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Instagram is constantly rolling out new features, which allows the platform to remain innovative and engaging for its users.

Whether it’s business and brands utilizing the platform to connect with their audience, content creators showcasing brand partnerships, or even individuals engaging with friends, family, and brands they love, Instagram has a little something for everyone.

It’s exciting to see how rapidly Instagram is developing new features and functionalities intended to tackle main business issues and help users support their favorite brands in a highly visual space.

With such a constant stream of updates, keeping up with what’s new on Instagram can become quite a challenge.

That’s why we’ve compiled some of the most important Instagram updates you need to know for 2022 to keep your account growing and your audience engaged.

Instagram Grid Pinning

While it’s easy to focus on the individual photos we post on Instagram, it’s just as important to pay attention to the way our photos look as a whole on our account’s grid. But why? 

When it comes to a business account, think of your Instagram as a store – this is the first thing your customers see. Your social media page is what convinces them to stay and shop around for a while. You can see store employees spending time arranging displays to get just the right look – it’s the same with social media managers and social media itself. It’s all about your presence, only in this case, it’s online. 

With Instagram’s Grid Planning feature, you can easily plan out exactly how your photos will look in-feed. You can arrange the order in which you want your photos to post, and achieve the exact aesthetic you want your business to have. This will help you build a stronger brand, increase engagement, and enhance your brand’s aesthetic. In fact, visual appeal is so important as it helps assure a sense of validity and trust amongst consumers. So, give the Grid Planning feature a try and see if your customers come back for more. 

Instagram Video Posts Are Now Reels Only

Forget your in-feed video posts, because all video content shared on IG will now be featured as reels. If you’re unfamiliar with the Reels format, it offers a new way to share video content with your audience. With a full-screen view, you are now able to capture and share your video content in a more optimized way. 

Reels also offer their own set of editing tools that will make your videos more personal between your business to your viewers. Utilizing Instagram’s new editing tools will also create a much more immersive experience for your audience than before, according to Instagram. However, you can choose to opt out of these editing features and post a video straight from your camera roll. With Reels, your account will feature its own feed specifically for video, while also incorporating the videos into your photo feed. 

As a way to expand the Reels feature even further, Instagram increased the time limit on Reels from 60 seconds to 90 second clips this past June. 

Keep in mind though, to take full advantage of this update, try filming your video content vertically. You’ll even have the option to upload a featured thumbnail so you can keep that grid looking aesthetic as always. 

60-Second Instagram Stories (Without Any Cuts)

Prior to this update, users could post Instagram stories in 15-second clips. With the new story feature, you can now post for 60 seconds with no interruptions. The 60-second story feature creates a more seamless viewing experience for users, and promotes a further push to IG’s video features within the app. 

Another plus of this feature? Text, stickers, sounds, or any other edits you add to your video will automatically be added to the entire video, rather than just the one 15 second clip. Also, your recorded video will now save to your camera roll as one single video. And as a viewer, you’ll be able to view the content as one, seamless experience.

Instagram Collabs

Instagram Collabs is a feature that allows users to collaborate on posts. Whether it’s a Reel or photo, two accounts can co-post, allowing content to simultaneously show up on both accounts’ feeds. 

Instagram Collabs is a great feature to use when working with other content creators, brands, or communities. It will allow your business or account to grow into new spaces on Instagram and expand your reach to users that you did not previously have access to. 

With expanded reach, you can expect to boost those engagement numbers, potentially increase sales or website traffic, gain new followers, and continue to build on your brand awareness.

Instagram Map Search

With the updated Map Search, users can dive even deeper into locations they choose to explore. Whether they want to search restaurants, shopping centers, entertainment areas, salons, or cafes, the new Map Search tool allows users to locate businesses via hashtags, posts, stories and guides. Previously, locations were only discoverable through posts with tagged locations. With this update, many businesses now have an increased chance at landing in front of a new potential customer.

This is an especially important feature update due to the pivot in information gathering amongst consumers. Using social media as a search engine is becoming the new norm, so honing in on this feature is extremely important for businesses of any kind.

As time and trends change, Instagram continues to change, too. Be sure to keep these updates in mind as you work on your marketing strategy so that your business can continue to thrive on social media!