Melanie
Welcome to the Monday Morning Marketing Podcast for all decision makers and action takers. Take it away, Esther.
Esther
Good morning and welcome to another episode of the Monday Morning Marketing Podcast. Today, we're talking about all the changes that have been going on over at Instagram, because let's face it, there's been a lot. Where do we even begin? Okay, short rant before we start. Why is social media always making changes?
Melanie
Because people get complacent, I suspect. If you don't update and change things, you can't expect performance to improve. There'll be no barometer to measure it against. And they see that their competitors are changing and updating something, so feel compelled to do something similar.
Esther
You're so wise. I just rant and say, Can it all just not be like the good old days? Which probably was really bad if you actually think back on it. But okay, Instagram has made many changes, and they seem to launch them all at once, didn't they? Because there's been the change to the image sizes, which is probably the one that people have noticed the most.
Melanie
That was the biggest one, wasn't it? It was overnight.
Esther
It went from being square to being 4 to 5 ratio. So four one way and five up. Four long, five up. If you're watching the video, I'm doing the wee, four along and five up. So You can go and figure out how many pixels and stuff that is, but literally it's four to five instead of one to one, which then makes all your old images look really weird if you go into your grid. Yeah.
Melanie
Yeah, pretty much.
Esther
Okay. So first of all, if you're listening to this, do you actually go into people's grids? That would be my first question.
Melanie
Yes.
Esther
You do?
Melanie
I do. To suss out who... Actually, it's not the technically, the grid I look at, it's the bio area, the top bit. So I just got followed by somebody yesterday and I went over and had a look at their information, their image. Then if it seemed interesting enough, I would also look through the grid, but maybe I operate differently. You?
Esther
I do sometimes go through the grid. Just sometimes it's out of nosiness to see what they have pinned there. Sometimes it's to see what things are working well for them and what things they're sharing about. I do it more of a research rather than if I'm going to follow somebody.
Melanie
You're not going to admit you're a stalker, are you?
Esther
Oh, I'm a stalker. I have no problem admitting that in the most legal sense of the word. I do not do anything illegal. But no, I just love lurking. I'm a lurker, not a stalker. But yeah, so the change of the Instagram size has really freaked a lot of people out. And the questions that I was seeing online were, should we go back and change our other images.
Melanie
Oh, hell no, that would be awful. That would be awful.
Esther
Could you imagine? So, yeah, no. The advice was, no, don't, because as people are scrolling, they'll just see it'll look normal. It'll only look weird if they go to your grid. So don't be like Melanie. Don't go and look at the grid. Which then brings up the point of you don't need your grid to be perfect. That'll be a whole other episode about the aesthetics of your grid. But Something else that they've changed up then is the reels. And you mentioned this in your intro to my rant, that because another social media platform that uses video has lengthened the length of time that you can do your short form. Short form.
Melanie
So we're not talking YouTube now, huh?
Esther
No, no. We're talking one that starts with a T, twice. And I don't know how 10 minutes is short form. But anyway, reels have changed to now being able to do three minute reels, which obviously for me won't make a difference because I don't do reels. But how are you finding that one, Melanie?
Melanie
In some ways, I think it will make things easier because especially when you're talking about explaining something to your customer, bridging the information and leaving time to do an intro, bridging the information than an outro with a call to action, it doesn't leave you a huge amount of time to actually give any real value. So I think giving up to three minutes is better, but your audience will need to be particularly invested in what you have to say, because although they may have made the duration longer, I can't imagine the attention span has improved enormously at the same time.
Esther
No, and that would have been my first to the three minutes. Attention spans, I don't know. I have been reading recently that those are all just lies and that people do actually have a good attention span, hence why the other platform has increased their 10 minutes because if it's good information, if it's valuable information, people will stick around. Movies are still three, four hours long and people still watch movies. So the whole-.
Melanie
But they get time to understand the character and become invested in the character. In some ways, I think largely because they've upped the ante, the TT, I think it's more because they're finding that more of their creators are moving over to YouTube because they're getting more money there, as well as a longer set of eyeballs, the comments tend to be cleaner and more easy to edit in fairness. So I think they've got a fair way to go just yet in competing directly So you're working directly with YouTube.
Esther
Yeah. Well, sticking with reels, you can now do trial reels, which means that you can upload reels to non-followers first. Before your followers see it, to see how they perform. Which is, remember back to, I think it was the first year that we were recording the podcast, and you were talking about doing trial videos on Facebook, like doing trial lives and only showing it to a select number of people or just doing it privately so that you can get recorded.
Melanie
Facebook at the time, yeah.
