Top Instagram Updates in 2019 so far: Everything You Need to Know

June 2019 Update

• Clear History Tool Finally Confirmed by Facebook

Because Instagram Ads are under the umbrella of Facebook Advertising, we need to analyze how this Facebook update will change the ways social media advertising works, and how influencers and business owners will be affected. 

The “Clear History” option, a highly anticipated addition that will enable every user to delete every piece of information stored by the site about all their online Facebook activities, has been the talk of many for over a year now. This is excellent news for users who are concerned about the transparency and privacy issues Facebook has been dealing with recently. Advertisers and business owners, on the other hand, might be negatively affected by this update.

Facebook has finally released a statement confirming that this clear history tool that’s about to be implemented will impact the way advertisers can find and reach suitable audiences for their product or service.

Because users will be given the option of removing all their stored information, the info needed by advertisers to find specific audiences that are based on the user's app activity or online searches, advertisers will have a harder time tracking users who might be interested in their offers.

While the retargeting prospects will change drastically, thankfully, the analytic system itself won't be any different since its for the most part, anonymous. Users opting to clear their history would not only cost advertisers losing a lot of triggered retargeting campaigns, but it will also decrease any interest targeting, as well as impact user behavior.

Plenty of advertisers in the online market have made the triggered retargeting campaigns a core part of their advertising. These kinds of campaigns will usually make up the bulk of their online advertisements since hooking up ads to specific users who have a high chance of becoming interested is an effective method of getting a sale.

To every advertisers and business owners, we advise to you prepare with this change since the clear history tool will most likely be released by Facebook within this year. Start updating both your Facebook and Instagram Ads with the appropriate strategies we recommend. You can also help increase your visibility by using services provided by  socialshaft company.

Some key strategies you can employ are using video ad funneling, leading ads, and retargeting using viewing activity information. Add these to mix things up so can retarget any of the warm leads you might have who already opened or filled out the form process. Another useful tip is to have lists of users you can specifically target.

• New “Branded Content Ads” are Introduced

Social media influencers, now dubbed by Instagram as creators, are being officially integrated into the marketing of this online platform through branded content ads. 

Branded content ads allow business owners to connect their advertising campaigns to creators they have partnered with in order to reach a larger audience provided by the following of said creators.

To give you an idea on how any of this works, basically, any business related profiles on Instagram will contact and create partnerships with creators who they think will have an audience that might be interested in what they are offering. This is done by going through the “advanced settings” on Instagram and selecting the appropriate option.

Once a partnership has been established, the creator can see the posts through the Ads Manager found in the Existing Post feature, and they can integrate it through their feed to promote it. 

It will essentially be just like any other post, except that it will be labeled with "paid partnership with (name of the business)." This might aid in getting the attention of followers who keep up to date with the post of their influencers, and it might even be a more effective way of advertising since the brand's name will be showing on the post.

This is an excellent system that allows brands more control on promoting their own advertisement campaigns through their partnered creators. They have the option to manage every aspect from the targeting, the ad spend, and many more important details that will affect the success of an ad campaign.

By using thorough split testing, they can also find specific content from creators that can synergize with their ads and aid their business, which helps them create more lucrative financial investments through partnering with creators on the online platform. If you’re looking to become a creator, you might want to increase the number of followers you have by employing online services.

• Horizontal Video Finally Available for IGTV

For a long time, Instagram TV has only allowed for vertical video screening, taking up the whole screen of a user’s phone. Now, they have integrated a horizontal video option that can benefit this video platform with longer viewing times. To be more precise, landscape videos which commonly have 16:9 aspect rations can now be posted and viewed on IGTV.

Viewers can switch from landscape mode to full-screen mode just by turning the screen sideways. This feature of the screen turning will is not only available on IGTV, but the main Instagram app as well. It's not entirely a groundbreaking update, but it adds more accessibility and options for those who use IGTV or the app in general. 

A lot of videos will do better if they’re in landscape mode, especially for business. For instance, during a corporate meeting where there are multiple people that need to be shown properly, or an entrepreneur giving a tour of their place of business, or a real estate agent trying to share the features of a house.

Landscape viewing allows for a larger view and enables you to give a fuller picture of your environment. Vertically shot views, on the other hand, is usually best for up-close and personal interactions with your audience.

