The best Instagram features of 2023 and what to look out for in 2024!

Reels

The spotlight continues to shine on Reels and Stories, with new filters, audio enhancements, and an improved drafting process. Imagine being able to choose from a range of fresh English text-to-speech voices, each adding a unique twist to your content. These voices, alongside a diverse selection of text fonts and styles, bring a new level of creativity and personalisation.

But there's more. Meta is blending the worlds of memes and personal media. The integration of audio clips into Reels through the GIF "Clip Hub" is a clever touch. It's like adding a dash of viral magic to your own photos and videos, a surefire way to engage and entertain.

Notes feature

The notes feature which was launched in 2023, check out the blog for more details allows followers to see a short message at the top of their DMs, a great way to get attention if used correctly. In 2024 we can look forward to location tags on notes, a great way to direct traffic to your business location, restaurant, event.

Instagram is currently testing a new feature that will allow users to post selfie videos in Notes.

Soon, you’ll be able to update your default profile photo in Notes with a short, looping video.

This feature adds a dynamic layer to your profile, making it more engaging and interactive. In a world where visual content reigns supreme, this feature is a step forward in making your Instagram Notes more personalised and captivating. It’s not just about text anymore; now, you can express yourself more vividly and authentically.

For brands and businesses, this opens up a new avenue for user-generated content. Imagine running a campaign where your audience updates their Notes with a video showing off your product. It’s a win-win: they get to be creative, and you get authentic, eye-catching content.

You can post a video Note by going to your inbox, tapping on your photo in the Notes tray and then clicking the camera button on top of your photo. From there, you can tap the record button to record a two-second video. Once you’re happy with the video, you can choose to add text and then post it.

Let me know if you have this feature yet!

Instagram Threads 

Instagram Threads caused a huge wave in 2023 with more than 70 million users in the first 48 hours of launch. Find out all about Instagram threads in the full blog post Wondering what will happen to Threads in 2024 and should you continue to spend your time using the app? Find out my thoughts here

Creating posts from stories with links back to a highlight

This feature was launched late in 2023 and has not received the welcome I expected. This feature is one that is pretty hidden and most don’t really know about. A great for targeting attention on older products or things you want users to go to directly from the feed.

This is one feature I predict will be used more as the year progresses. You can check out what it looks like here 

Scheduling on IG

A groundbreaking addition for creator accounts is the ability to schedule posts directly within the Instagram app. This feature was introduced back in the summer of 2023.

Whether you're a content creator or a business, this feature offers convenience by enabling you to set a specific publication date for your posts. Unfortunately, cross-posting to other Instagram accounts or different social media platforms isn't supported. To schedule your posts within the app, access Advanced Settings while creating your post and click on "Schedule" to set the desired publication time. This feature is gradually rolling out and should be accessible to all users soon.

Check out more about scheduling your posts in this blog

60 second stories

Instagram is gradually implementing another handy feature. It allows users to upload Instagram Stories for up to 60 seconds long, without the ever-frustrating cuts after every 15 seconds.

It’s definitely a very useful feature; the playback of your Story clip will be smoother, and you can include all the user mentions, tags, locations, links, etc. in one longer Story – no need to repeat the process after every 15 seconds, yay!

Collaborating

Another useful feature which arrived in 2023 is the on post/reel collaboration which means you can now create joint posts. The post will appear both on your feed and on your collaborator’s profile. To create a joint post, you need to create your regular post (Reels also work), then click on Tag people, and then on Invite collaborator. Ta da!

This a great feature for those business that are starting to work with influencers as part of their marketing campaigns. You can find out more about influencer marketing in this article.

Collaborations on carousel posts

One to watch in 2024 is collaborations on carousel posts. Instagram is testing a new setting for users to invite friends to post photos in a carousel and this should hopefully arrive in 2024.

So, before publishing a carousel, users can turn on a setting allowing their followers to submit photos or videos in their feed. Of course, there will be an option to approve to include the posts in the original carousel post. This has the potential for collaboration and fun within the users’ feeds.

A brilliant feature especially for those businesses who include influencer marketing as part of their overall marketing strategy and a brilliant way to share UGC, another feature which I think will be huge in 2024. You can read more about this in this recent article.

 Shopping

Facebook (or now: Meta) has been strongly investing in developing its eCommerce side by introducing Facebook and Instagram Shops that are accessible directly in the apps. Thanks to this, businesses can create customizable catalogs of their products that users can browse, save, share, and purchase from.

This needs to be first set up, but once you do, you can showcase your products using many different options, like adding a cover image or picking a color theme to add a unique look and feel to your online store.

Users can access Facebook Shops through Facebook Pages, Instagram accounts, or even through Stories and ads. It’s now possible to purchase a product without leaving the app!

Instagram is adding a nearby story feature, emphasizing the importance of tagging content with location to reach people close to you. Use location on posts and stories. This also helps when people search maps. Want to know more about how to attract your ideal clients via location? Check out this blog

Find out more about social shopping trends in this article from national world.

Polls in comments

Another feature to look out for in 2024 is the option to post polls in the comments. Instagram is introducing a new feature that allows users to add polls to the comment sections of Reels and feed posts, which Mosseri claims will add new ways to interact with friends and creators.

Polls, already popular in Stories and DMs, offer a simple way for audiences to communicate, often providing very valuable insights.

So there we have it, a few of the best features to drop in 2023 and a few to look out for in 2024.

If you need help in creating an upto date strategy to ensure your business is making more impact on Instagram, why not drop me an email to [email protected] or check out the website for ways in which I can support you.

As always, I would love to know if you spot any of the features I have mentioned. Screenshot and share with me via Instagram stories @estellekeeberofficial