5 Instagram Features That Will Improve Your Feed in 2020
Updated: Apr 8, 2021
nstagram is still the reigning king when it comes to social media and we totally understand why. It’s visually appealing, informative, interactive and easy to use. But as the app grows, as do its features. Every year, new functions pop up and algorithms change, making it a technology beast that we constantly have to adhere to. Even though each new feature may take time to learn or produce content for, it will definitely help your engagement in the long run. Here are 5 Instagram features that will help increase influencer marketing – for both the company and the influencer.
Tap into the future with AR filters
If you viewed an Instagram story in 2019, then you definitely saw the plethora of AR filters, i.e. the face filters such as the dog face or beauty3000 mask. But what exactly is an AR filter? Short for Augmented Reality, it’s a technology that superimposes virtual effects onto yourself or your surroundings via a camera. On Instagram, these face filters can be used on your pictures or videos, giving them an old school feel, sparkly effect or even a cute update to your selfies (ex. butterflies or hand drawn doodles bouncing on your cheeks).
AR filters are one of the many Instagram features that can enhance your content and be very useful for your brand. You can either use one of the premade filters to keep your brand looking consistent or you can make your own to help your customers try out a product or spread awareness for an event or cause. For example, Summer Friday’s created a cloud filter to promote their Jet Lag Mask, Kylie Cosmetics uses AR filters to allow their customers to try lipstick colours before purchasing and Maddie Ziegler created a happiness filter to promote anti bullying.
Interested in making your own AR filter? Download the Spark AR Studio app and try it today!
Create save-worthy content
Saves are the hottest engagement trend as of late. With likes not being visible anymore, success metrics are being measured with the save button. The more saves you get, the more your content rises within the Instagram algorithm. Instagram has had the save button for quite a while now, but more and more brands are catering their content for this ribbon button. But what is “savable content”? It’s any post that the user wants to read or look at again at a later time. It can be an infographic, a relatable quote, a long caption with useful information, a place someone wants to visit, or a good someone wants to buy. It all depends on your company and what you think your followers will want to revisit time and time again. For example, at A/C we post useful quotes and repost our influencers pictures that either have helpful information or a product or place someone may want to try.
Tip: Give your followers a friendly reminder in your caption to save your post.
Create a mini series with IGTV
Videos have been gaining popularity for a couple of years now and they’re officially key to both marketing and social media. In 2019, Instagram released IGTV as a new way of watching long-form vertical video. It had limited features so it didn’t take off until last year when they allowed for landscape videos and a preview to be posted in your feed. Now, IGTV is great for creating value for your customers as it can be used in a variety of ways. Depending on your brand, try introducing a video series such as these:
Tutorials
Behind the scenes
Fashion haul
A day in the life
Q&A
Interact directly with your followers
Photo: @berkeley.ratzlaff
Did you know that 500 million Instagram accounts use Instagram stories every day? Taking advantage of stories is a fantastic way to engage with your followers, plus it has a plethora of Instagram features within it. Whether you’re showing an event, asking your followers questions, giving them a behind the scenes tour or adding your favourite photos from the day, the possibilities to add to your story are endless. For 2020, the stickers are becoming very popular to use. There’s tons of options and it adds engagement, conversation and customer feedback within one post. Here’s a few ways to use stickers:
The Question StickerUse as an online Q&A session to ask questions about your product, a launch, a get to know session or an event. The possibilities are endless!Bonus, you can do this from your couch.
The Quiz StickerShare multiple choice questions with all your followers and track the results. Your followers will be able to see if they answered correctly and you’ll be able to see how many votes each option received. Quizzes are a great way to see what your customers know about you, a product or event or can also be used to tease a launch.
The Countdown StickerExcited about an upcoming event? Use the countdown sticker! Whether you’re counting down till launch day, rebrand day or even your vacation, this sticker is a great way to remind your followers of a special occasion and get them excited about it.
Tell a story with your captions
2020 is the year of authenticity and your Instagram captions are no different. People are looking to Instagram to learn and feel something, not to be sold. So, the days of perfectly marketable captions are long gone. If there’s a story to tell behind your Instagram picture, then explain it! Your followers will enjoy hearing behind the scenes moments and will be more loyal to you in the future knowing that you’re transparent and a real-life human.
Long captions are also great for engagement. The time spent on a post affects how it ranks in the algorithm, meaning you want your followers to spend as much time possible on each post. According to SkedSocial, here’s their tips for the perfect Instagram caption:
Tell a story
Tap into emotions
Talk about the bigger picture
Fun Fact: Instagram captions can be up to 2,200 characters long.
Feeling lost with your social media or brand? A/C is here to help! We offer many services, such as social media and influencer marketing, that will help grow your brand and your engagement.
How are you using these Instagram features in 2020? Share your tips in the comments below!
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