It’s been a big week in social media news. Lots of controversy has been swirling around Facebook and other headline buzzwords like Cambridge Analytica, data protection laws and third-party apps. It’s thrown the stock market into disarray and everyone is questioning their Facebook stock. Even Elon Musk had something to say about Facebook’s current news. You can read the full rundown on the Cambridge Analytica/Facebook situation here.
While that’s pretty heavy stuff, there is some good news coming from Facebook’s offspring, Instagram. On Thursday, March 22nd, Instagram announced that they are, “introducing changes to give you more control over your feed and ensure the posts you see are timely”.
Instagram users everywhere rejoiced. Although it seems like just yesterday that your timeline was flooded with posts that read “Turn on Post Notifications”, it’s been two years since Instagram rolled out their first go at an algorithm. The algorithm got rid of the chronological timeline and instead pushed pictures and videos that the app thought would be of more interest to the top of your feed.
In their press release, they stated that, “Based on your feedback, we’re also making changes to ensure that newer posts are more likely to appear first in feed. With these changes, your feed will feel more fresh, and you won’t miss the moments you care about.” So even though it might have taken them two years to listen to their users’ feedback, we’re welcoming the change with open arms.
So what does that mean for you as a business owner? A more chronological timeline will make your posts more relevant and timely for your followers. For example, your followers will see your “Happy First Day of Spring!” post on the first day of spring instead of two days later. Running a giveaway that ends the next day? More users will be seeing your announcement in time to participate in the giveaway and not 24 hours after it has concluded.
In other progressive Instagram news, the day before announcing the change in their algorithm, they introduced hashtag and profile links in the bio. The app explains that “now when you include a # or @ in your bio, they become live links that lead to a hashtag page or another profile.” Many Instagram users are already seeing this change, but if your app hasn’t updated yet, click to read their press release here to see what it looks like.
While we will be waiting to see how all-things-Facebook play out, we’re excited to see these changes come to Instagram. Our team at TargetMarket stays on the pulse of social media switch-ups, so let us help you and your business make the most of these announcements.