Despite being adding another great feature, IGTV just isn’t as popular as Instagram has been expecting it to be. Hopefully, both apps will feature more integration and development in the future. Instagram is trying hard to promote more IGTV content by showing them in a more prominent position in the explore section of the app. If you’re interested, check out IGTV if you’re looking for media that’s suited for posting longer content.

• Summary and Discussion

This huge changes Facebook has been making with its platform is probably caused by the scandals they have the dealt with over the years, from their transparency concerns up to over-inflated view counts in their videos.

Instagram is definitely affected by Facebook's implemented changes, but as a separate platform, it has certainly evolving and progressing on its own as well. One great example is the implementation of branded content ads discussed previously, as well as the new features added to IGTV is a good step in the right direction. Other new features might be implemented in IGTV to help promote it further and become a stable platform with regular users and viewers.

We should always prepare for any updates or changes, as they most likely will change our use of Instagram as a part of our promotion. In our previous monthly update, we have found Instagram testing different app formats that conceal view counts and the number of likes of a post. This could significantly change the social proof in online marketing. Be sure to visit again for our next Instagram updates if you want to get another overview of new features and changes in store for the app.

Top Instagram Updates in May 2019

• Tagging Products Will Soon Be Implemented For Creators

Adding tags to products promoted by creators will now be possible in the near future. Instagram has been beta-testing a checkout test that includes participating brands that are allowed access to this new feature.

This upcoming implement will allow creators to tag every product in their post, from the furniture in the background to the clothes they are wearing, allowing brands to take advantage of this kind of promotion further. The tags will send viewers to the in-app page of the product they want, allowing users to check out brands and their products directly without going out of the app.

Influencers or "creators," as Instagram calls them, have large followings that can amount to more sales for businesses that partner with them. Hiring a creator to make a sponsored post that will include your product as well as using the newly featured tagging system to connect their brand app with the post will have a higher chance that the ad converts to actual sales. This essentially makes it easier for the brand and the consumer to connect with each other. If you’re a creator looking to be noticed by bigger brands, you might want to start getting new followers or higher likes in your posts.

While this feature is still in the works, this could be a big opportunity for a lot of brands and businesses working with creators to further drive their sales and reach a larger audience. If there are any new updates about the product tagging system, we’ll let you know.

• Instagram Concealing the Number of Likes During Beta Testing

Instagram is currently testing a beta version of the app that conceals the likes of the post by every viewer except the user who posted it

If this becomes official, selling something by leveraging social proof will be harder to accomplish. Since most users will not only pay more attention to posts with a higher amount of acceptance (likes), the number of likes will also have a psychological effect to the viewer that relates it to the level of prestige or even trustworthiness.

This lack of a number of likes could also very well stop viewers from liking the post themselves since most viewers are more inclined to like posts that are already liked by many. It won’t be the end of social proofing though. But at the moment, take advantage of the visible likes by hiring companies to increase your own!

If Instagram does decide to implement this, comments will still provide the social proof needed by brands and users alike. A good middle ground would probably be hiding the likes for a set amount of time, and then showing it as that time has elapsed. That’s definitely better than removing them outright.

• New “Donation” Stickers for IG Stories Released 

Instagram has introduced two new stickers this month! One of which is the donation sticker that allows users living in the US to raise and make donations for non-profit organizations.  To do this, Instagram users have to add the stickers in their profile and find officially verified and accredited non-profits of their liking so they can tag them to provide exposure and more donations. The viewers of the post might become interested in the charity and click on the stickers to make a donation. 

Brands can also take advantage of this. Consumers are generally attracted to brands which show their support for good causes. Brands can be more appealing to the buyers by promoting charities or even host fundraisers through the platform themselves, making it both beneficial for the charity organization and the brands.

Non-profits will be not only able to raise more funds through this method, but also be able to gain more visibility without so much as raising a finger, basically letting all the brands do the promotion for them. Instagram has also created these stickers in a way that it only allows for officially registered non-profits, to make sure that users and brands can't use this as a scheme for fooling viewers and taking their money.

• New “Quiz” Stickers for IG stories Out Now

The other addition is the “Quiz” sticker that adds a question portion in a multiple choice format to the post that its viewers can opt to answer. Brands and creators can see the responses immediately after a viewer sends their answer.

These features can be used not only to generate awareness and interest whatever you're offering but also find out what your viewer's preferences are. Do they prefer strawberry or chocolate icecream? What is their favorite accessory? The results generate plenty of information that can help a brand improve on its product and suite it to the buyer's needs.

