Update #1: Instagram is giving people free credit to shop via their platform.
The first one on our list of Instagram updates 2023 was quite a discovery for us.
We actually ran into this via our personal scrolling but weren’t able to take a screenshot.
But it was a popup from Instagram offering us a $5 or $10 to shop on our favorite Instagram shops.
Another thing we’ve been seeing- that we did take a screen share of is that Instagram is offering consumers 20% and free shipping!
This is a screen share we took from a personal account, so it’s not a business account.
If we click the hamburger icon on the profile and click Cart, it shows us our offers at the top.
Instagram is giving us 20% off our first order on Instagram as well as free shipping.
So this is consistent with the big push we’ve been seeing to transform Instagram from just a photo and video sharing app to a shopping platform.
Update #2: You can now reply to comments on your Reel, with another Reel.
Somebody commented on one of our team’s Reels on her creator account, and Instagram gave us a popup that said:
“You can now reply to a comment with a Reel that includes the comment as a sticker.
Your reply Reel will appear in the comment thread and everywhere else you share Reels.”
We’ve seen this format on TikTok, so naturally, Instagram is following suit.
If you get a lot of comments on your Reels or frequently asked questions…
…this could be a great option for you to further engage your audience while getting more exposure at the same time.
Update #3: Introduction of text to speech and voice effects on Reels.
Next on our list of Instagram updates 2023 is about Reels again.
Instagram says the text to speech feature “lives within our text tool in the Reels camera and allows an auto-generated voice to read your text aloud.
Text to speech helps you add narration without using your own voice, get creative, and add fun and humor to your Reels.”
Here you can see what the text to speech tool looks like.
Voice effect is “a tool that allows you to modify the audio and/or voiceover in your Reel.”
And here you can see what those audio controls look like.
Both of these tools just give you as a small business owner a little more creative freedom to make trendy, attention-grabbing Reels.
Update #4: Instagram is making Live badges available for U.S. creators.
They say, “by enabling badges, you can get paid for the Live content you’re creating.
Your viewers can purchase badges in increments of $0.99, $1.99, and $4.99…
…and as supporters, they receive a unique thank you message and extra visibility in your Live.”
Now, this feature will only be available to U.S. creators, ages 18 and up with at least 10,000 followers.
They also must have a creator or business account.
And lastly, they need to meet Instagram’s partner monetization policies, and remain compliant with community guidelines.
You can check to see if you’re eligible from your Professional dashboard.
And if you’re not, you can apply for monetization from that page.
This feature will not only help you bring in a little extra cash, but will also encourage engagement from your audience.
Now before we get into our and final Instagram updates 2023, we just want to say that our new social media ads training course is out now.
Check it out if you want to take your social advertising skills up a notch.
So moving on to what we think is going to be the biggest update we’ve seen from Instagram in a while.
Update #5: The return of chronological order in the algorithm..
If you’re a day 1 Instagrammer, you probably remember when the posts you saw on your feed were strictly based on the order in which they were posted.
That was replaced a few years back with an Instagram algorithm that supposedly serves you posts based on what it thinks your preferences are.
But after years of complaints from users being unhappy with the algorithm- both on the consumer side and the business owner side…
“Instagram head Adam (MOE-SERRY) Mosseri said the company is working on a version of its feed that would show users’ posts in chronological order…
…unlike its current ranking algorithm that sorts posts based on user preferences.”
And that “such a feature has apparently been in the works “for months” with Instagram targeting a launch in the first quarter of 2023.
For the last few years, small businesses and influencers have been trying to work the algorithm…
…by asking for as many likes, comments, saves, shares, and story engagements as they can get.
But even with all the engagement, a lot of their followers were still not seeing their posts.
So this one in our list of Instagram updates 2023 would be huge for small business owners.
And that’s because a chronologically-based feed would give your account more chances to get organic exposure and engagement.
But now, it is important to note that to our understanding, the chronological feed is going to be an option that users can opt-in to.
So it will be the user’s choice on whether they want to keep the algorithm as it is…
…and view their feed as they have been the last few years or change to view it chronologically.
One article said, “The current feed uses AI to create what Instagram considers a more personalized feed, based on users’ activity.
But it has remained generally unpopular among a vast swath of users, despite the company’s assertions otherwise.”
So we may see that a lot of people opt in to the new chronological version. For more Instagram algorithm hacks, you can read this post next.
But comment below and let us know, does a chronological Instagram feed excite you or not? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
Otherwise, that about wraps up all the Instagram updates 2022 we had for you today guys!
If you’re looking for Instagram marketing services to work on your IG marketing, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today!