Instagram Updates (June 2022): 3 New Feeds, Longer Reels, Improved Ranking, and New Tags
Update Alert!
Instagram has been making some major updates this month that’s going to affect your content strategy, and the Social Curator team is here to educate you on them!
*It’s what we do, okay?!*
According to Adam Mosseri (Head of Instagram), they consider Creators to be incredibly important to the future of Instagram, and want to make sure that they are successful and they’re getting all the credit they deserve.
This is why they are making improvements to benefit their Creators and business owners alike.
In this post, we’ll outline the updates they’ve made in June 2022 to our feeds, Reels, ranking, and tags. Let’s get started!
New Feeds
In the last few weeks, Instagram has slowly rolled out three feed views that will allow you (and your potential customers) more freedom to choose how you view your content. Below, we’ll discuss the differences between them!
The Home Feed
This is the version we are most accustomed to. It is algorithm-driven, which means the platform recommends accounts to you.
The difference now is that you aren’t guaranteed to see any posts you follow in this feed. It will now include more recommendations outside of your current circle.
The Following Feed
This feed takes you back to the good ole days in Instagram-land when creating content was a little more straight-forward:
Posts appear in chronological order.
Only accounts you follow are displayed.
This offers you an opportunity to really connect on a deeper level with those who already know you and build more trust.
The Favorites Feed
Similar to the Following Feed, posts in the Favorites Feed are also displayed in chronological order but this is considered the “elite” view.
Essentially, if someone wants to check just one feed, it will likely be this - the most recent posts of their favorite accounts.
But keep in mind that a user can only select 50 accounts to include, and Favorite accounts will also be starred and rank higher in the home feed.
Pro Tip: Start using the Call to Action, “Add me to your Favorites” to build deeper connections with your audience and guarantee they will see your content first in the future!
Say Hello to Your New Feed Strategy
Alright, now for the fun part: Let’s move onto how this will impact your strategy!
>>In general, each piece of content you create should entertain, educate, or empower your Ideal Client, regardless of which feed you’re hoping to rank highly on.<<
But to make this simple, consider each feed view as a prioritization of each type:
The Home Feed is for entertainment
The Following Feed is for education
The Favorites Feed is for empowerment
Of course, you don’t have to follow this to a tee… It’s best for you to test what works and resonates with your audience. But in the meantime, we hope this helps while you’re planning your content!
Now let’s move on to a major update to Instagram Reels.
Longer Reels
Have you heard this news?
>>Over Memorial Day Weekend 2022, Instagram announced that Reels can now be up to 90 seconds long.<<
This gives Creators more time to create and serve their audience… but we have three quick tips for you in the wake of this new change:
Don’t make your Reels longer just to fill space.
Keep them value-driven (always educating, empowering, or entertaining your audience).
Create original content with trending audio whenever possible.
Overall, we’re excited to see how longer Reels enhances the new trend of hilarious and inspirational storytelling on the app, as popularized by standout creator Elyse Myers. Of course, only time will tell!
New Tags
Tag, you’re it! *Sorry, that was lame.*
Without further ado, below are the details about the new tags as of June 2022.
Product Tags
With the new Product tags, your business (product or service) can be easily tagged in your followers/customers/Ideal Client in a more dynamic and engaging way.
Enhanced Tags
With Enhanced tags, you can create an “identity” tag that specifies what you do or who you are.
This is great for product and service-based businesses (especially service-based), because when someone tags you in a post, users won’t just see your name or business name, they’ll be able to see the name + their identity (e.g. “Kristi Monte - Podcast Producer”).
Ranking
Last but not least, let’s chat about the improvements Instagram has made to the ranking system.
Improved Ranking
With improved Ranking, original content is ranked HIGHER than reposted or repurposed content. (Read that again!)
Note: In order to rank higher in the algorithm, lead with value and consistency now more than ever.
One Last Mindset Shift
Have you noticed any of these updates on your Instagram app? We’ve already started to notice these exciting improvements!
If these changes have left you feeling less-than-thrilled, the biggest thing for you to remember during every big algorithm update or Instagram feature roll-out is that although it can be frustrating, this app is an incredible way to market your business for free.
>>Just a few decades ago, entrepreneurs would have done anything to have the opportunity to reach their potential customers all over the world the way we do now on social media!<<
So friend, the next time you feel the urge to complain about the updates or be overwhelmed with learning another thing, keep in mind that using these social media platforms is a privilege.
And if there’s one thing we can count on in the world of social media, it’s that it is constantly changing!
Once you realize this, we promise you’ll be much happier. So put your head down, learn about the new changes, and get to work!
To stay up to date with all of the recent social media updates, be sure to follow Social Curator on Instagram. Not only do we keep you informed about the latest algorithm changes, but we also share behind the scenes content of our team, social media tips and tutorials, and inspirational posts on the days you just need a mood boost. Click >>HERE<< to follow and add us to your Favorites now!