These quizzes can also give your viewers information related to your brand that might keep them interested. These short quizzes will further engage a potential customer and make them talk, care, and think about the experience even more so, keeping your content memorable to them and relevant. A good idea is to use a story that has a quiz sticker and another story that explains the correct answer of the previous quiz to create a longer lasting impact.

• Summary and Discussion

This month, Instagram has released many great features that are not just entertaining for the users, but helpful for brands increasing awareness as well. The new stickers offer more immersion where the viewer can participate and contribute more to a post. This is also great news for all the non-profit organizations verified by Instagram. They will definitely see more traffic in their pages and hopefully more monetary support for their causes.

The new tagging system, on the other hand, is perfect, giving brands more exposure by giving a direct link to the creator's post to their app page. Brands will also be more inclined to enlist the help of creators, making it a win-win situation. Keep in touch if you want a quick way to know any new changes that are coming soon!

April 2019 Update

• Polling Feature Added to IG Stories

Instagram Story has certainly had its share of updates and improvements since its conception, but the stickers update was easily one of the most fun and useful features they've added. And considering how often IG stories are updated, that's saying something. 

IG Story ads now have what we dub as "sticker effects," which adds more interaction for the users to enjoy instead of just clicking it. Advertisers can now use this to include polls in their IG story ad which can be done in the "Creatives" part of the IG Story creation. Users can be asked a question to be answered between two choices.

If you’re a brand or an advertiser, you should definitely consider taking advantage of this new addition. Most Instagram users are very familiar with polling options during the Stories, and (we speak from personal experience) many of them will find it more enjoyable and engaging. We have averaged all our audience interactions using this feature, and we got a range of 75% to 85% response rates, which is pretty good!

This is one awesome way to deepen your interaction and relationship with your viewers and possibly establish yourself as a fun or friendly brand, all while getting the attention of your audience. This is great for raising brand awareness, but no so much for conversion focused advertisements.

• Instagram Testing “Co-watching” Feature

Instagram and Facebook are always adding more features that encourage their user interaction on both platforms, and we have discovered that Instagram has a new feature in the works that might probably interest you.

In the future, Instagram users will now be able to watch videos together when directly messaging each other (which is pretty similar to the Watch Party option Facebook currently has available). This is possible when using private messaging but not group or public based Watch Parties, which encourages every user to interact and engage with each other within the online platform.

This feature is perfect for brands who might want to show specific and exclusive offers to smaller groups of users. For instance, trainers or advice gurus can now separate their clients into more manageable groups to help them with their work. This might not be the best option everytime, however, since the Watch Party Facebook offers is more useful for larger groups, but we will see if this new feature has anything more to offer and keep you informed.

• Instagram Adding a “Scrubbing” Option?

A new native scrubbing feature is apparently under the works by Instagram, which will finally enable users to just click to the time stamp of a video they want to view.

This isn’t exactly a new feature, especially on other online platforms, or even Instagram’s very own IGTV, making this feature seem a bit late to add into the mix. But despite that, its still a useful feature to have, once this is implemented, viewers can finally go backward or forwards to the point of the video they want to see, which will make every video watching just a bit more easy. 

• Instagram Testing “Hold Username” Feature

We have discovered Instagram testing a new feature that essentially “saves” your older username for 2 weeks after you replace it with a new one. If you change your mind and want to go back to your old one, you can do this without worrying that another user has taken it for their own.

Grabber bots who steal usernames becoming prevalent is probably the reason why Instagram is testing this new feature. Having usernames stolen is a big issue, especially for more popular accounts. This is good even for businesses or brands, not just influencers. Brands who might want to change their names or rebrand themselves will be able to “save” their current name for 2 weeks just in case they need to revert back to it.

In fact, we know of a business that made this mistake; having just changed their brand name on IG, they were already sending thousands of greeting cards to entice new and inactive audiences, but they made the mistake of using their old username on the cards instead of their new one. By that time, other users have already claimed that name, and their only option was to replace all the cards with new ones. This could have easily been solved by the “Hold Username” feature.

Since this feature probably wont be out yet anytime soon, we advise everyone that double check absolutely everything whenever you want to change your username to avoid any costly mistakes.