Esther
Yeah. So it's along that idea, but it's non-followers. So it's people that don't know you at all, don't follow you, have never heard of you before. So I don't really see how you can judge the performance of that if they have no idea who you are.
Melanie
But I can see that that would be a great way to monetise your followers. If you want to see more value, more detail, more specific content that is tailored to your followers, you have to become a follower. I think that may get rid of the spammers as well. But you see, I think they're gating that content It's probably the wrong platform. I think that's really something that should either be done through email. Mind you, I suppose it could be a bit of a stick in the mud as well. But there could be better platforms that you can bring your audience over to gated areas And so that they then feel it's more personable. I don't feel you get that personal relationship through Instagram the same way as you would on other platforms.
Esther
It's one of those weird ones. I mean, it does seem to be less personable, but that's also some of the changes that they're making, that you can now, okay, I'll I'll get to those other changes. Let's just stick to the release for a minute.
Melanie
But we still got broadcasts, don't we? We've already got broadcast. We have broadcast for a long time. So how is this different?
Esther
Good question. Answers on a postcard. Look, the whole reels thing, obviously, I don't do reels, so I'm not the person to ask.
Melanie
Hey, you used to.
Esther
Well, yeah, but that also seems like a long time ago. But it's... Obviously, the way social media is going is that everything is being focused on video and everything, all the social media platforms are focusing on video. I think possibly Pinterest is the only one that's still not, but I could be wrong.
Melanie
It does have video. It has video ads.
Esther
Oh, does it?
Melanie
Yeah. It does have short form video as well. But it's just not seen as much.
Esther
No. But it's definitely the way things are going. And again, with another change that Instagram's made, to help you create your Reels is a new video creation app with editing tools, auto-enhancing features, effects, just like that. Yeah, just like that other platform that has gone before it. And is this going to be a case of who does it better? Is it a case of second past the post is the first loser? I don't know. I don't think the meta team have invested enough in their Instagram end of things, to be perfectly honest.
Melanie
We're so cynical, aren't we?
Esther
No, to be perfectly honest, Instagram could have taken off far better than it has because it had all these things in place Before, we're just going to have to say it because all these code words are just getting annoying now. Before TikTok came along, before YouTube Shorts came along, Instagram was the forerunner.
Melanie
It was. It was the granddaddy.
Esther
It was. So are all these changes too little too late or are they getting to the point where they're-.
Melanie
No, I don't think so. When we look at LinkedIn, for instance, how many years did it take them to do flipping scheduling? Seriously, lads, how long did it take them? And it hasn't harmed them at all. The only reason why it's bothering us so much, Esther, is because we use so many different platforms.
Esther
True.
Melanie
We are not true Instagramers, either of us.
Esther
No, we're not a one platform person.
Melanie
No. And I think this would be extremely precious and very useful to the true Instagram creators out there because it gives them more resources and different ways to repurpose content, to visit their audience at different stages of the sales process. Even the notes, which I still think is really random.
Esther
Yes.
Melanie
Do you remember MSN Messenger? We put down in MSM Messenger, gone shopping, off to buy flowers, gone to the loo. We're hopping back to really old days. It's quite a retro thing, I think.
Esther
To the good old days when things were simpler. No, I'm just joking, guys.
Melanie
Nothing was ever simpler.
Esther
No. Things have moved on, but for the better. But, yeah, it's those notes and you can do it. You've been able to do it on WhatsApp as well, like putting a little notes on your profile to say, not available, call only or message only or whatever. So it's something that they're rolling out across all of their platforms with Meta. I don't know. Those are the main things that I think for creators is a good thing. Now for users-.
Melanie
Oh, can you clarify, actually, is that just on creator profiles or just on professional profiles or on both profiles? Or can you also find it on the personal profile as well.
Esther
I think it's on all of them.
Melanie
Cool.
Esther
Pretty sure it's on all of them. I have yet to see anything that says that it's not on all of them. I only have a personal and a business. I don't have a creator one, but it's on both of the ones that I have. So I'm assuming that's also on creator. Let me know in the comments if I'm wrong.
Melanie
If you see it, could you let us know? We'll update our information.
Esther
Yeah. So something then for users, like stalkers and lurkers like myself, users can comment on stories and customize settings on stories. So it used to just be like the stories were there. They were nice to look at and watch and then just move on. And the comment, if you comment on the story, it would go to their inbox, their DM. Now you can comment on the story and people will see the stories. Sorry, the comments on the stories. You can add music to your profiles. You can schedule direct messages up to 29 days in advance. Now, that would be quite good if you've got something coming out, if you've got an event that's going to be happening and you want to just do a blast, then you can have a thing going out and schedule it.
Melanie
Just to followers again or to everyone?
