Instagram’s Latest Algorithm Update: What Brands Need to Know
Social media is an unstoppable juggernaut in the current era, and it seems to be full steam ahead as far as it is concerned. This is because due to the improvement of technology, with smartphones getting cheaper by the day, as well as the improvement of internet coverage, more and more people are on the various social media platforms, with the numbers poised to continue rising for the foreseeable future. When you think about it, almost everyone if not everyone we know is on at least one social media platform or the other. One of the most popular social media platforms right now is Instagram, which has over a billion active monthly users, and growing. It is so popular that Facebook, in a clear case of “if you can’t beat them, join them”, or have the join you in this instance, bought the social media platform. Due to its content sharing nature in terms of photos and videos, it is a social media platform that is of particular interest to brands when it comes to advertising, with its link to Facebook making it even more popular. As with most social media platforms, algorithm updates are common here, with brands having to be always in the loop or risk suffering grave consequences. With the latest Instagram algorithm update now with us, it is time to take a look what brands need to know as far as it is concerned.
The very latest algorithm update came with a few interesting changes, which is what we are going to take a look at first so that brands can know exactly what to expect. Released in May, the update primarily focused on Instagram Stories as well as shopping on Instagram; two areas of particular interest to brands, as per the subject matter experts over at runrex.com, the best place to head over for such information. One of the first things that was revealed about the latest update was that Instagram was currently beta-testing a new feature that allows influencers to tag the products they are promoting, something that will allow users to be able to checkout directly from the up. This feature is currently only available to those brands participating in the test, but given the importance of influencers as far as Instagram is concerned to brands, this threatens to be a game changer when it finally rolls out in full. Brands should therefore prepare themselves so that when it does, possibly in the next update, they can be able to leverage it and use it, together with the influencers working with them, to drive sales.
The latest update didn’t stop there as far as new features go, with there being two more other new features that came with it, as is covered in detail over at runrex.com, the best place to check out for such stuff. The first thing was the rolling out of Quiz Stickers for Stories feature. This feature will allow brands to be able to pose multiple questions to their followers, with answers provided in multiple-answer form, from where users will be able to answer and see if they got it right or wrong, with brands getting these responses in real time. This is a great feature as it provides brands with a perfect avenue to increase engagement with their audience as well as increasing awareness as far as their products and services are concerned. It is also a great way through which brands can add value to their audience, especially if they are asking and providing answers to questions that are of benefit to their audience. This is only applicable in stories and as such brands really ought to not only know about it but also look to leverage it as soon as they can.
The other feature that came as part of the latest algorithm update, one which brands definitely need to know about, has to do with stories as well, this time being the donation stickers feature. This feature, as is explained in detail over at runrex.com, is only available in the U.S so brands there really need to know about it. What it does is that it allows for the raising of money for nonprofit organizations, with people clicking on these stickers and being able to make donations. The nonprofits need to be accredited and verified as one would expect to avoid cases of fraud. Brands can therefore be able to use these stickers to draw attention to the nonprofits they are supporting and even host fundraisers that are entirely digital. The benefit of using these stickers is that, it indirectly helps to build the name of the brands using this feature, as they will be seen in a positive light for actually doing something good in the community. It is a great way to for brands to do some good in their communities and help raise awareness and money to great courses, and in a semi-selfish way, get good publicity and build their brand even more. It is a win-win situation which eligible brands and nonprofits need to know about.
There is of course a lot more to discuss about this latest Instagram Algorithm update, with the discussion continuing over at runrex.com, which is the best place to visit for such information.