• Summary and Discussion 

Recently, Instagram has been very focused on increasing the security of their platform as well as aiding community building and interaction between brands and users alike. They are trying to make the platform more valuable to users and brands by adding new features that increase the interaction between the two, which creates a stronger community overall. If you want to know when these new features will be released, we'll be sure to keep you updated, so come back for the next monthly update and stay tuned!

March 2019 Update

• Improvements to the Creator Campaigns 

There is news that Instagram is trying to improve the campaigning features for both the creators and the brands partnering with them, possibly through the implementation of their new addition, “Branded Content” advertisements.

The Branded Content ads can now enable brands and businesses to sponsor celebrity and creator made posts through partnering with them. This is an extension of their already available tagging system for branded content, which is done through the tags that show paid partnership.

Instagram is trying to give its platform more transparency and authenticity for their audience, as well as make it more accessible and friendly to brands. It's always good for both brands and creators when they collaborate with each other. The brands get the promotion they need, creators get paid, and the audience has easier access to the product they might be interested in. For any influencers out there who want to partner with a good brand, you might opt to up your number of likes as well as active comments in order to be noticed.

Instagram has formally announced this feature in their conference, but they didn't give any details on when it will come out, making it likely that we won't see this feature implemented for a while. We'll always keep you updated for any coming feature, in the meantime. 

• Titles Being Added to IG Live

IG live is a great way to engage your own audience and interact with them real-time, and now, Instagram planning to add an option that allows you to add titles to your videos!

The addition of titles is useful for enticing your viewers to click on your Live Feed. Without them, viewers are left initially confused, not knowing what the broadcast is about, with titles they can get a gist of what they're getting into. Having this additional feature can help viewers become more interested in broadcasts and give influencers a larger live audience. 

So far, this feature is still being tested and not yet released for the public, and Instagram has yet to reveal a release date, but we will keep you updated the moment that they do. If this feature is introduced, be sure to use it to your advantage and make your live engagement higher.

• Instagram Updates IGTV

IGTV certainly isn’t the most popular feature in the platform. Most users in Instagram just prefer the shorter IG stories compared to longer video formats. To improve the feature, Instagram is updating and focusing on IGTV make it more accessible and appealing to current users. 

A number of users report that they noticed a change in IGTV’s layout and that the searching tool has better functionality. The main page of IGTV now has a similarity in style with the Discover pave of Snapchat, which pulls more focus in finding relevant and specific content for individual users instead of just a random feed of videos.

This can be a good thing for brands and businesses who might want more visibility. Brand-specific videos can be spotted by potentially interested viewers, and it will increase the chances of them staying in IGTV for a bit longer instead of becoming disinterested immediately.

Another great feature coming up that connects more users to IGTV is the option for profiles to show previews of created IGTV videos directly on Instagram, which directly transports users who might be interested in IGTV so they can watch the full version. Be sure to keep updated if you're looking for a new feature that can help you gain more views on IGTV.

• Insta-Checkout Now Available

The Shopping posts by Instagram has always been a great way for brands and business to share their services just by simply tagging their products present in posts. This little feature allows users to click on the tag and be transported directly to the brand’s webpage or account, making it convenient for users and useful for brands.

This feature now gets a complete upgrade, by adding a check out option (not unlike the one you see in Pinterest). Users can now checkout directly from the platform without needing to be transferred away from the app to another browser.

Because purchasing is now made more convenient, the customer will now be more inclined to make a purchase whenever they are interested in brands they see on the app. It might also help build user trust if they see that the brand has been verified by Instagram, even though they don’t know the brand completely. If you're a brand, who wants to gain instant trust you might want to increase your following a bit, so users will find your brand more appealing. 

While this feature is currently being beta tested by a select number of chosen retailers, you can certainly expect it to come out very soon, so be prepared. We will keep you updated once Instagram confirms a release date.

• Discussion and Summary

It’s definitely been a slow month for Instagram updates, which is unusual since they usually keep the updates coming. But it’s probably because they released a lot of new features in from January to February. Also, the features that are currently being tried out are very time-intensive and requires a lot of testing before it can be officially released.

Be sure to keep informed and stay tuned, because some of them might start rolling in the coming months, and we’ll be sure to give you the full details and tutorials on how to use them properly

Feb 2019 Update

• Creative Tools For Black History Month Added

Black History Month is in February for everyone in the United States, and Instagram has provided a new update that adds creative tools as well as promoting any relevant creators in their online platform by showing their featured content in their official account.

