This year has certainly been one of the most influential and unpredictable yet. Throughout it all, people have been using social media sites like Instagram to connect with others and gain access to information. Keep reading to learn more about how this year shaped Instagram and the experience of its users.
New Stickers For Instagram Stories
In order to promote the importance of social distancing to help stop the spread of COVID-19, Instagram released the “Stay Home” sticker that users could add to their stories. Public stories with the “Stay Home” sticker would appear in a collected Story stream. By using the “Stay Home” sticker, users could share their lockdown experiences and encourage others to practice social distancing.
Instagram released interactive food order and gift card stickers that businesses could add to their Stories. The purpose of these stickers is to help small businesses reach out and connect with their customers during lockdown. By enabling the purchase of gift cards and food ordering through select partners, these gift cards helped customers support their favorite small businesses.
The addition of a “Donate” sticker allows users to promote fundraisers that have been set up through Facebook. Users can share and encourage others to donate to fundraisers benefiting businesses, organizations, and individuals by posting Stories with the “Donate” sticker.
Shops on Instagram
To help small businesses adapt to the pandemic, Instagram launched Shops. Instagram users can visit these online storefronts directly from businesses’ profiles or through Feed and Stories. Shops operate in Instagram’s in-app browser. As a result, visitors can search, browse, and purchase products without ever having to leave the Instagram app.
Suggested Posts
An update that has gotten mixed reviews from users is the addition of Suggested Posts. Once users have seen every post made by accounts they follow, their feed will let them know that they are “All Caught Up.” Suggested Posts will then be displayed on users’ feeds to introduce them to content made by accounts that they do not follow yet. Suggested Posts are supposed to be recommended based on who users follow. This sounds similar to the feature of the Explore page. However, the posts that are shown in Suggested Posts will be different from the content shown on a user’s explore page. Suggested Posts introduce users to new accounts and content. Many users feel that they would prefer their feed to only show posts from accounts that they follow. Some users are also frustrated that posts do not show up in their Feeds in chronological order.
Reels
The popularity of short-form video content has made its way to Instagram. In a move that appears to be capitalizing on the success and popularity of TikTok, Instagram released Reels. Originally capped at 15 seconds, Reels have now had their limits extended to 30 seconds. Users can create Reels directly in the Instagram app. Features like audio from the Instagram music library and augmented reality effects make Reels fun and customizable. 
Addressing Social and Political Issues
Instagram implemented several updates and features to help its users navigate through information about social and political issues. Some of these features include fact-checking on posts and the Voting Information Center.
Instagram implemented these features to filter out and reduce the spread of misinformation surrounding the pandemic, racial inequality, and 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. Instagram has also explained that it may temporarily hide recent posts on all hashtags to limit the spread of false information.
This year has reminded us how much social connection matters. We know that social media is constantly shaping the way people interact with one another, especially customers and businesses. Stay up to date on all things social media by checking out our case studies and blogs, or contact us for a free social media evaluation!
