Is Instagram Turning Into TikTok? Updates and More

If you’re a social media marketer or small business owner, keeping track of social media platforms updates is a must. That is why we have compiled all the information you need to know about the latest and greatest Instagram updates. As well as how you can utilize these new updates to scale your business and grow your reach on Instagram.

Instagram has primarily been a photo app since it was launched, but short-form videos have been the new growth driver! Instagram is capitalizing on Reels, the short-form, vertical videos that can be up to 60 seconds long. Instagram’s growth and success has been largely driven by Reels and they now make up for 20% of the time users spend on the app.

Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, is testing a full-screen version of the feed that is very similar to TikTok. You know how when you log onto TikTok, the first thing you see (besides maybe an ad) is a full-screen, vertical video? Instagram is testing a feature that would offer a similar, instantly immersive experience, which it says is designed to bring video more front and center. Videos and messaging are the two top priorities for Instagram!

Although after many complaints, some even coming from the Kardashians, Instagram has decided to take a few steps back on the full screen. Here are the updates you need to know about to scale your business!

Instagram Algorithm

The Instagram algorithm has been a mystery for a very long time, with continuous changes. TikTok’s powerful recommendation algorithm is one of the reasons behind its immense popularity, which is why it makes sense for Meta to focus on enhancing its own recommendation systems to get people to interact with Reels more, and in turn, be better aligned to compete with TikTok.

Currently, the most important factors that affect what users see in their Instagram feeds are:

• Post’s popularity indicators – how many people clicked like, where it was located, what its duration was (if it was a video)

• How frequently the user interacted with the account in the past

• How many posts the user has liked

• User’s engagement with the accounts’ other content

To learn more about the algorithm, Adam Mosseri dives deeper into how the algorithm works on his personal Instagram account. Knowing the algorithm will help you understand the social platform better and have your communication start yielding better results!

Instagram Creators

Mosseri is also focusing on smaller creators. He says, “We're going to have to rethink what Instagram is because the world is changing quickly and we're going to have to change with it.” Mosseri is referring to the growth of the creator economy. The creator economy is an economy that allows creators to earn revenue from their creations.

Instagram will be introducing more monetization tools to help creators make a living. Creators divulge the social media platforms that actually earn them money, creating a war among social media platforms.

Instagram Reels

Reels have been rapidly gaining popularity ever since Instagram introduced them in 2020. Instagram is really investing in this video format and is constantly looking to upgrade it. In a push to prioritize short-form video sharing on its platform, Instagram how made all video posts into Reels.

Instagram is getting very serious about helping every user create Reels. They can finally do this very efficiently by providing pre-built Reels templates that everybody can use and create a Reel very fast. This is a great way to inspire people and help them create Reels, even if they have no idea how they work.

Reels Templates are very easy to use. Just click ‘Use Template’ and put your own videos in to create the Reel. We believe that with Templates, we can see more and more adoption of the Reels video format.

Reels have completely changed the way we view Instagram and there are no two ways about it. Creators and influencers have embraced reels in a way that today Instagram is unimaginable without them. Almost everyday a new trend emerges and the short videos permit users to join, share reviews and spread the word around.

While photos will still be part of the new Instagram feed, it’s clear this is not seen as a growth area for the company. Video, especially short-form video, is the growth driver right now!

Instagram Subscriptions New Features

Creators are at the core of the future innovation at Instagram. They are the ones who are driving its growth, and the team behind Instagram is making a huge bet on the creators’ economy.And the core of the win-win success is, of course, the tools that Instagram can provide in order to help them make more money.

One of these tools is Subscriptions, which was announced in mid-January and is already available to some beta users. Subscriptions are a great way to enable creators to get recurring revenue and have a sustainable stream of income.

In Conclusion..

Instagram is capitalizing on short form video content, so if you're trying to grow your Instagram account; Start making Reels!

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