With 1 billion active monthly users, it isn’t even a question that Instagram has to keep up with users’ needs and expectations. And we’re about to be a part of the biggest updates the platform has to offer this year.
Instagram announced a new camera for Stories, creator profiles, shopping tags, and more during the Facebook Developer Conference. They also dropped a major bombshell, revealing that they really are considering hiding the like count from your photos. So, what do all of these new features mean for one of our favorite platforms? Let’s dive in below to find out.
INTRODUCING CREATE MODE
Instagram is finally making a camera update we can all get on board with. No longer will we have to scroll left or right between our shooting options. It will now be easier to find the creative tools we love with a new semicircular mode switcher, allowing us to access Boomerang, Superzoom, and Rewind on the right whereas stickers,GIFs, text and more will be accessible when you swipe left.
GIVE A LITTLE
With Facebook’s successful efforts to help garner donations for nonprofits, it’s no wonder they are extending the feature to Instagram with a donation sticker that will be available in Stories. Just upload a photo, find the donation sticker icon, and browse through a list of nonprofits. You’ll be able to see the amount raised when you swipe and view your own story. The best part? 100% of the money you raise goes directly to the nonprofit you’ve chosen.
SHOULD I CHANGE MY PROFILE?
Instagram’s new Creator Profile has influencers asking whether they should make the leap. Creator profiles will be similar to Business Profiles, allowing influencers access to exclusive features and analytics. Users with access to Creator Profiles will also have the ability to view Instagram Insights on their desktop. The best part? Creator’s will finally get to see an in-depth analysis of follows/unfollows while also being able to prioritize DM messages from brands and friends. The downside? This switch makes it impossible to schedule posts through third-party tools as Creator Profiles aren’t connected to Instagram’s API. The question? What is one to do now with their backlog of content.
JUST TAKE MY MONEY
Oh, boy. This feature is an advertiser’s dream and a user’s greatest fear. Shopping tags are here, making it easy to buy that handbag your favorite influencer keeps talking about in their feed without ever having to leave the app. Right now, this feature is only available to a small group of creators, but we expect this to be released to a wider audience within the year.
GOODBYE TO ALL MY LIKES
According to Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, removing the ability to see how many likes a photo has will help to make social media a more inviting environment. “We want people to worry a little bit less about how many likes they get on Instagram, and a bit more time connecting with people they really care about,” Mosseri said. To be honest, we are not yet fans. As much as it may hurt to not get as many likes on your photos as your dog is getting on theirs, hiding the like count means changing the reason we all joined Instagram in the first place.
That’s all, folks! If you’re interested in watching the full keynote, check it out here, and let us know what you think of these new features in the comments section below.