Is Instagram still relevant?
Written by Amelia Crisp
Read Time Approx: 5 Mins
Instagram has been the favourite platform for many people since 2013 when it started to gain traction, with influencing becoming more of a realistic job and businesses using it as a key part of their marketing. Instagram seemed to be the best platform out there, however, with the rise of TikTok and the ever-changing algorithm, is it dying out? Have people lost faith? Is Instagram still relevant in 2022?
History Of Instagram
Instagram started out in October 2010 and hit 1 million registrations by December. Since then, Instagram has come a long way. With version 2.0 being released in 2011 allowing people to edit their uploaded photos, this was downloaded over 1 million times a day. Facebook then acquired Instagram in 2012.
2013- launches the sharing of video content, and over 150million active monthly users, in November sponsored posts were introduced.
2014- launches more business tools and insights and analytics for users becoming more advertiser friendly.
2015-Instagram ads become global, and Instagram hits 400 million monthly users.
2016- Feed posts become algorithmically ordered rather than chronologically. Stories are launched following Snapchat’s launch of stories. 600 million monthly users.
2017- The launch of carousel posts (multiple pictures in one post) September TikTok launches.
2018- The launch of IGTV to compete with YouTube.
2019- Instagram shop is announced where businesses can have a storefront on their accounts.
2020-Instagram launches guides feature, these are like a miniature blog where you can bring together all types of posts with commentary. Reels are launched to compete with TikTok.
2021-TikTok booms and Instagram pushes reel content to compete.
That brings us to 2022. When Instagram has had more algorithm changes than Kim Kardashian has shoes. With most liked posts coming onto the explore page, to the best hashtags, reel content being pushed and becoming the only posts on the feed instead of pictures. It seems to be that Instagram really cannot make its mind up, could this mean it’s dying out?
Do People Still Use Instagram?
It begs us to question do people still use Instagram? In 2021 Instagram hit 2 billion active users and is on track to reach 2.5 billion by 2023, however with engagement dropping for all users, it’s hard not to get disheartened. Smaller businesses who relied on Instagram have turned to TikTok, with the hope of a viral video being much easier to achieve than a few likes on Instagram.
Influencers are pushing more paid content meaning for general account users posts are becoming less and less organic and more salesy making them also turn to TikTok for more organic relatable content.
Instagram For Businesses
Instagram is still an extremely useful tool for small businesses and influencers, with shopping tags being introduced in many countries. Accounts can tag a product and users can purchase that product directly from the post allowing businesses to sell more through the app. This also helps influencers gain affiliate income when partnering with a brand.
Instagram Guides are a great way to connect with your audience and grow a relationship by giving advice and talking about up-and-coming topics and trends. Reels are still being pushed so you can join in with trends similar to TikTok and reach a wider audience with 2 billion people interacting with reels each month, people are still evidently using this feature.
The Mystery Of The Algorithm
With so many changes it’s hard for people to truly understand how Instagram works. This year we’ve seen Instagram change the way your feed shows. With the introduction of non-chronological feeds and then the re-introduction of chronological. It’s harder and harder for users to keep up and optimise their posts.
Sponsored ads are being pushed as well as stories, meaning all of your organic content is not being prioritised as it once was. Since Instagram changed from chronological feeds to ranked and personalised feeds people have been crying out for a change back since they found they just weren’t seeing the people they wanted.
Since this Instagram has now updated its feed to be personalised. Although chronological is now an option, it is not the default setting. You have three options:
Home feed is where your most interacted with and ranked and personalised
If you select the Instagram logo you can select Following where you see a chronological feed from the accounts you follow and know.
You can also choose Favourites another chronological feed where you only see who you’ve selected as a favourite. This means when people follow you but they also have to follow another step to add you as a favourite.
These changes have led to engagement dropping. People now have to go through many hoops after following you to see your content, as many haven’t even discovered the other feed options, the default feed shows them the same accounts, which they then engage with and Instagram shows them again, almost getting stuck in a loop of the same accounts making it harder and harder for other accounts posts to be reached.
One of our clients that started up on Instagram and has been using the platform for 5 years has seen an 80% drop in sessions in the last 2 years due to the change in algorithm. A post that may have gotten 1,000 likes will now only get 40. This is really tough on our client who has now turned to other marketing channels for business growth such as Google Ads and Facebook Ads.
This means that our client is spending more money just to get back the reach they previously had for free. It truly shows that people are in the hands of the Meta algorithms no matter how much you may follow the tips tricks and rules. Overall Instagram decides who sees your posts.
Instagram Updates And New Features For 2022
This year so far, we’ve seen a few updates making Instagram a bit more user-friendly. A trial of all videos uploading as reels condenses the video and reels tab to allow all your video content to be in one place, instead of different sections on your profile. Reels have now also been bumped up to 90 seconds maximum for more time to engage with your audience. Pinned posts have been introduced, you can pin up to 3 posts on your profile to keep the chosen posts relevant and viewable to your followers.
With the rise of “BeReal” where you get a timely notification to post a selfie and a camera photo on a dual photo within 2 minutes of the notification, Instagram has once again taken inspiration. With its dual camera feature in reels, allowing you to show what you’re filming and your reaction.
You may have noticed that your feed and stories are more sponsored content than your followers, this year Instagram has really pushed paid content, which has its pros and cons. For general users, it may get frustrating not seeing the content you choose to follow. However, it does mean you get to discover profiles you may not have found without the ad. It also allows businesses to reach a bigger audience and sell their products even with a small follower count.
What Does This Mean For The Future Of Instagram?
From mimicking other apps’ features to bringing in updates for their own features although people may feel its dying, Instagram is still keeping relevant. With the ever-changing climate of digital marketing, it takes a lot to keep up with trends across all apps. Instagram is still the best place for sharing static photos and checking out businesses and influencers for real-time updates. Although they do need to make a decision on what they want to prioritise in their algorithm.
The future of Instagram may still be uncertain, but one thing is for sure and that’s 2 billion people still enjoy and visit the platform monthly. With regular updates, Instagram is certainly keeping us on our toes in terms of features and feed algorithms.
If you want to learn more about marketing through social media please contact us and check out our blogs about surviving the Instagram algorithm.