During a weekly Q&A, head of Instagram Adam Mosseri addressed a question about photographers losing faith in the platform. After originally launching as a photo-sharing platform, it’s clearly evolved with a clear focus on video, with all videos on the platform being converted to ‘Reels’ in July 2022. While Reels is a popular feature for a lot of people, some users have started to feel penalised by the shift in focus. Mosseri appeared to admit the algorithm changes went too far toward video content:

Brands are constantly having to pivot their social media strategies to work alongside the ever-changing algorithm. It can be difficult to keep up with these constant tweaks and changes, costing both time and resources.

So what does this mean for the future of Instagram? Mosseri said:

Key Takeaways

We’re looking at a balanced playing field for photos and videos in future content plans, a mixture of both will help keep your audience engaged. Regardless of how things are weighted, the formula will always be: more engagement means more reach, more reach means more chance for engagement, which can then further reach. So, you need to focus on creating content that is engaging for your audience and supports your business objectives.

For example, if you are looking to educate your audience then you may want to consider how video content can help you share complex information in short simple clips. Alternatively, if you’re looking to build trust with your audience then you may re-share images from your customers utilising your product; these might be static single images.

The most important thing will always be to find what works for your audience while driving the relative objective. A user may spend their precious seconds watching your video and then scroll onwards, but you may want them to spend those precious seconds on your website instead - this means you need to choose a format that gets them away from the platform quicker.

Invest time and resources into a strong social media strategy, identify your audience and clearly define the content that will resonate with them.

Our social media team can help you develop a social media strategy to help reach your audience and create engaging content. Contact us today to find out more.