We may soon be saying goodbye to Instagram videos

If you’re a fan of Instagram videos, we have some bad news for you: you may have to kiss farewell to posting videos to your feed and instead get acquainted with Reels. Instagram has begun trialling a change that ditches standard video formatting and instead turns them into Reels in an effort to simplify video content on the platform. Here’s what you can expect if the change gets rolled out.

Why is Instagram making the change?

Last year, Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri announced that Instagram was no longer a photo sharing app and was slowly transitioning into a video-based platform. Presumably, this is to keep up with competitors like TikTok. For a few years now, data has shown that Instagram users prefer video content over photos – recently, the Meta-owned platform revealed that over 20% of the time users spent on the app was spent watching Reels.

How will it work?

Certain users have already been given access to this new feature on a trial basis. Social media consultant Matt Navarra, one of the few whose profiles has been impacted, posted to Twitter that when posting a video, he received an in-app message notifying him that video posts will now be shared as Reels. Instagram has clarified that those with private accounts will only be able to share Reels to their followers. Users with public profiles, on the other hand, will see their Reels displayed in the Reels tab to be discovered by any user on the app.

When will this update be rolled out?

Right now, nothing is set in stone. The change is still in its beta testing phase, meaning kinks are being smoothed out and user reception is being monitored. If the change does end up being widely implemented, we highly recommend taking advantage of it and jumping onto the Reels bandwagon. Instagram is famous for rewarding users who are early adopters of new features – and while it hasn’t been confirmed, many users suspect that their accounts suffer if they’re not willing to adapt to a new feature. Utilising Reels could likely be the key to wider exposure for your brand or business.

Are you looking for a personalised marketing strategy for your business? Contact the Zib Digital team today to find out how we can help.