The new creative tools have stickers and brand new camera effects made by black designers to promote Black History Month. While this is a fantastic thing just on its own, it might just signal upcoming campaigns made by Instagram in the near future. From different holidays, events, or good causes, we might see more creative tools or features being added that is specifically designed for these social oriented campaigns.

• Self-Harm Images Being Removed and Banned

Instagram has released a statement saying that any images or posts that violate their newly implemented self-harm regulations will be removed, their objective being the protection of any vulnerable and young users that might unexpectedly come across these images and be negatively affected.

Brands and Businesses won't likely be affected by these regulations unless they are using images that imply or outrightly show self-harm (which any self-respecting brand shouldn’t in our opinion). “Edgier” brands who might, however, should be aware and immediately do any changes if necessary.
 

Be also aware that almost any image relating to self-harm will be removed. This includes even scars resulting from suicide attempts or self-harm that are already healed. Even if it’s a story of encouragement or inspiration, be careful and keep in mind of the new regulations.

Judging from these new regulations, Instagram has been implementing (which includes the banning of posts glorifying eating disorders a couple of months ago), this is a good indication of where Instagram is trying to head. They are trying to make their platform even more socially aware and improve their users experience by making an online environment that's safer and more secure.

• IGTV Previews Being Shown in IG’s Main Feed

For those who aren’t aware, IGTV is an app standalone from Instagram that lets users post vertical, full-screen videos with longer viewing times. IGTV is similar to regular television in a sense that there are different "channels" you can browse from, with these constantly playing as you swap from different channels. 

While it’s a separate app, it is still integrated into the main Instagram platform by allowing your followers to get a notification every time you post new videos on your IGTV account.

Instagram has been trying to integrate the two platforms together even further by sharing short previews of videos on IGTV on the main IG newsfeed. Because the main app has a higher following and more viewing numbers, this allows for IGTV to get more traffic by being promoted through Instagram directly.

If you have an IGTV, maximize your visibility by sharing a short preview on the main app so followers of yours who might be interested can easily watch the full video by simply clicking on the “watch full video” prompt. If IGTV continues to move in this direction, it will soon become an effective platform that brands can use to promote their products.

• New “Donation” Stickers Being Tested

Facebook has recently been promoting charity in the past months, and it seems like they’re going to be implementing this to Instagram as well. This is certainly in them with the rest of the coming updates, where they are trying to raise social awareness in the platform and make it a more positive experience for users. 

Instagram is currently in the process of creating new donation stickers for IG stories, which allows users of the platform to promote their non-profit organization of choice by using these stickers to encourage their followers to donate or contribute to the cause.

We hope that this can be done on-platform so the campaigns will be more effective and increase the trust of users who might be interested. Brands who already promote charities and the charities themselves should keep updated. We will share anything new about this addition once we learn more.

• Direct Messaging Being Tested

Facebook recently announced that they will be merging all the direct messaging platforms (Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp) into one system that is fully integrated, which can possibly mean that users can now connect with each other cross-platform.

While this won’t be officially released any time soon, it will definitely happen because they are already taking the steps to integration. We have discovered that Instagram has been testing direct online messaging, a feature that was once only available when you’re on mobile.

Instagram confirmed in an interview with TechCrunch that it's not yet available in public testing, so it’s very likely that the project is still in early development. But this is a very big change that will happen. Instagram has been trying to make the experience more desktop friendly, and direct messaging is a great way to do it, and this will enable more brands to respond in a whole new direct interface.

• Discussion and Summary

We got a lot of updates this month; a whole lot more will be added in the coming months. IGTV previews will help promote a platform that can be used by creators and brands alike, and the news of more desktop features is definitely a welcome addition.

This is certainly a great start for Instagram 2019, and we hope that they will continue rolling like this for the rest of the year. 

January 2019 Update

• Sharing in Multiple Accounts Now Possible

While Twitter just recently forbids sharing in multiple accounts, Instagram is going the opposite direction by releasing a new feature allowing it on their platform! This latest addition allows users to share their post in a number of linked accounts all at the same time.

We hope that this feature will eventually be implemented in IG stories as well, but for now, we have to make do. This feature makes it easier to share new content over multiple accounts, saving you the time and effort spent posting them one by one per platform.

This would be useful, especially if you are marketing the same promotions that you want in multiple accounts where they have their own separate profile. You might have already taken advantage of available management software in the market suited for social media, one where you can send the same update to different accounts and even across different platforms.

