Instagram has been a top social media platform for many years and continues to keep up with the trends, and continually creates new features to keep its users loyal. Recently, it was announced the long-time photo-sharing app would be making changes to keep up with their biggest rival, TikTok, which has taken the lead in the social media world. According to the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, Instagram will start experimenting with different types of videos, including immersive, entertaining, fullscreen, mobile-first video  to keep up with their competitors.

Instagram and TikTok have been competing back to back, especially after Instagram launched Reels, a copycat of TikTok, as a way to win back their audience from the rival app. However, TikTok shows no signs of giving up as well, as they keep tweaking some of their features to attract more consumers and retain the ones they already have. With their new 3-minute video feature, users can create longer videos, which keeps people glued to their screens longer. So, expect some changes to the platform if you're an Instagram user because, within the next few months, they'll start experimenting and slowly introducing their video-sharing modifications to the app and seeing how well it does.

So how do these changes affect me as a business owner? Well, if you're a business that mainly advertises your product on social media, making videos might be a good way for you to reach your target audience vs. a standard post. People who have used Reels have commented on their reels' higher reach and engagement than other Instagram content, even when using the same or similar content in different placements. Unlike TikTok, where you have to generate ideas to create entertainment or join in on unifying jokes. In addition, using Instagram  new features as an early adopter can give your business an advantage over others. Since Facebook and Instagram are owned by the same corporation, we can see similar trends with how early adopters of Facebook features tend to get more engagement and traffic on their content.

However, there are downsides to these changes. Since videos will be prioritized, we're not sure how well photos and non-video-related posts will do. For example, brands or influencers who wish to post lengthy information about a particular product or service cannot achieve much with a video feature like Reels. They'll probably have to opt for using their stories or IGTV, which unfortunately don't gain much traction like Reels. So, their potential customers might miss out on such information.

Moreover, idea generation would become hard for business owners who hardly used the video features of the app. They'll have to learn to get accustomed to it, and it may not work well for all. Coming up with written content to get engagement is already hard enough, but with videos, one will have to step up their game because if it doesn't catch the consumer's attention, it fails.

We can only hope for the best when it comes to these drastic changes. It  not an attempt to scare you of what to expect but to prepare you for what would happen, and the final decision falls into your hands on whether you'd like to experience these changes with Instagram for your business or personal use. But, remember that early adopters always enjoy the benefits of Instagram, so there is no harm in trying. Good Luck!