Feeling overwhelmed with all the changes Instagram has been making lately? Don’t worry, we’ve got you! As social media specialists, we live and breathe Instagram. And guess what, we actually love keeping up with the latest changes on the platform and sharing our knowledge with you. So without further ado, here are the newest reels updates you should know about.
1. Instagram merges all video posts into reels
Honestly, we saw this one coming a long time ago when reels completely took over the platform. Instagram is once again proving they are tripling down on video content with the announcement from Adam Mosseri that all new videos shorter than 15 minutes long will now be uploaded as a reel.
So what does this mean for you? Well, in theory, this should make content planning easier for you and your business. Before these changes, there used to be four different video formats: Stories, Lives, Video, Reels. Now that they’re merging all videos, you will only need to plan for stories, lives and reels. And while images still matter, this transformation is proof that if you want to grow your account, reels are the way to go.
2. Introduction of reels templates
This new feature allows users to copy the same Reels formats from existing videos. Instagram has now made it really easy for users to create reels, cutting down the amount of time it would usually take. Long gone are the days when you would need 5 different editing platforms to put together one reel!
To find a template that you’d like to use, you first have to scroll through a few reels. Then, tap on ‘Use Template’ on the bottom left corner. This will take you to the Reels creation mode, where you simply have to record or add videos from your camera roll into the templated clip slots. Each of these placeholders already has time stamps set to match the piece of audio from the original clip. And finally, hit publish and you’re all done!
3. Dual camera
In another attempt to keep up with the competition (this time for BeReal, which soared to the number one spot in the U.S. on Apple’s App Store charts), Instagram has introduced the Dual camera feature. This camera feature allows users to record content with their back-facing camera and record their reactions to the event with their front-facing camera at the same time. It is currently only available on Reels, but we’re certain that it won’t be long before it’s rolled out across stories.
This feature is a fun way to stay authentic with your audience, which is extremely important for your online relationship-building. You can use it to give them a behind-the-scenes glimpse of what the day-to-day life of your business looks like. And remember, Instagram will always reward users who use their newest features…so if you’re looking for faster growth, try giving it a go as soon as you can!
Instagram is constantly making changes to stay relevant as a social platform. We can only expect more changes in the future, and we’ll be watching closely to share all of the new reels updates with you. Stay tuned for more updates on Instagram’s newest features!
