Let’s talk about the ‘gram
Over the past couple weeks, Instagram has made some major announcements. We break down what’s going on with the ‘gram below.
First off, let’s talk about the new update, which was announced last week. One of the most noticeable changes is the logo. The signature camera & rainbow remain in the app’s new flat-design logo. The company’s other apps (Boomerang, Layout, and Hyperlapse) also underwent logo re-designs. The app also received a re-design, from the brand’s classic blue and white combo to a muted black and white. This new re-design reflects Instagram’s idea to let the photos really shine through. The outcry across the Internet has been mixed, with many preferring the old logo – many people either love it or hate it. Just this week, Forbes shared some designers’ interpretations of a logo re-design. On the flipside, Instagram recently shared users’ interpretations of the new logo.
Instagram made the following statement on its blog last week:
The Instagram community has evolved over the past five years from a place to share filtered photos to so much more – a global community of interests sharing more than 80 million photos and videos every day. Our updated look reflects how vibrant and diverse your storytelling has become.
The ‘gram faced similar backlash when the algorithm change was announced a few months ago. Those changes have yet to go into effect.
This past week, Instagram also made an announcement that many business owners and brand managers are happy to hear about – the company has announced that it is testing analytics offerings. In addition to maps and contact info, some of the offerings include:
- Demographics
- Impressions
- Reach
Many social media managers (including all of us at Social Thrive) have been patiently waiting for this update. Recent updates — especially view-counts and 60-second video — have been beneficial to brand marketers. Instagram has not divulged how much of its user base is testing the new business tools but has stated that it is “testing new business tools coming to Instagram in a few months.” These new updates mirror those of Facebook’s brand pages. As for additional changes, we’ll see what the future holds. The one change we’re patiently waiting for: in-app or desktop scheduling for brands. Are you listening, Instagram?
For more info on all the recent updates, visit Forbes, TechCrunch & Entrepreneur.