#087 - Instagram is putting all of its eggs in one basket (and what it means for you)

We discuss the rise of not-so-recommended ways to hack the Instagram algorithm. We are seeing users running photo-focused accounts have realised they’re likely to get more views of their posts by turning them into ultrashort videos because the app’s algorithm seems to be prioritising videos over still images. The experience is akin to looking at a static image to the user. But to the app, it seems to count as a video.

Fab shares her recent experience with ads (and Becca echoes her frustrations) and why Reels are booming in the paid space. It may be due to the fact Meta’s taking its battle against TikTok to the next stage with the full launch of Reels on Facebook, using the platform’s massive scale to capitalise on the popularity of short-form video content.

With Reels continuing to drive strong engagement on Instagram, the Meta-owned social app is looking to further lean into short-form video consumption while simplifying its broader video offering to help users and creators make the most of their content opportunities. It’s no surprise that Instagram has announced that it will soon shut down its separate IGTV app while it’s also removing its in-stream video ads option.

We talk about accessibility and why it matters (and what we hope to see in the future across platforms as Instagram has now taken its captioning efforts to the next step, with the addition of auto-generated captions in Instagram feed videos. Finally, we have a few thoughts for Instagram Stories likes. The feature enables you to ‘like’ any Story in your feed - which makes us wonder: do we REALLY need this?