4 Major Instagram Changes in 2022 You Need to Know About [Secret Tips Included]

Are you trying to figure out how to improve your Instagram strategy for 2022 but feeling overwhelmed by all of the changes?

In this post, you'll learn about the four major Instagram changes that will occur in 2022 and how to alter your approach accordingly.

Important Instagram Changes That Will Affect Your Marketing

Marketers are used to seeing social media platforms and other digital marketing sites evolve regularly. Staying on top of changes is part of the job, and incorporating them into your tactics sets you apart from the competitors.

Instagram makes updates to improve the user experience every year. Users must comprehend these changes, but marketers must grasp them much more.

This year, you can expect four significant upgrades, each of which will have an influence on your marketing strategies:

• The user experience
• Increased focus on Instagram video content
• Monetization for influencers and content creators
• Security and controls

Whether these changes influence your customers' marketing goals or your personal Instagram marketing strategy, learning how to adjust to them completely makes you a better, more effective marketer. Continue reading to find out how you can leverage these developments to your advantage as a digital marketer.

#1: New Home, Favorites, and Following Feed Views

Instagram's first goal is the user experience. It is critical to ensure that customers have a simple and engaging experience when using the app.

This year, the platform will make substantial adjustments to improve the user experience.

First, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri stated that the company would be rolling out several view choices on the home screen, allowing users to flip back and forth between them. By providing users control over their views, they can tailor their Instagram experience to their individual needs.

Here's an overview of the many points of view:

• The Home view will be organized by what the algorithm thinks you'll be most interested in, and will include recommendations for accounts you don't currently follow but might want to.
• The Favorites view will show posts from a list of accounts you don't want to miss seeing content from.
• The following view will be a chronological feed of content from accounts you follow and won't include recommendations to follow different accounts.

So, as a digital marketer, how can you take advantage of these changes?

Create a collection of accounts whose material informs and inspires you using the Favorites view. Add accounts from well-known people in your business, as well as media that publish valuable articles about your sector. This will guarantee that you see stuff that educates and informs you frequently.

Create a list of favorites for each brand account you manage. You may use the Favorites view in two different ways.

Does Your Marketing Strategy Need an Upgrade?

It's 2022, and all of your hard-won strategies have vanished. You require a fresh strategy.

First, ensure that your favorites contain accounts with which you wish to engage strategically.

For example, if you manage a real estate brokerage account on their behalf, adding their brokers to the Favorites menu will guarantee that you are fed their social postings so you can continue to communicate with them. Add centers of influence or possible strategic partners to your Favorites view to remain up to date on their content and boost your own engagement methods.

Second, use the Favorites view to get a better look at the competitors and industry leaders. It's always a good idea to keep an eye on what your rivals and industry leaders are up to so you can stay informed, informed, and motivated.

Reaching Users' Favorites and Following Views

Because users have greater say over whose accounts appear in their feeds, your postings must provide value, amusement, and education. Users are unlikely to add your account to their Favorites list or opt to follow you if your content strategy is full of promotions and generic suggestions.

So, how can you make your content more appealing and intriguing to readers? What steps can you take to become one of their favorite accounts?

Users of Instagram want to be amused, informed, and inspired. They desire immediate responses to their inquiries. They also want to see visually appealing and real material.

As a marketer, you can check all of these boxes by developing a content strategy that combines aspirational and authentic content.

Here are some suggestions to help you write stories, reels, and feed items that provide value every time, increasing the likelihood that people will follow you and add you to their Favorites list:

• Show people what it's like behind the scenes in the production, shipping, or stocking of your product.
• Walk people through a day in the life of your target customer.
• Answer FAQs in real-time.

Pro Tip: Your content should include branded colors and fonts and use minimal text.

#2: Increased Focus on Instagram Video Content

Mosseri announced in his 2022 Priorities video that Instagram will be moving away from a primarily photography-based platform to focus more on video content.

You've likely already incorporated video content into your marketing strategies but may have been confused about whether you should produce IGTV, Reels, or feed videos. Now, all videos will be kept in one place so there's less pressure to optimize one type of video over another. However, you'll still need a mix of formats to market effectively.

Content Planning for Short-Form Video

Instagram is actively investing in Reels, which suggests that it will promote short, engaging video content. Here are some suggestions for Reels content:

• Product demos
• Behind the scenes
• User-generated content
• Contests and giveaways
• Before and after

For example, the real estate agent below shot a behind-the-scenes look at a great new listing that was about to enter the market and uploaded it on Instagram Reels to enhance reach and visibility.

