Make Instagram Instagram Again?

You may have noticed all the changes happening on Instagram which has created quite the stir for users. With petitions such as “Make Instagram Instagram Again” we’re asking – do we just hate change or is Instagram moving too far from their original routes of instant photos? 

We all know Instagram has to compete with the likes of TikTok – last year TikTok received more traffic than Google! So, knowing this is what Instagram is up against, can we really blame them for trying to match TikTok’s approach or do we want each social app to have their own purpose?

What’s changed on IG –

• Instagram focuses more heavily on video content. It may feel like your still snaps don’t stand a chance on the feed anymore and there is definitely truth in this. Instagram’s algorithm now prioritises reels. However, Reels do have great reach opportunities as they can appear in the Reels tab, on the grid, in stories and on the explore page.
• Instagram’s new layout has been rolled out to certain users. Instagram is trying to make the content more immersive which means posts now appear in a larger 9:16 layout with captions appearing at the top of the photo instead of underneath

• Some users are finding that their Instagram has also changed to dark mode despite having it on light mode. If this has happened to you, unfortunately there is nothing you can do about it.

These changes mean that brands and instagram creators will have to change their approach/strategy especially towards focusing on video. If not, their hard work could be missed with Instagram pushing still images to the bottom of the feed.

There have been a lot of famous faces supporting the movement to halt changes. The most notable being The Kardashians reposting the petition showing their support on the matter. 

However, all is not lost. If you’re currently seeing more sponsored content than your actual friends posts then you may want to change your feed view to ‘Favourites’. This allows you to only see people you follow on your feed. It’s thought that this feature could affect brands/creators and make posting times more relevant again – something that has been lost over the years. 

I do believe we need to give Meta credit where credit is due as they appear to be  listening to their audience. It has been reported that Adam Mosseri (head of Instagram) will pause any changes on Instagram for the time being – please see the video he posted explaining what’s changing and why here.

Is your account a part of the new full-screen experience test? We’d love to know what you think and if you’re Team Change or if you miss the simple photo sharing ‘gram we used to love?