Instagram’s recent milestone of surpassing 2 billion monthly users underscored the pervasive online presence of startups and small businesses. What began as a platform for visually appealing content has evolved into a robust marketing tool that companies of all sizes utilize.
Originally a hub for aesthetically pleasing imagery and engagement, Instagram has adapted to meet the changing needs of its users, especially in response to the competitive emergence of TikTok. Instagram’s strategic enhancements and introduction of new features reflect its commitment to retaining user engagement.
Instagram now prioritizes facilitating online growth, catering to diverse objectives such as community building, brand awareness, and sales generation. Whether you’re a fledgling enterprise seeking to establish a foothold or an established brand aiming to bolster its digital presence, Instagram offers a suite of features tailored to meet your objectives.
12 Best Instagram Features for Marketers
Instagram boasts many features its users love, but not all are tailored specifically for marketing or brand promotion. Below are the top seven Instagram features for marketers that can significantly enhance your online presence:
Reels – At The Top
We firmly believe that Instagram’s algorithm predominantly favors Reels as the primary social media content marketing format. Leveraging quality content using trending sounds in short-format videos yields greater reach and impressions than feed videos.
Among Instagram’s key business features, Reels stands out, mainly due to its support for the Collab feature. This feature enables two distinct brands to collaborate on a single post, amplifying engagement and reach. While collaboration is possible for both Reels and Feed posts, Reels, being the more supported format, enjoys higher discoverability among new audiences.
Previously, options for including a second party in posts were limited to tagging business accounts (with no transparency regarding whether the tag was personal or business) or utilizing branded collaborations, which were not accessible to all. Introducing this new Instagram feature provides enhanced discoverability, increased engagement, and heightened brand awareness, enabling businesses to capture new audiences effectively.
Vanish mode
While not particularly business-focused (unless you’re in the business of gossip), Instagram Messenger’s Vanish mode feature adds an element of fun to messaging. Users can activate Vanish mode by swiping up on the screen, causing the messenger screen to turn black. Messages sent and viewed in Vanish mode disappear once they’ve been seen, adding an ephemeral touch to conversations.
Videos – The Evergreen Format
Instagram users have shown a strong preference for video content since the platform’s inception, leading to the emergence of video-centric apps like TikTok and intensifying competition in the market. Businesses across various sectors favor video content for endorsements from influencers and celebrities, making it a prime feature on Instagram. Videos serve as an effective means to showcase company culture and foster trust among followers and customers.
A valuable tip is to ensure the initial seconds of your video are engaging to capture viewers’ interest from the start.
Initially, Instagram restricted videos to a maximum length of 60 seconds, resulting in concise content and increased engagement. Subsequently, they introduced IGTV, allowing for longer-form videos, initially gaining traction but eventually losing appeal among creators and users. The retirement of IGTV from Instagram after over two years left many questioning its fate. Instagram then extended the maximum length of video formats from 60 seconds to 60 minutes.
Research indicates that 54% of consumers who desire more video content from marketers are more inclined to make online purchases after viewing a video. Leveraging video features to showcase products, demonstrate their utility, and highlight their uniqueness can significantly boost sales. Among Instagram’s features, videos serve as a powerful tool to convey your brand’s narrative, elucidate your value proposition, and forge meaningful relationships with customers and potential prospects online.
Stories and Stickers – The Most Interactive
One of Instagram’s most beloved features is Instagram Stories. Embraced by virtually all users, whether for personal or professional purposes, Stories offer short-lived content presented as tappable circles at the top of followers’ feeds. Much like Snapchat, Stories vanish after 24 hours.
Instagram Stories afford viewers the flexibility to watch them multiple times, react to them, and respond by sending direct messages from the story to the inbox. Moreover, users can easily share Stories from public accounts to their own or to separate accounts, enhancing their versatility and appeal.
Stickers
Stickers stand out as Instagram’s most interactive feature, ideal for yielding rapid results or initiating immediate conversations.
