Feature Updates From Instagram For 2020 Holiday Season

Instagram has been in our lives for many years now and it never stops developing amazing new features almost every week.

Because of the restrictions we face worldwide, we all have to stay in touch with people through online media platforms. An increase in usage requires some innovation, of course. Instagram took this challenge and turned it into an opportunity for influencers and creators. As a trendsetting platform, Instagram just tries to meet the needs of creators with every new feature coming up. Each new feature focuses on enabling better communication and further visibility. In other words, Instagram likes to keep us on our feet.

So let’s see what those new Instagram features are:

Live Updates

With the global pandemic outbreak and lockdowns, we’ve seen an explosion in entertaining videos on Instagram, especially live videos. Many Influencers have also started making live broadcasting on a regular basis like daily series. Unfortunately, most of the influencers had to stop their live videos after an hour and start a new live video to continue. But thanks to this new update, live videos can last up to 4 hours without a break. You can enjoy your live streamings without limiting yourself to 60 minutes. Moreover, you can now save your live videos in your private archives just like with stories and posts. Although these saved live streamings can only be kept for 30 days in the archive, hopefully, in the future Instagram can increase this period.

Moreover, to maximize the live stream pleasure, Instagram has added a “Live Now” section on the IGTV tab. Where you can discover similar streams to those you like to watch.

This means discovering new live content just got a lot easier!

But that’s not all. There are also some other Instagram updates that will make creators and brands happy!

Reels and Shop Tabs

Although the concept of reels may be relatively new to Instagram, the platform has already seen amazing content being created from influencers and brands alike. Reels are a great way for influencers and creators to express themselves.

By rolling out the Reels tab, Instagram is providing creators with a stage to share their creativity with the world and have a chance to break out and find an audience. Not only does it help creators get discovered, but it will also make it much easier to discover the most popular videos from all over the world. 

This year, in order to take advantage of Black Friday, Instagram has introduced a new Shop tab feature. Instead of the activity tab on the home screen, a shopping bag icon is has been added to reflect the platform’s newfound emphasis on e-commerce.

According to the company’s blog, “with the Shop Tab, we’re making it easy to get inspired by creators you love, shop on Instagram, and support small business.”. So now, you can not only reach your favorite brands and products faster but also let your products reach a bigger community.

In the shop tab, the brands and products are categorized relatively. The best thing is, there is a wish list on the shop tab so you can create your own wish list easily. Don’t worry! The activities section is not gone forever. It can be accessed at the right top of your feed, next to the direct messages.

As an influencer or a brand, it’s important to keep up with these changes in order to stay relevant and connect with your target audience. So don’t forget to update your Instagram app and take advantage of these great features.

Connect with us on social media or leave a comment below to let us know what you think about these new features.