How Instagram’s Upcoming Changes Will Affect Brands

Instagram has always been efficient in keeping digital marketers on their toes. Whether it’s changing ad regulations or the entire algorithm, the social media platform is consistent in its inconsistency. Most recently, Instagram announced that the platform will be rolling out changes to the main page feeds with the option to see posts in chronological order. While this news is positive for many users, the impact on brands is yet to be seen.

Before 2016, when Instagram adopted the algorithmic feed we’ve grown to rely on, Instagram users were missing 70% of all posts in their feed. With these newly announced changes, Instagram users will soon have three options to sort their feed: ‘home’ (the current, algorithmic feed), ‘favourite’ (only accounts that users have marked as favourites), and ‘following’ (a chronological feed). This begs the question: what will discoverability look like in 2022 for new brands and brands that rely on algorithmically-sorted feeds

Discoverability in 2022:

Based on the positive response of users, it is safe to assume the bulk of end-users will opt for the chronologically focused feed, which could hinder growth for new brands trying to engage with audiences on the platform. If this is the case, strategies to ensure brands are thriving on the Explore page will continue to become a leading focus. This means exploring video content, Reels production, and a savvy hashtag/geotag strategy. At the crux of all of this is the requirement to truly understand your target audience while crafting content that compels them to engage.

Assuming a bulk of users will toggle back to a chronological feed that prioritizes friends, families and content creators, it sets the stage for brands to reconsider influencer marketing in this sudden turn of events. Influencers hit their stride in 2016 thanks to platforms such as Instagram and brands revelled in the heydey of tagged products or captions. As Instagram continues to roll out edits in favour of content creators - such as in-platform shoppable experiences - brands would be wise to carve out spending dedicated to working with content creators as brand ambassadors.

Preferred Feed Options:

Talk Shop polled its Instagram audience base to find out their preferred feed options and found that 58% of users intend to pivot to the Following or Chronological feed. An even split remained between those that would continue with the existing Home feed (21%) and the Favourites option (21%). While this isn’t representative of the one billion Instagram users in the world, it provides a first glimpse at user preference. From an agency perspective, the ability to toggle between the three feed options has a stronger presence in the user interface. Facebook previously tried to do something similar, where it presented users with the option to toggle back to a chronological feed. However, the platform was criticized for burying this in the platform design.

The Impact on Brands:

Brands who have amassed a following stand to benefit from the algorithm shift, provided they understand the social media behaviour of their audience. Understanding when their audience is most likely to be online will dictate optimal posting times and could drive a lift in engagement. For newer brands that have launched on the platform or brands looking to grow their audience base (who isn’t these days?), an adaptation to their strategy will likely be required. Exploration of paid tactics through Meta may be necessary to reach new audiences and potentially the exploration of influencer marketing to help garner brand awareness. This is, of course, in addition to hashtag strategies, exploring multimedia such as carousels or Reels, and other visual tools to land on the Explore page.

How will this chronological feed increase or decrease a user's ability to access new accounts? Only time will tell, but at first glance, instinct tells us that it’s likely that this shift will decrease a user’s ability to be open to new accounts. With many users editing down their follow count year over year, fighting for attention and market share of new audiences will be the name of the game for brands in 2022.

In terms of who benefits the most from this change, it would appear to be the end-user. People have been begging for the return of the chronological feed since it was first introduced in 2016. That being said, it is worth noting that there are two major bills rumoured to be passed in the U.S. in 2022. These bills would serve to protect users from the algorithm, which has been positioned as a dangerous experience. The Filter Bubble Transparency Act will require platforms to add a toggle that allows users to disable algorithm recommendations. So rather than applaud this as a positive PR move from Meta, it’s more likely that the platform is simply preparing for long-awaited congressional changes.

Further 2022 Predictions:

This year will destabilize a lot of brand strategies and force them to reach outside their current comfort levels. Brands need to keep a close watch on constitutional policy changes in America, as it is a great indicator as to what kind of platform updates they can expect to see from Meta and other platforms in 2022. Algorithms have long dictated what kind of content users are shown in their feed and the power is slowly shifting back to the end-user.

As for Instagram, leaked footage is now showing new grid design concepts that the platform is testing out. The sneak peek showcased the ability to edit one’s grid and present a highlight reel or portfolio of posts at the top of your profile. With many users favouring a horizontal scroll across Instagram Stories versus their feed, it begs the question of what this edit will mean for user behaviour.

By Krystin Lee, Vice President at Talk Shop Media