Top 5 Instagram Updates And How To Use Them

‘I don’t believe in soulmates….’ but ask any influencer and they will declare Instagram the love of their lives. Instagram currently houses a user base of over one billionpeople worldwide, giving influencers a platform to attract customers (and engage) through social media influencer marketing. And now the platform is rolling out new features for creators to compete with other social media platforms (read TikTok).

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Looking for a one-stop resource with the top Instagram features to up your content game? Here it is, all listed down for you.

1. Story Link for Everyone 

Story links that were once exclusive to people with over 10k followers are now available to everyone! And no one’s happier than small businesses and micro-influencers. The update makes brand collaborations a breeze now that social media influencers can directly link to websites and product pages, and add affiliate links when working with other brands.

How to use: After creating a story, tap on the sticker icon. Then, select the “link” sticker and add the URL you want to link and apply. Finally, post your story. Now, anybody can tap on the sticker to access the linked page.

2. Collaborate With Other Accounts

Thanks to the ‘collab’ feature, it has never been easier to collaborate with multiple accounts!  It lets you tag any other public account as a co-author of the post, giving brands a whole new way to partner with social media influencers. What’s more, since the post is visible on all collab accounts, you can benefit from audiences from all pages. The best way to achieve sky-rocketing engagement in our books!  

How to use: Start by making a reel or feed post. Before posting it, tap on the tag people option. Next, invite a collaborator using the search account option (you can choose up to 20 public accounts). Finally, publish the post. The tagged accounts will also receive an option to publish the content on their feed.

3. Auto-Captions for Inclusivity

Social media influencers aspire to reach a broad audience, including people with disabilities. Instagram has contributed to this effort by adding auto-captions for stories and reels. The feature will help influencers spend more time creating unique content rather than captioning videos.

How to use: Select the three dots on the bottom right of a story. Scroll down and switch on the toggle beside ‘Auto-Generated Captions.’ Or you find it in the stickers menu after creating a story. The sticker is named “CAPTIONS,” and users can tap on it to generate subtitles.        

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4. The All-New “Add Yours” Feature

The quickest way to get aboard a trend right now? The ‘Add yours’ feature, hands down. It gives social media influencers like you the opportunity to drive community engagement on stories and increase their reach on the platform. By tapping on the “add yours” sticker on the story, followers or any Instagram user can become a part of the thread.

How to use:  Select the “Add Yours” option from the Stickers section after creating a story. Tap on the sticker and add a prompt for your community. For example, write “#OOTD” to ask people to share their outfits of the day.

5. Instagram Live Is the Star

If ‘how to become a social media influencer’ had a list, Instagram Live would be on the top. More than one million people watch Instagram live every day. Social media influencers can use it to connect with their followers or stream branded content.

How to use: Using Live is easy. Swipe left to the Stories camera. Next, tap on “Live” and then “Start Live Video”.

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Over to You

Choosing the right feature for the right content is the key to increasing your engagement on the platform. You can learn all about how to become a social media influencer in the Social Media Influencer course offered by PearlxStudio. With 100% practical projects and reputed associations like Miss Malini, you can build your own style of communication and content creation.

The growth of social media influencers in India is an excellent boost for the young generation of creators to develop a global presence for themselves. All you need is the right skills and creativity to become the next big social media star.