But Instagram’s new feature is certainly helpful if you are a smaller brand since this is free and it's great if you don't have a budget to buy a new software. Be noted that this is only available for iOS systems at the moment, and there is no news yet of when it will come out for Android devices. We will keep you informed on the matter, and cross-device rollouts tend to have close release dates anyway.

• Video Schedules for Instagram

Scheduling your posts on Instagram has always been useful, and its easily one of our favorite feature of some soft wares like Hootsuite. It essentially allows you to create a schedule for when your content will be uploaded from a mobile or desktop app. This allows you to get more tactical in your posting times.

When Instagram updated their API last year, one of the changes they included is the allowing of all 3rd-party online management tools for social media to also schedule videos as well. You can now schedule your videos and post them at a more cohesive time and makes sure that they are uploaded in times where views are usually peaking, helping in maximizing awareness.

This is good news for a lot of brands and marketers in the platform since video promotions are one of the most effective marketing strategies since it often captures the attention of viewers more than normal posts.

• Instagram Algorithm is Not Changed

There has been plenty of talks that Instagram has changed its algorithm, where it now only shows content to only 7% of a profile’s followers. This is most likely why there have been many engagement-oriented methods being employed by users everywhere in the past month.

Because of the rumors, Instagram made a statement on twitter saying that the algorithm has NOT changed and that it still factors post frequency, relevance, no. of followers, and timeliness, which is the same algorithm that has been used for a long time. If you want to be on top of the algorithm, here’s an easy way to get more followers

Instagram has always been transparent in what factors affect your ranking in their platform, as long as you keep posting high-quality content that's engaging for your followers, you will do just fine.

• New Countdown Sticker for IG Stories

Last year, Instagram released a bunch of new stickers for IG Stories that allowed more interactions between users, which made the Stories more appealing and dynamic. They kept this going even in the later months, and now, we have 2 new developments following the same trend. They now added a “Countdown” sticker and revamped the “Questions” sticker.

The brand new Countdown sticker allows you to add a time and date that counts down as time progresses, and is fully customizable with custom texts, color schemes, and emoji designs. You can even add a live countdown in clock form to your IG Story. Every one of your viewers watching the feed will get to see the live countdown all in real time! This is a great way for promoting events and new product releases by enhancing the hype and excitement using a countdown.

• Improved “Questions” Sticker

The Question Sticker was added to IG Stories, and it allows users to ask questions to their viewers through these stickers. Viewers have the option of responding to the poster, and you can share your answer publicly. This is a great way of encouraging people to give you questions.

Instagram has now updated these Question stickers to allow them to be used during live usage, which makes asking questions more engaging and immediate. This is an excellent opportunity to make your live Q&As more fun and interesting for your viewers and makes it easier to manage on your end. 

Attempting to keep up with a moving wall of comments can be stressful, but with the new and improved Questions sticker, sorting and keeping track of questions will now be easier and you even have the option of displaying the question directly on the screen while answering it. So everyone can follow along easily even if they just clicked on your live feed.

• Discussion and Summary

All these new features offered are definitely a great start for a new year, make sure to study every one of them so you can use everything to you’re advantage.

The video scheduling is probably the feature that offers convenience for most users on the platform, but the latest additions to the stickers for IG Stories are a welcome feature as well. We certainly wish to see more of them as the year progresses.

If there are any more new features that need sharing, we’ll keep you updated, so stay tuned for the next one!

December 2018 Update

• Alternative Text Descriptions for Instagram

They are exactly as they sound; they are descriptions about whatever is happening on what you posted in its designated place. If you’re familiar with site design, blogging, or SEO, you probably know what this is and how you can take advantage of this latest update.

This is great news for visually impaired readers who can just use screen readers and have the text descriptions read to them, so they know what the image or post is all about even though they have a hard time seeing it. With these alternative text descriptions, you can:

• Use automated alternative text that uses technology for object recognition that allows it to make audio descriptions of the object. They can be used for visually impaired users who want to see photos in IG Explore, individual profiles, or their feeds.While it’s definitely efficient, the current technology still has its limitations.
• Create customized text-based descriptions manually that's visible when users scroll through the post or click on your photo. This definitely takes a bit more effort and time, but it's a better option if you want a more accurate description that highlights the features you might want to share.

Granted it doesn’t offer much in terms of search benefits, but it is still important because it allows for more accessibility and you should consider adding them to your own posts so you can connect with every one of your followers. It is definitely worth the effort.

