The social media world is changing, and Instagram is taking the lead by implementing changes to its platform. Nowadays, people consume more video content than ever before, and with that in mind, Instagram has recently decided to prioritize this type of content, especially the Reels and stories features.

When all these changes started to roll out, we saw many worried people who didn’t know what to do to implement video content into their marketing strategy. But to be honest, this isn’t something you should worry about just yet. When the changes roll out, all accounts will be in an adaptation period to first understand what is going on and most will be trying these new features for the first few months.

As you might know, the Instagram update has been getting implemented for a couple of weeks now, and we have been testing out different features to see which methods work well and which ones are not so great. The truth is that, even though a few updated features are getting some more spotlight, the platform is essentially the same.

To help you understand the new update a bit better, we are going to be talking about the three main changes that you should be implementing in your Instagram account management strategy to achieve a better reach, create eye-catching designs, and take your account to the next level.

 

• Change your image aspect ratio.

 

With Reels being heavily featured, Instagram dimensions are changing. This is happening with the post feature, and the 1:1 square ratio is no longer compatible with Instagram’s feed.

The portrait or vertical ratio (think of your front camera) is what works better for this type of feed. We highly recommend implementing this aspect ratio to your posts moving forward because they will look better not only on the main feed but also on your grid.

 

• Keep your stories short.

 

The main thing with the Instagram update is that it favors content that gets straight to the point. This claim is backed by their recent announcement that, from now on, they would only show the first five Instagram stories that you upload, which will be followed with the “keep watching” option for your audience.

This makes sense because Instagram likely wants to show you as many accounts as possible when you are scrolling through stories. So, to facilitate that, they are rewarding content that features shorter stories.

 

• Use Reels as much as possible.

 

As previously discussed, Instagram is now a video-focused platform and will guide users to see more video content. Taking this change into account, Reels are going to be your best friend. 

Not the best video editor? No problem. Last week, Instagram released the Reels template option where you can use pre-existing Reels to create your own.

The Later Blog explained these templates by saying, “They make the Reels content creation process quicker, removing the need to manually edit each clip to sync with an audio track. All you have to do is drop your own photos and/or videos into the template, and you’re good to go.” 

Remember that there is a limit to the styles of templates that are available. So, you just have to find one that you like and start experimenting with it until you become an expert.

 

At Dr. Rissy’s Writing & Marketing, we know that change tends to come with trial and error. That’s why we make sure to implement all these features into our own accounts to understand how they work before we utilize them for our clients. If you are looking for social media services and want someone who will guide you along the way, you have come to the right place! We have a social media team who is always on top of their game and know how to make the most of your social media accounts.