Instagram has continued to roll out a plethora of updates since February. Read on to find out what they are and the pros and cons of each feature.
Shoppable Instagram
Shoppable Instagram features were announced last October and in the last month it is finally filtering out into the mainstream. Most businesses still don’t have access to the function; however the number increases as each week passes. It has been rolled out to a number of beauty, fashion and jewellery brands, as well as influential bloggers.
Pros – This function is one that many Instagram users will welcome with open arms. Being able to shop directly from imagery is a logical step and we can’t wait for it roll out to the masses.
Cons – We can’t see any cons. It’s a great way for businesses to directly reach out to their consumer and encourage them to purchase.
Streamlined Disappearing Messages
Instagram has upped its game and created a similar feature to the popular social media app Snapchat. You are now able to send disappearing images/messages to your contacts via the direct message function.
Pros – Will this make Snapchat defunct? Is Instagram taking over the world? We think this may be the case. It is a great way for a business to drive a sense of urgency, for example, you could send information/discount codes to a select number of customers in the hope of encouraging a knee-jerk reaction to purchase quickly.
Cons – Snapchat has a loyal audience and it may take a lot of convincing for them to use Instagram in this way when they are happy with the Snapchat function. They will only be able to replay the message/visual once so they will have to action a discount code or offer relatively quickly.
Multiple Image Posts
Multiple image posts (also called “carousel posts”) let you create a single Instagram post with a slideshow of up to 10 images and/or videos. Users can scroll them. You can tag users on individual slides within the post. Many businesses and users have already utilised this function.
Pros – These posts are engaging and dynamic. They enable the account holder to ‘tell a story’. It is also a lot more effective than a collage and less time consuming to create.
Cons – For the account holder or business it means more content creation. If you use multiple images in one single post it means more time is needed to ensure you have enough content for each day.
If you'd like to know more about how to get the best out of your Instagram account, get in touch with us via hello@sunnybirdpr.com or 01202 293095.