Instagram Makes Changes to Compete Directly with TikTok

Meta has launched new updates for Instagram that are currently being tested on accounts selected by its team. The latest changes come in addition to a series of announcements that include a complete redesign to give the official app a new look.

“Instagram wants to get closer to Tiktok, one of the most successful social media apps, and therefore is adding updates specifically targeted at content creators,“ explains Enan López, partner, and CMO of the agency White Rabbit. "In addition to new fonts, logo, and full-screen content design, Instagram now offers the possibility of pinning 3 contents at the beginning of the feed.

While pinned posts have always been part of Facebook albums, the reality is that this feature is used to a greater extent in TikTok. Thus Instagram has launched the test period of this new feature that will surely be implemented in all accounts in the short term.

“The new updates are currently available in company accounts“, says Agustina Chiaravalli, Social Media and Digital Manager at White Rabbit. “This way, products or services can be highlighted for as long as we consider useful in the feed, making it easier for users to learn more about the brand, promotions, and specific products“, she adds.

For marketing experts, it opens up the possibility of turning a user's profile into a gallery that displays what is most important to them, which is especially useful for brands, influencers, and photographers. In addition to the purely aesthetic changes, which surely many users will appreciate because they make the App more usable, the rest of the updates are made specifically to empower content creators.

The full-screen homepage flow test will maintain the use of the bottom navigation bar to access the Explore tab, reels, shopping, and own accounts. The new design will only affect the way content is displayed on the home, regardless of the feed. The challenge, as always, will be for the creative teams, who will have to come up with campaigns and content that readapt to Instagram's new rules.