One of the most popular in-app Reels features is Remix. Instagram announced that users can remix all video content on the app, not just reels. This means you can take any public video clip on the app and remix it to include your own video on half of the screen or a different video clip.

Interested in creating a remix? Here is a step-by-step tutorial.

First, find a reel you'd like to remix and tap the three dots at the bottom right. In the pop-up menu that appears, select Remix This Reel.

The reels creation window will appear, with a camera window on one side and the original video you wish to remix on the other. By pressing the shutter button, you may capture a clip (or upload a pre-recorded video by tapping the image icon in the bottom-left corner).

The original reel will play alongside yours while you record. To get a preview of your reel, tap Edit. You may also use filters and stickers if you like.

When you're satisfied with your remix, make sure to share it. The original creator of the clip you've remixed will be automatically credited.

Instagram introduced the Remix tool to encourage greater collaboration, increased reach, and optimized interaction. Remix, like TikTok Duets, gives advertisers many methods to upload and use content, reach a prominent account's audience, and increase interaction.

Here are a few ideas for Remix content:

• Reaction remix: Take a product debut and remix it with your genuine reaction.
• Dancing duets: Dance alongside your favorite artist.
• Lip-syncing: Have fun by lip-syncing and "singing" alongside another influencer.
• Feedback: Want to connect strategically with another profile? Remix their reel and give them some honest feedback on their product or service (they'll get the notification).

Sourcing content to remix for your brand account is one strategy to optimize engagement and leverage content. But you may also wish to allow others to remix your video.

To enable the remix function on your own videos, tap the three-line icon on the top-right corner of your Instagram profile and select Settings from the pop-up menu.

Next, select Privacy and then scroll down to Reels and Remix. Turn on Allow for Reels and Allow for Videos.

Taking these steps allows others to create reels that include part or all of your videos, which can increase reach and exposure for your brand (or brands that you manage).

Content Planning for Long-Form Video

While Instagram is prioritizing shorter videos, longer-format videos are still especially useful in certain industries and niches because they let you answer user questions in more depth. Here are some instances where you might use long-form video on Instagram:

• Interviews with industry experts
• Tutorials or how-to videos
• Product or service demos with more detail
• Case studies

This long-form @therefineryleadership video is full of valuable insights and information on leadership in the banking industry. It packs lots of value into one sitting session for the user.

#3: Stricter Consequences for Unethical Marketing

Instagram wants to give users as much control over their experience in the app as possible. That includes letting them manage what they see and who sees their information and content.

In addition, Instagram is launching two notable features to protect its teenage and young adult users' experiences:

• The Take a Break feature: Users who enable this option are reminded to exit the app after a certain length of time. The tool then invites the user to take a deep breath, jot down their thoughts, listen to a piece of favorite music, or complete one of their to-do list activities.
• Parental controls will be improved on the app, allowing parents to see how much time their child spends in the app and set limits.

These new features remind businesses that they are providing content for humans who may support a brand in some way. As a result, while generating and curating material, you must be conscious of these new limits, especially if your primary audience is young people.

The information you disseminate should be genuine and transparent. Don't overstate a product's or service's outcomes, don't make unsubstantiated or deceptive statements about rivals, don't use stereotypes, and so on.

Instagram has declared that it will be harsher with accounts that violate the platform's community standards, emphasizing the significance of ethical marketing. A post that is reported for violating the standards will be deprioritized by the algorithm, which means it will appear lower in the feed and will be seen by fewer users.

Users may now report any post that involves hate speech, bullying, or instigation of violence, in addition to postings that feature misinformation or originate from accounts with a history of distributing disinformation.

#4: Monetization via Subscribers

Does your clientele comprise content creators or subject matter experts/thought leaders? What if you could assist your clients in making money from their marketing content?

For example, if your clients have qualifying brand agreements, the Instagram Affiliate Program makes it simple to shop a creator's account while the creator (your client) earns a commission on each transaction.

Instagram is experimenting with new ways for influencers and content producers to monetize, most notably with a Subscriptions functionality.

When you enable this option, customers will be able to pay to subscribe to your client's account in exchange for access to subscriber-only live videos and articles. Subscribers will also receive a badge next to their name so that when they comment on a post or send a DM, your client will know it is from a subscriber. Instagram is working on allowing users to export their subscriber lists to other platforms and websites.

You may take advantage of these new monetization possibilities by informing your clients about them and supporting their use in your own marketing. Demonstrating the usage of these features to your audience demonstrates what you might be able to achieve for them.

Conclusion

Instagram appears to announce a new feature or test almost every day, and attempting to keep up may leave you feeling overwhelmed. The Instagram upgrades we covered above are four crucial ones to keep in mind for 2022 so that you can alter your approach properly.