As for Instagram, 2019 has brought us incredible new features of the app. We have witnessed, for example, access to desktop publishing, the possibility of creating incredible Instagram Stories and the Shopping functionality, up to the choice (and proof) of products on the social network through augmented reality. We also witnessed the overtaking of the Stories on the posts and the birth of the nano-influencers .
The work of the team of Instagram programmers continues to develop the app incessantly with each new update (although changes are sometimes imperceptible).
Let’s see together the most interesting Instagram news of the last 365 days and let’s discover together the changes and new trends that await us for 2020.
IGTV: what’s new?
IGTV is no longer a novelty and, although it took a long time to be accepted within a channel that preferred the still image, today this Instagram channel is completely exploding . Within the section dedicated to the app for two years now, we can really find a lot of potential.
With the update of last February, for example, you have the possibility to publish a video as an Instagram post and then connect it to the IGTV: the first minute will be visible from the post while the remainder with direct connection. Also interesting is the new “explore” function within the channel: in this way you have an easy and quick search within the published video content.
The news on Instagram likes
Even if initially the Instagram test (later extended to Facebook) to hide the total of the count of likes on the posts had not been taken well by the influencers, we can admit that, after months, the difference is there and you can see it .
The race for those who had more likes had become an endless pursuit over time (and also without sense in my opinion)
On the other hand, in this phase the likes are not completely hidden in the test: the content creator can still see the total count of likes, while users, by clicking on the like section below the post, can see the list of whom he liked it. The only difference in this latest update is that the count is no longer visible. After all, the law to become a good influencer is in engagement : this is achieved only through the creation of relevant, relevant and original content that involves a specific niche as close as possible to our profile. Instagram is struggling a lot on this topic and we expect to see more news in this direction next year.
“Reels”: the new mode inspired by TikTok
If Instagram was for a moment afraid of the fast success achieved by TikTok, it didn’t take long to create the first official opponent of the platform. It’s called Reels and for now it is only offered to the Brazilian public (where TikTok is not yet so popular). This function is located within the Stories and seems to offer functions very similar to those currently present within the Chinese social network. We do not yet know how long this first test phase will last, but we are sure that for the new year we will all have this feature available on Instagram.
With this move Zuckerberg’s group will deal a heavy blow to TikTok also because the most popular influencers are now on the American platform. It will therefore be easier for them to create video-music content directly in the app instead of uploading content created externally.
Latest news on the future of influencers
With 2019 we witnessed the real launch of the nano influencers (accounts that have between 1000 and 10000 followers ). This is because these accounts are more focused on precise and highly verticalized market niches and have very high engagement rates that approach 10%. Furthermore, their contents are more authentic and original than those published by classic macro influencers, which more often than not convey messages that come from advertising agencies or major brands that pay for them.
New shopping experience within the Instagram app
Instagram wants its users to stay within the app as long as possible and, with this ideal, 2020 will see the birth of new protection measures to prevent Instagram from leaving too soon.
For example, the Checkout function on Instagram will soon be available also in Italy and will simplify purchases in the app.
In fact, the purchase in the app will be very simple: when a user touches a product to which he is interested by a post / stories, the “Buy on Instagram” button will be displayed (while currently in Italy it is “Buy from the website”), which will allow the user to buy a product without ever leaving the app. Furthermore, the even more interesting part of this latest update is the fact that once a user fills in the payment information, it is saved for future use. We are sure that this update will become one of the most significant and relevant for the online sale of companies in the new year.
A new awareness of false followers
If it is true that the size of the followers is one of the key factors that measure the potential of an influencer, it is also true that there are more and more interesting and relevant metrics to understand if a follower is true or bought .
If in the last year Instagram has worked a lot in this sector with targeted updates and false influencers who have suddenly found themselves with the loss of shocking numbers of followers, for the new year the app has guaranteed greater transparency in this respect. According to rumors, it appears that work will be done on the nomination practices of account owners. In this way, each account will be available from a single device preventing the bot from operating.
The new AR Filters for Instagram
Since the opening of Spark Ar Studio , we have witnessed a real boom. This opportunity offered by the Face book company has in fact led to a huge impact on Instagram users in the creation of filters of all types.
Today as today you don’t need great knowledge of computer science to create your own custom filter yourself . In a short time, you will be able to create your favorite superhero mask, change the hairstyle of your hair, try new makeup colors and much more, all through the Instagram camera.
In this sector, there are already those who believe that the influencers of the future will be the good creators of efficient filters. In fact, when using a new AR filter, people can see who the creator is and access their profiles from there. If the effect is tempting enough, filter users can choose to follow the authors.
Conclusions: what the latest Instagram updates suggest
In the Instagram world of the new year, we can expect a visible metamorphosis. The platform is already taking advantage of the momentum of its second place after Face book among the most used social platforms but its evolution is not in the mood to stop.
All in all, brands will have access to new ways of connecting with their audience. At the same time, users will enjoy a single portal for inspiration, entertainment, shopping and product discovery.
Peter Beaumont is a senior reporter on the Guardian’s Global Development desk. He has reported extensively from conflict zones including Africa, the Balkans and the Middle East and is the author of The Secret Life of War: Journeys Through Modern Conflict. Email: peter@thehearus.com