Esther
That one doesn't say, but I presume it's just to followers, that one, because that would be a bit random to-.
Melanie
Because it sounds like broadcasts, doesn't it?
Esther
It does, but it sounds It's a bit random if it was for everyone.
Melanie
It could be interesting to schedule that, though. I didn't know they could schedule that, so that's cool.
Esther
Yeah. And there's a little bit of, because there was a bit of controversy recently around meta taking away the fact finding that they were doing.
Melanie
The fact checking, yeah.
Esther
Yeah. So a little bit of security that they have brought in is screenshot blocking. So this is when you take a screenshot of DMs. So if DMs are in Vanish mode or when View once is active, you cannot screenshot those.
Melanie
That's cool. I like how Snapchat let you know that somebody has screenshots. I think that's really good.
Esther
Yeah. I think that would be a better use of it rather than blocking, because Because, yeah, obviously there's always the other person that can be there with their other phone taking a photo of your screen. So none of these are foolproof in any way. But-.
Melanie
I wonder if it works if you screen record. You know on your phone, you can screen record. Can anybody who's got this, can you screen record and let us know? Okay? Thank you.
Esther
So obviously, AI is still a big one. So AI video tools, the ability to see what reels your friends have liked, removing highlight bubbles above the profiles, and removing of the option to follow hashtags.
Melanie
Oh, no, they're going to get rid of the highlights.
Esther
Yes, they're going to get rid of the highlights. That one was one that I really liked, especially as a creator. Especially as a creator, you could then go in and highlight the different things that you've been doing.
Melanie
Because you can leave testimonials completed projects, events that you've attended or done. That would be a real shame. Are they just going to go? Are they going to phase out?
Esther
I'm assuming they're just going to go because they don't really phase things out. That's not good. Yeah. No, I would like something in its place for that one because when I go and lurk and follow people who are making recipes, for example, I like to click into the different ones and see what has been done using meat or using chicken or using veg and it's easier, breakfast, lunch and dinner when they're highlighted like that. Now, the highlighting of the... Sorry, the hashtag one, did see a Reel the other day from the creator of Instagram, Adam, what's his name? I can never pronounce his surname. But we know who we're talking about. The original, the OG of Instagram has said that hashtags are dead. You don't need to use hashtags on your Instagram posts.
Melanie
Too many people are listening to Elon right now. This is just getting crazy. So how's the Discover tab going to work?
Esther
Well, you can't follow hashtags anymore.
Melanie
So how's the Discover tab going to work?
Esther
It'll probably disappear, too.
Melanie
That is bonkers. So it's becoming a broadcast platform rather than a social platform.
Esther
I would say so. It's looking that way.
Melanie
That's not how it should work.
Esther
I mean, we don't own an Instagram. If we owned any of these social media platforms, one would be really rich and famous. But two, we'd keep them social.
Melanie
Do you know what we need to do? We need to bring this up as a conversation at a certain event.
Esther
We do.
Melanie
We do.
Esther
But yeah, so it'll be interesting. And obviously, Instagram, along with all the other social media platforms, is constantly updating its algorithm to improve user experience and content visibility. We'll see just how useful this new...
Melanie
So what about UGC? How is How is it going to be possible if it's all broadcast?
Esther
I don't know. I'd say tagging inside the post. It's...
Melanie
I don't know. How is this like TikTok? This is nothing like TikTok.
Esther
No, but But it is going on towards reels and reels and reels. So, yeah.
Melanie
Wow.
Esther
Lots and lots of changes, lots of things that we're going to have to start implementing if you want to be seen in this new algorithm. Sorry, in this improved algorithm. And, yeah, good luck and may the forces be with you. That's all I have to say with that one.
Melanie
Wow, it just sounds enormous, doesn't it? It just sounds so So many changes. And this was all in such a short space of time.
Esther
Yeah, yeah. We always detect when something's going to happen with meta because there's an outage.
Melanie
It's a glitch of some description.
Esther
Some glitch. But yeah, this one seems pretty big. A lot of things coming on and a lot of things going off.
Melanie
Okay. Well, I hope you guys have found this as interesting as I have. If you've got anything that you want to answer, because we asked a couple of questions there. If there's any responses you want to give, you're welcome to leave it in the comments below, or you're obviously welcome to DM myself and Esther directly through LinkedIn. Probably the easiest way, isn't it?
Esther
Probably at this point.
Melanie
Because we would love to get those answers. Hey, if you're interested, we may even get you onto the podcast to answer those questions for us. So hopefully we won't have to put it with another waft of Instagram updates for a little while. But we'll be back next week with another podcast, and hopefully we'll move on to Instagram.
Esther
Hopefully. Bye, guys.
Melanie
Bye.
