create a polished, professional feel.

Consider using different sound effects to highlight key moments in a product demonstration or combine multiple voiceovers to share a range of customer testimonials within one Reel.

Enhanced Editing Features

Instagram has introduced several editing tools for Reels, including an undo/redo button, a split clip function, and the ability to save drafts and create duplicates. You can now edit your Reels after posting, which is a game-changer for marketers looking to optimize content on the fly.

These updates make it easier to create polished Reels directly within the app, though for more intricate editing, you may still want to use external apps like CapCut.

Pro Tip: Save Reels as drafts in advance to ensure you have a consistent content pipeline, and use the duplication feature to experiment with different edits without starting from scratch.

Multiple Collaborators

Instagram now allows up to five collaborators per Reel, opening up new opportunities for cross-promotion. By tagging collaborators, you not only expand your reach to their followers but also increase engagement with new audiences.

4. Live Video: Going Beyond Standard Streams

Live video remains one of the most effective ways to engage directly with your audience, and Instagram's updates make it even easier to produce high-quality live content.

Desktop Live Streaming

Instagram has made it possible to go live from your desktop, which is ideal for more professional setups. Brands can use this feature for Q&A sessions, product launches, or webinars, delivering high-quality video content while interacting with viewers in real-time.

Live in Broadcast Channels

Broadcast channels allow creators with over 10,000 followers to send exclusive one-way messages to their most loyal subscribers, and now, you can go live directly in these channels. This feature is perfect for exclusive product reveals or intimate Q&A sessions.

Pro Tip: Use these exclusive live sessions as a way to encourage more users to join your broadcast channel, offering them access to premium content that’s not available elsewhere.

5. Meta AI: The Future of Instagram Marketing

One of the most exciting updates is the integration of Meta AI into Instagram. This AI tool allows marketers to perform tasks like researching hashtags, generating content ideas, or answering frequently asked questions without leaving the app.

For marketers, this could be a game-changer. Imagine being able to ask Meta AI for the top-performing hashtags in your niche or requesting content suggestions tailored to your audience—all within the Instagram platform.

Pro Tip: If you gain access to Meta AI’s custom chatbot feature, consider creating an AI-powered assistant to handle common questions or engage with followers in real-time. This is particularly useful for large accounts looking to streamline their customer service efforts.

Conclusion

While Instagram’s latest updates offer exciting tools to enhance engagement and streamline content creation, it's important to acknowledge the challenges business owners currently face on the platform. Reach and engagement rates on Instagram have been notably low, making it harder for brands to connect with their audience organically. These new features—like advanced Story interactions, reels enhancements, and AI integration—can certainly help elevate your content and provide fresh ways to engage with your audience.

However, they’re not a guaranteed fix. For many businesses, Instagram is just one part of a broader marketing strategy, and these updates should be viewed as additional tools to support your overall efforts. By leveraging these new features effectively, you may be able to boost engagement and make Instagram a more useful component of your marketing mix. But it's essential to combine these strategies with other channels to maximize your brand’s visibility and growth.

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