To stay relevant and compete with other platforms such as TikTok, Instagram continues to rapidly develop and introduce exciting new features for users. In our May newsletter, we spoke about how to use TikTok for marketing, how it compares to Reels from Instagram, and how short video content is becoming increasingly important for marketing. Instagram’s new features and functionalities not only give users greater control over how they use the app, but also helps business and facilitates users in supporting these businesses.
1. Link Sticker: Replacing the Swipe Up Option
Instagram removed the swipe option to share links that was only available to users with 10k followers or more, and made it more accessible to everyone, replacing the swipe option with stickers.
These link stickers can now be different styles and sizes, and users can also place the link sticker anywhere they want. Users can now also react to these stories that have link stickers, a feature that was not possible previously with the swipe option.
2. IG Live: Option to Turn off Audio & Video
Similar to Clubhouse, Instagram users can now choose to turn off their audio or video (or both) during Instagram lives. This allows users to participate in the conversation with their followers or other participants in the live with none of the obligation to show anything or say anything. This feature also allows users to momentarily pause from participating in the IG live without interrupting or pausing the live for other people that may be on the live.
3. Remixing Reels
On TikTok, there’s duet. Now on Instagram, there’s remix.
Instagram released a function that allows users to include other people’s content within theirs, remixing the original content and adding their own twist or tidbit to it. The original creator is notified when someone remixes their reels. Content creators can disable the remix feature and other users will not be able to remix their original content.
How to remix a reel:
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Click on the reels you want to remix
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Click on the three dots in the upper right corner or the bottom right corner if you watch the video from the app’s dedicated Reel’s tab
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Tap remix this reel button
4. Captions Sticker
Users can now add automatic captions to stories as a sticker!
Instagram has also included in the feature, a function which allows users to translate the caption in over 90 languages. When another language other than English is detected, there will be a See Translations banner that will appear in the upper left hand corner of the story.
To use this feature, users can click on the blue sticker that says captions and the audio of the story will begin transcribing. Once it’s done, users will have the option to change the style, text, or color of the captions. Users can also edit or correct any typos in the auto-generated captions.
5. Audio Tab to Discover Videos that Feature a Song
In order to see which songs or audio clips are trending on Reels or to see which videos have used a certain track or audio, users can now use the audio tab to search for the specific track or audio clip. Videos that have used that audio clip will then all appear under the audio tab.