Instagram updates - what's happened so far in 2022
Jun 24, 2022June updates
Lets start with the most recent updates first…and 2 which I have on my account!
First, alot of you have noticed that you can now pin 3 posts to the top of your profile. This is similar to how you can pin posts in a FB group. Not only can you pin posts, you can also pin REELS! ( I predicted this back in my 2nd February blog! ) 
How can this help your business on Instagram?
When any user comes to your account you now have a choice of the posts you want them to see, before this update they would see the last 3 posts or reels you shared. Now YOU get to decide!
Think about this as your shop window...give users a taste of what they can expect from your account...share your best bits, offers, tips or hacks to get users attention and encourage them to keep looking!
The next update is the Mentions in stories ( Predicted March 15th blog ) now you maybe thinking, you can already add mentions in stories however you can now GO BACK after you have shared and add in mentions...cool right!
So why is this a good feature to help you grow your business on Instagram?
Instagram stories are still a brilliant way to engage with your audience...these are the people who already follow you!
Now, not only can you share your stories with your audience you can go back and mention people after you have shared and they can share your story too...another cool thing about this update is that you also seem to be able to interact with the engagement stickers from the share ( which you couldnt do before )
Ive tried it and it worked for me and my pal Liz Rowe ( check out her account here shes amazing @liz_chesil_infinity ) however this is only currently for the sliding emjois…IG are working on introducing Question stickers in reels too. Another brilliant way you will be able to use the reach of reels to really connect with your audience.
So this new feature is actually a double whammy...not only will it help you get more eyes on your account via a new audience, you can also double up on your engagement as the interaction will work with anyone else you mention too!
Another cool update which is only in the USA is the Amber Alerts which notify you if a child goes missing in your area. Brilliant update!
You may also have noticed that you can now create reels using TEMPLATES!
This new feature means that its easier than ever to create your own original content in minutes.
The templates tab is just above the username on a reel and the feature allows you to simply upload your images, Instagram do the rest and voila, your very own reel in sync to the latest cool audio!
Not only do we now have templates Instagram have also introduced 90 second reels AND interactive stickers in stories!
Again, this is Instagram encouraging us to create amazing video content as easily as possible!
Have you tried using a poll in your reels? Its a great way to build even more engagement!
Check out our FREE 7 day Insta Reels challenge for more hints and tips to help you rock insta reels.
and my final update for the month, and a very welcome one too.
Instagram this week announced the Nudge feature. This is to help younger users explore a more varied style of content. This has been launched in the hope that it will break the cycle of viewing damaging material on the platform. When a user has viewed a number of the same style of post, Instagram will now pop up and suggest you may like this content to. Nice to see Instagram starting to put more protective measures in place.
May updates
May was pretty quiet when it came to Instagram updates. We of course had the new feed option, where YOU get to decide what sort of content you want to see more of ( check out the full blog post here https://www.immortalmonkey.co.uk/blog/newinstagramfeed
Did you know in May Instagram also improved their accessibility options so that people who are hard of hearing have a better experience. Instagram have helped by adding text for screen readers but you can go a step further in creative more inclusive content by adding your own Alt Text and closed captions in your reels, this is a super cool feature we cover in our FREE Reels challenge!
April updates
In April Instagram introduced even more ways to edit in reels ( which has been a game changer for me, as someone who edits 99% natively in app ) You can now add new media and reorder your clips.
They also introduced the Share highlight as reel feature. Another easy way for you to be able to share the best bits that you keep in your highlights, to the most lucrative part of Instagram…reels. Simply tap the highlight, tap the 3dots at the bottom and select convert to reel…and other really simple easy way to create Instagram reels by repurposing old content.
Learn more about reels in our FREE 7 Day challenge!
March updates
In March Instagram announced a new feature named Enhanced tags that enables you to tag all the contributors and collaborators in your post.
This means that now you can give credit to all people “behind the scenes”. You can tag the makeup artists, photographers, designers and other businesses in your post and make it easier for them to be recognized as creators and find new opportunities.
In March Instagram also introduced the bulk delete option with posts, a great time saving feature. They also gave us the Moderators on lives feature. This is one I suggest you check out. As we now know Instagram are really focusing on video content and that means live video too, so rather than having to worry about keeping your room in check when you go live, you can now focus on sharing your content whilst a person you nominate moderators for you!
Another update which I have been using is the multiple options in polls. Inside your IG story stickers the poll sticker now has more than 2 options which means you can open up the conversation even more with your viewers!
February updates
The updates and new features we coming thick and fast in February!
In February Instagram rolled out their 3d avatars…not really one for business but they do look pretty cool on your stories!
They also introduced a cool Sound effects feature in reels…you can find out more in our blog
The Quick send in DMs also dropped this month which means you can easily send images from your feed to the last 4 people you interacted with.
90 sec reels we also introduced…this has been predicted a while ago and will be a great new feature for those creators that want to create more longer form content and finally February was the month we also saw the Share reels to Facebook feature arrive which means you can share your content to an ever wider audience with the tap of a button!
January Updates
In January we saw the Scheduled live feature drop on IG. This was a great feature I have seen lost of people using since it launched. Not only does this show on your feed with a little icon on your post but it also appears on your bio so anyone who visits will see it and be able to switch on a reminder too!
So there we have it…just a few of my favourite updates that have been happening over the first half of 2022!
You can stay up to date with all the latest updates, tricks and hacks over inside the IM Instagram Gang on Facebook.
