Instagram features Archives

A New Era for Instagram Profiles

Instagram has rolled out a major update to its profile grid, introducing a vertical-aligned thumbnail format. This shift aligns with Instagram’s focus on vertical content like Reels and positions the platform as a stronger competitor to TikTok. While some users have expressed frustration, Instagram is introducing new customization tools to ease the transition.

For marketers, this update presents challenges but also offers exciting opportunities to refresh your Instagram strategy, optimize your profile, and re-engage your audience.

What’s Changed in the Instagram Profile Grid?

Instagram’s new vertical grid replaces the classic square thumbnails with taller, vertically-aligned thumbnails. This change better accommodates the vertical photo and video formats that dominate the platform today.

Why the Change?

Vertical Content Dominance: Most content uploaded to Instagram is now vertical. The new grid enhances the display of photos and videos.
Competition with TikTok: By focusing on vertical content, Instagram aims to position itself as a top alternative to TikTok.
User Experience: Vertical thumbnails offer a better visual experience for users scrolling through profiles.

New Features to Customize Your Profile

Instagram is rolling out additional updates to give users more control over their profiles:

Grid Reordering: Users will soon be able to reorder their grid layout, enabling them to showcase their best posts or create visually cohesive designs.
Highlight Integration: Instagram is testing moving Highlights into the grid, with options to rearrange and customize them.
Direct Grid Posting: A new feature will let users post content directly to their grid, bypassing the feed entirely.

Challenges for Marketers and Creators

For users who meticulously designed grid layouts with square images, this update has disrupted carefully curated profiles. Instagram acknowledges this and plans to introduce tools to adjust thumbnail displays.

While this may feel like a setback, it’s also an opportunity for marketers to rethink how they present their content and use Instagram’s new tools to their advantage.

How Marketers Should Adapt to Instagram’s Vertical Grid

1. Refresh Your Profile Content

The new vertical grid provides a chance to revisit older content. Since only a small percentage of your followers see your posts the first time, reposting optimized content is an effective strategy.

Steps to Refresh Your Content:

Analyze Engagement: Identify high-performing posts to repost.
Reformat for Vertical Display: Ensure images and videos look their best in the vertical grid.
Add Updated Captions: Use new captions to provide fresh context or updates.

2. Optimize for the Vertical Format

With the focus on vertical content, marketers should prioritize content that looks great in this format:

Video Content: Reels and vertical videos should be the centerpiece of your strategy.
Portrait Photos: Avoid posting square or landscape images without testing how they appear in the new layout.

3. Leverage Grid Reordering and Highlights

Grid reordering is a game-changer for marketers, allowing for strategic profile curation.

Showcase Evergreen Content: Highlight timeless posts that resonate with your audience.
Create Thematic Grids: Organize your content by themes, such as campaigns, testimonials, or product launches.
Update Highlights: Use Highlights to keep important stories front and center.

4. Repost Content to Maximize Reach

Instagram’s algorithm limits how many followers see your posts. Studies show that, on average, only 10-20% of your audience sees a post the first time. Reposting ensures your best content reaches more users.

How to Repost Effectively:

Space reposts over weeks or months to avoid redundancy.
Refresh captions or hashtags for a new spin.
Use Instagram Insights to identify the best times to repost.

5. Test Direct Grid Posting

With the new direct grid posting feature, you can share content exclusively on your profile grid.

Use this feature for announcements or evergreen content.
Pair it with grid reordering to strategically highlight important posts.

Opportunities for Marketers

This update isn’t just about adapting to a new format—it’s about leveraging the change to stand out:

Increased Engagement: Vertical thumbnails provide a better user experience, encouraging profile visits and interactions.
Content Repurposing: Reposting optimized content saves time while maximizing impact.
Brand Creativity: The ability to reorder grids and integrate Highlights allows for innovative profile designs that reflect your brand identity.

Conclusion: Embrace the Change

Instagram’s vertical grid update is a significant shift, but it’s also an opportunity for marketers and creators to refresh their profiles, re-engage their audiences, and showcase their brands in new and exciting ways.

By leveraging tools like grid reordering, Highlight integration, and reposting strategies, marketers can adapt to this new format while maximizing their content’s impact.

Ready to take your Instagram strategy to the next level? Contact Amber 90 for expert guidance on adapting to social media updates and optimizing your content strategy.

Introduction

Instagram carousel format is once again evolving, offering users more creative freedom with their content. Recently, Instagram announced that all users can now include up to 20 frames in a single carousel post, doubling the previous limit of 10. This update, which follows months of testing, allows creators and businesses to share even more photos and videos in a single post, making it easier to tell a comprehensive story or showcase a series of related images.

The Expansion of Instagram Carousels

For years, Instagram carousels have been a popular way to share multiple photos or videos in one post. Originally introduced in 2017 with a 10-frame limit, carousels quickly became a favourite feature among users, offering a dynamic way to engage followers with multiple pieces of content at once. Over time, Instagram has gradually increased the number of frames users can add, first expanding to 15 frames earlier this year, and now to 20 frames as of August 2024.

What the New 20-Frame Limit Means for Users

The ability to add up to 20 photos or videos in a single carousel post opens up new possibilities for content creators and brands alike. Whether you’re sharing a step-by-step tutorial, a travel photo album, or a detailed product showcase, the expanded frame limit allows for more comprehensive storytelling.

Additionally, Instagram has been experimenting with other carousel features, such as text overlays and variable image formats, which further enhance the creative potential of carousel posts. With 20 frames, users can create what is essentially a live photo album or a mini-video series, all within a single post.

How to Leverage the 20-Frame Carousel for Your Content Strategy

So, how can you make the most of Instagram’s expanded carousel feature? Here are a few ideas:

Storytelling: Use the extra frames to craft a more detailed narrative. For example, share the full journey of a project, from concept to completion, or document an entire event or trip.
Product Showcases: Showcase different angles, features, or uses of a product in one post. This is especially useful for e-commerce brands looking to highlight product details.
Tutorials and How-Tos: Break down complex processes into easy-to-follow steps, using each frame to illustrate a different part of the tutorial.
Engagement: Encourage followers to swipe through all 20 frames by creating a story or series that builds intrigue or offers value with each swipe.

By strategically using all 20 frames, you can increase engagement and provide a richer experience for your audience. Check out this video here as Katie Lance shares how to create this content.

How Instagram’s Carousel Update Compares to Competitors

It’s interesting to note that Instagram’s move to increase carousel frames is part of a broader trend in social media. TikTok, for instance, allows users to include up to 35 photos in a single post, showing that the demand for more comprehensive content-sharing options is growing. However, while TikTok is often associated with short-form videos, its photo slideshow feature has become increasingly popular.

Instagram’s 20-frame limit strikes a balance between offering more content space without overwhelming users, and it will be interesting to see how this impacts content strategies across the platform.

Conclusion: Maximize Your Content with Instagram’s 20-Frame Carousel

The expansion of Instagram carousel to 20 frames is a game-changer for content creators and businesses. This update provides more room to showcase your work, tell your story, or engage with your audience in a meaningful way. As Instagram continues to innovate and expand its features, staying ahead of these updates can help you maintain a competitive edge in your social media strategy.

At Amber 90, we specialize in crafting social media strategies that leverage the latest tools and features. Contact our team today to learn how we can help you make the most of Instagram’s new 20-frame carousel and other updates to enhance your brand’s presence.

Tag: Instagram features

Instagram’s Vertical-Aligned Grid Redefines Your Profile Strategy