Questions and Poll Stickers are particularly effective for educating your audience about your brand or upcoming products. Polls stimulate engagement and prompt followers to contemplate the services you offer and their preferences.
Location Stickers are invaluable for brand promotions. They enable influencers or bloggers to seamlessly share your shop’s location within their stories. By providing a tappable link to the exact location, Location Stickers facilitate increased clicks and interactions, enhancing the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
Shoppable Tags
Shoppable tags revolutionized how businesses market products on Instagram, allowing them to tag products in photos. This feature enables companies to post a picture and tag it with a shoppable option, allowing audiences to tap and make purchases directly from their online shops.
Shoppable tags are now available on Instagram Stories. This presents an excellent opportunity to showcase products in a live story or demonstrate how to use them, fostering trust and authenticity for the brand.
Instagram places significant emphasis on Stories, which is evident in its dedicated settings tab for adjusting Story settings. Users can choose to hide their Stories from specific feeds and control who can or cannot reply via direct messages, providing greater control over their content and interactions.
Instagram Shops
Meta’s pivotal move was venturing into eCommerce with the launch of Instagram Shops in 2020, particularly as the pandemic impacted physical businesses.
Instagram Shops serve as immersive storefronts for brands, facilitating convenient and seamless product discovery for consumers. Users can access a shop from a business’ Instagram profile or directly from their feed or Stories. The Shop tab is prominently featured on the main creator’s profile, providing access to browse products, explore collections, and make purchases effortlessly.
For marketers, this Instagram feature has proven to be a game-changer. Compared to traditional online shopping experiences, Instagram Shops offers a more comprehensive brand presence, including customer reviews, product catalogs, model images, and a direct inbox for inquiries. Moreover, with the introduction of clickable shops, shopping via the in-app browser or Instagram Checkout has become even more convenient. Instagram Checkout streamlines the purchase process, allowing users to select a product and complete a transaction within the app in just two taps, showcasing the platform’s commitment to enhancing user experience and driving eCommerce forward.
Instagram Story shopping
This feature introduces another type of clickable sticker on Instagram. Users can add direct links to products in their Instagram Shop, making it easy for viewers to learn more about products and make purchases quickly.
Live Sessions
Instagram Live has become a popular and widely utilized feature across the spectrum of Instagram users, from large brands to emerging small businesses. These live video sessions offer a unique opportunity for real-time engagement and interaction with audiences, with the added benefit of being able to save the sessions as recorded videos for further visibility.
First and foremost, Instagram Live fosters brand authenticity and transparency, essential elements for cultivating customer trust. By broadcasting live, marketers can showcase genuine behind-the-scenes moments, product demonstrations, or Q&A sessions, allowing audiences to connect with the brand on a deeper level.
Moreover, Instagram notifies all followers when a live session begins, encouraging immediate engagement. Viewers can react, comment, and even request to join the live session, fostering a sense of community and interaction. Additionally, Instagram Live supports collaboration, enabling marketers to invite co-hosts or guests to join the session for dynamic discussions, which can be viewed by the guest’s audience as well.
Beyond engagement, Instagram Live is a valuable tool for generating potential leads. Marketers can use live sessions to address audience questions in real time, soliciting questions beforehand to ensure a focused discussion. This interactive format not only strengthens community ties but also boosts overall Instagram engagement, making it a powerful asset for marketers looking to connect with their audience in meaningful ways.
Remix
The Remix feature on Instagram allows users to create Reels incorporating photos or videos posted by other users. This feature offers a creative way to produce reaction videos, provide engaging commentary on existing posts, or show support for fellow users. Additionally, users can utilize Remix to sing duets with other content creators, further enhancing collaboration and interaction on the platform.
Carousels
One of my favorite Instagram features for maximizing content reach is the carousel format. As a social media management tool, our focus is on empowering entrepreneurs, startups, and agencies to leverage social media effectively, driving business growth, boosting sales, and educating followers within their realms of influence.
Carousels, with their ability to showcase multiple photos in a single post, offer brands a powerful tool for presenting their products to potential customers. This format not only enhances product visibility but also enables interactive content creation, allowing brands to educate customers about their services or share compelling brand stories.