• Close Friends List Added to IG Stories

You can now make separate user lists that allow you to share your Stories with a specific group of people. This is done by creating a “Close Friend List” in IG Stories, and this makes sure that only the users you want to show it to are the only ones able to see it.

Marketing and Business profiles can take advantage of this by creating a smaller group within their list of followers to release their more exclusive content. Be careful though, since you might accidentally miss someone while you are making the list, which might cause you to lose a potential customer. But this is great if you’re a brand who wants to create a more exclusive or elite tier where included members get more or better offers and rewards. 

We have some good ideas like making an early access sale or revealing a new item ahead of the general public. If you want to use this brand new feature, you can create your own "close friends" list through your settings, and select the people you want to add when you are making your IG Story.

• Profiles Are Being Updated

Instagram has recently announced that there will be some few cosmetic changes that will affect both business and personal profiles. The update will change the appearance of the interface’s buttons, tabs, and icons.

A great example would be the “mutual follower” option, which is a new feature that allows users to see if you have any of the same followers with the account you are viewing (which is similar to the one you see on Facebook).

Another is the "Shop" tab that filters the feed so users can choose only to see posts that are shoppable

Because of these updated layouts, both personal and business profiles, will feature a different look. Users can now see if their friends are following a certain profile, making it a fantastic feature for brands and marketers, since it can give you the opportunity of leveraging social proof. It’s definitely a plus if you love a brand and you see that some of your friends love it as well.

At present, these features are still in the testing stage, and we don't have all the info for all the changes that are coming to your profiles. We'll definitely keep a sharp eye out so we can immediately update you if any new information comes our way.

• DMs Feature All-New Voice Messaging

Instagram has been working on this feature since earlier this year, and now it's finally available for the public to use! Voice messages can now be sent to single and group chats, which allows for up to a minute long message length.

Voice messages are permanently fixed in the chat, unlike the normal direct messages which will disappear after a while. Be aware of this, especially if you are using direct messages in your strategy for creating urgency in your sales, promos, or discounts with your followers. 

Although using simple text is faster and much more efficient, this new feature can certainly be used for more innovative forms of promotion. Also, for private use, it can be considered better to use the video format to make it a bit more personal.

We hope that this feature develops into something that more brands can take advantage of as time progresses; since Facebook is already pushing forward towards a voice-oriented market, we can expect to see it in Instagram in the near future as well.

• Side-Scrolling Feed Views

Based on the news by WABetaInfo, Instagram currently is testing a format that allows for side-scrolling for viewing your feed (the same as the IG stories format), instead of the normal vertical scrolling we’re accustomed to.

Instagram hasn't shared a lot regarding this upcoming feature, but it will definitely impact the platform's usage by a lot. This can possibly lead to people swiping less to other posts since its more tedious or maybe they might become more engaged because of the added swiping. It could really go either way. 

If this does become integrated into the platform, be sure create posts that are more engaging so you can keep up and remain on top of Instagram’s algorithm. 

• New Features for Influencers

There are currently many rumors that say Instagram is trying out a brand new type of profile called "creator account" profiles, which adds new features and analytics that is suited for online influencers. If you’re an influencer be sure to be on top of your follower, like, and comment game if you want to get noticed by brands!

This will not only help influencers in the platform but will also make users, in general, more engaged. Right now, there is now a clear cut way on how to become an official 
creator account”, but we will keep you updated the moment we find out.

• Eating Disorder Searches Restricted

Since 2012, the platform has been making some hashtags or phrases unsearchable, so you won't get any results if you search them. This is a good move to filter out subjects that can potentially hurt or negatively affect the viewers who might see them.

Eating disorders are now the latest subject that Instagram has been trying to filter out since there are currently many posts promoting bulimia and other unhealthy eating habits. And this has become so prevalent that BBC trending covered a story about the issue.

• Discussion and Summary

This year has been a great one for Instagram, where they keep the updates coming month after month, we can barely keep up!

The new alternative text feature and added voice messages are the most impactful additions to Instagram for this month, both offering more functionality and accessibility to the platform.

We are so excited for whatever the coming year has to offer! If we have to guess, we hope that Instagram creates more tools to strengthen the bridge between brands and influencers, further develop the shoppable tools, and fun new additions for IG stories. What about you? What do you want to see for the year 2019?