2023 is half way done, and it has been a year that saw quite a few new apps emerge and existing ones up their game to keep up with competition. This boosted the number of people who created personal accounts and pretty much every business on this planet has one across every social media platform. Agree? Heck, some have more than one account as well. But talking about Instagram, they are constantly adding new features and updates to its platform. Here are some of the most notable new features on Instagram, as well as some of the top trends that we expect to see this year and the years ahead as well.
New features on Instagram
AI stickers for Stories and DMs: The social platform has launched a fresh array of stickers driven by AI for the purpose of adding features like translation in languages, object recognition, as well as the playing of the numerous interactive games.
Zoom in on profile pictures: Now, you can magnify any photo in Instagram profile.
Location tags in Notes: There is a new feature in testing for Instagram to let its users’ put locations on notes.
Threads app: A new application by the names of Threads for close friends and families have been introduced in Instagram. Threads enables posting of messages, photos and videos for just a few specific persons, without any necessity of publishing in your main Instagram page.
Group profile feature: A new experiment being made by Instagram will facilitate group profile creation. All would share in a group profile, while any member can post to it.
2023 trends on Instagram
Reels still on the rise over images: Instagram’s short form videos called Reels are still becoming popular. This new format has already attracted many users and brands who hope to see even more Reels content in 2023.
Add Yours stickers to attract buzz and UGC: Instagram’s Add Yours stickers for creating buzz and user-generated content (UGC). In 2023, this brand will use more social media stickers on Instagram to ask their followers to share content with the sticker attached to it.
Create partnerships with collaborative posts: Collaborative posts provide an excellent way of reaching out to a new audience and cementing friendships with other brands. More brands will leverage on the co-creator posts to showcase their goods and services in 2023.
Social justice movements on Instagram: The year 2023 will also be noted as that on social media, especially on Instagram, it would become popular to support social justice movements. Through their platforms, brands can create conversation about social justice issues and engage their followers to join in the fight.
Paid promotion is how you grow quickly: More and more, paid promotions are being carried out on Instagram—and businesses are starting to recognize the importance of reaching a certain target audience. In 2023, we expect to witness more brands using paid promote on Instagram.
Shoppable posts simplify the ecommerce experience: It is simple for consumers to purchase a product through shoppable posts on Instagram. The next year, we will probably observe an increased number of brands using shoppable posts in the attempt to simplify the online shopping process for customers.
Memes are incorporated into social content calendars: People love using memes as they get popular social trends for users’ engagement on social media. In 2023, we anticipate witnessing an increased number of brands that integrate memes into their social content calendar.
Engage users with carousel posts: Carousel posts are very convenient for telling a story and sharing several images or video in one post. In 2023, we will see more brands use carousel posts in order to engage with their users.
Interact with followers in broadcast channels: There’s a new feature on Instagram known as Instagram Broadcast Channels, whereby content creators can interact live with their fans. # In 2023, we will notice many creators using Broadcast Channels connecting with their fans and forming a strong community.
Some of the new features and trends that we anticipate seeing on Instagram include among others. Since the platform will be changing as time passes by, companies and artists should remain current in order to maintain contact with potential clients and continue interacting with fans.
Impact of These Changes on Businesses and Individuals
The new features provide opportunities for business through increased outreach, customer engagement and sales. For instance, the newly introduced AI stickers for Stories and DMs enable users to develop a dynamic and captivating content to make their accounts more attractive.
The new features bring new ways of expressing themselves, connecting with other people, and consuming media for people. For example, the new zoom in on profile pictures feature enables users to take a closer look at images of their friends or relatives’ images, while the new Location tags in Notes also enable users to locate their positions.
In summary, the newly added functions on Instagram will improve users’ engagement and effectiveness of businesses towards the end of the year.
Here are some specific examples of how businesses and individuals can use Instagram’s new features:
1. The new AI stickers can be utilized by a clothing brand to produce a sticker which will enable clients to have a virtual dressing session.
2. The restaurant would have a community where its clients would post pics & discuss.
3. A teacher would now create notes that would have the new location tags, giving his or her students access to meeting him/her out of class.
4. The new zoom in on profile pictures will enable a traveller look at the photos of other people’s travels more closely so that they feel what they have been experiencing like them.