For Social Champ, a carousel highlighting the benefits of posting content on LinkedIn proved exceptionally effective, as evidenced by the attached screenshot. Within just 24 hours, this carousel garnered increased followers for our Instagram account, drove customer conversions, and boosted website traffic significantly. It exemplifies the impact of leveraging Instagram carousels to drive engagement and achieve business objectives.
Reel templates
Editing Instagram Reels can be challenging, especially when using the in-app program. Thankfully, there are free alternative solutions available. Reel templates offer a user-friendly approach to creating high-quality videos. These templates automatically clip selected videos to a predetermined time frame often synced to the beat of a chosen song. This results in a professionally edited video in seconds, simplifying the process for content creators.
Stories Highlights
Among the latest Instagram features, Stories Highlights has garnered widespread popularity, including among myself and many others. While Instagram stories vanish after 24 hours, Highlights offer a lasting presence on the profile.
With Instagram Stories Highlights, brands can ensure their most impactful story updates remain accessible on their profile for visitors. Instagram saves these Highlights at the top of the profile page, providing followers with easy access to curated content. Marketers leverage this feature to showcase special events, compile customer reviews, share quotes or tips, and much more—all in one convenient location.
Captions
To ensure maximum accessibility for your Reels, consider adding captions. Captioning the audio in your Reels is invaluable for individuals who may be deaf or hard of hearing. It’s also beneficial for those who watch Reels silently, perhaps while their partner sleeps nearby.
Instagram provides a convenient solution by offering automatic captions. Tap the sticker button and select Captions. While Instagram may not always transcribe the audio perfectly, you can manually edit each word by tapping the text. Additionally, you can customize the captions’ font using the options at the bottom of your screen.
FAQs
What are some key Instagram features that can streamline my online experience?
Instagram offers several features designed to enhance efficiency and convenience for users. Some notable ones include.
How can Instagram’s “Save” feature benefit me?
The “Save” feature allows you to bookmark posts privately for later reference. Whether it’s inspiration for your next project or a recipe you want to try, you can easily organize and access saved content at any time.
What is the significance of Instagram’s “Close Friends” feature?
The “Close Friends” feature enables you to share select posts with a curated list of contacts. This feature fosters intimacy and privacy, allowing you to connect more deeply with specific individuals in your network.
How does Instagram’s “Shopping” feature simplify the shopping experience?
The “Shopping” feature transforms Instagram into a virtual storefront, allowing businesses to tag products in their posts and stories. Users can seamlessly browse and purchase items directly from the app, streamlining the online shopping process.
Can Instagram’s “Filters” feature enhance the quality of my content?
Instagram offers a variety of filters and editing tools to enhance the visual appeal of your photos and videos. Whether you’re aiming for a polished aesthetic or a creative flair, these tools empower you to elevate your content effortlessly.
How can Instagram’s “Insights” feature help me track my performance?
The “Insights” feature provides valuable analytics and metrics to help you gauge the effectiveness of your posts and strategies. From audience demographics to engagement metrics, these insights empower you to make informed decisions and optimize your content strategy.
Are there any other lesser-known Instagram features that I should be aware of?
Instagram continually introduces new features and updates to enhance user experience. Explore features such as IGTV for long-form video content, Stories Highlights for curated collections of stories, and Reels for short-form video content creation.
Conclusion
Instagram’s array of features serves as a powerful toolkit for streamlining and enhancing various aspects of our online lives. From saving and organizing content to fostering intimate connections with close friends, Instagram offers functionalities that cater to diverse needs and objectives. The platform’s evolution, spurred by competitive pressures and user demands, has led to the introduction of innovative tools such as shopping tags and insightful analytics.
As users, we can leverage these features to simplify our shopping experiences, elevate the quality of our content, and gain valuable insights into our performance. Moreover, Instagram’s commitment to ongoing innovation ensures that new features will continue to enrich our digital experiences, further solidifying its status as an indispensable platform for personal and professional growth alike.
