Instagram’s New Plans for Video
Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, consistently posts informative videos on both his Instagram and Twitter accounts, covering frequently asked questions and giving users a behind-the-scenes look at how the Instagram app is run. In late June, he posted a video stating that changes will be coming to video on Instagram, in an effort to keep up with stiff competition. In his video, he stated “We’re no longer a photo-sharing app,” adding “The number-one reason people say they use Instagram, in research, is to be entertained. So people are looking to us for that.” He continued saying “Let’s be honest, there’s some really serious competition right now. TikTok is huge, YouTube is even bigger, and there’s lots of other upstarts as well. And so if people are looking to Instagram to be entertained, there’s stiff competition, and there’s more to do, then we have to embrace that. And that means change.”
Mosseri and his team are trying to keep up with competitors like TikTok and YouTube by following in their footsteps. For example, similar to the “For You” page on TikTok, Mosseri mentioned creating “recommendations” for users, where video content from people they don’t follow would appear in their main Instagram Feed. Leaning into video as the dominant form of content on Instagram should increase overall engagement. This in turn should make Instagram more appealing to video creators.
The problem with low engagement across the Instagram app, as far as video creators are concerned, is that they have had limited opportunities. There are also other deteriorating factors when it comes to fighting for higher engagement. As seen on AdAge, our founder Sarah Remesch mentioned how influencer agencies have to “charge higher fees for Instagram influencers because they’ve had to put more paid support behind organic posts.” In comparison, it seems as if competitors like TikTok have created algorithms that work with their creators, while Instagram’s algorithms have recently been working against them.
As it once was, Instagram is becoming more creator-friendly and creators must be ready and willing to adapt if they wish to stay relevant in the social media space.