“Make Instagram Instagram again” was one of the messages trending on social media right after the most recent major Instagram update was rolled out. The request first came as a meme from Tati Bruening, an influencer and photographer who felt frustrated by the sudden changes she was noticing in her feed.
Her meme was later picked up by Kylie Jenner, Kim, and Kourtney Kardashian, and in a matter of days, it gathered millions of supporters who had similar concerns. The company was attempting to catch up with its main competitor, TikTok, and had started offering users the opportunity to access Instagram Stories templates on a desktop. The algorithm was also being changed so that it would show users more content from accounts they were interested in.
In this article, we’re going to talk about these changes and how they may be helpful for the little guys, aka the micro and nano influencers.
What Did the Algorithm Update Do?
The main complaint that sparked the “Make Instagram Instagram again” was that the algorithm was pushing Reels, favoring video content over pictures. Other changes that made users unhappy were the highly unpopular Dark Mood and the full-screen mode for the Instagram feed.
Also, in an attempt to help people discover new creators (especially smaller ones), the posts recommended by Instagram are mixed with content from creators people don’t follow.
After the initial backlash, Mark Zuckerberg told the community that the changes were here to stay. Furthermore, users should expect to see more AI-recommended content on their feeds in the following year.
While he tried to frame this new approach in a positive light by saying this is a way to give micro and nano influencers some space under the spotlight, the Instagram community was not happy about it. As a result, the full-screen project is now temporarily on pause, and there’s less AI-recommended content in users’ feeds.
Do the Changes Truly Help Micro and Nano Influencers?
According to Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, the update also changed the way Instagram posts will be ranked. Moving forward, originality will be a deciding factor, which means that content created from scratch will rank better than re-posts.
What is Originality?
On the surface, this sounds amazing. Creators who post original work should receive more credit and attention than the ones who reshare it, right? Plus, with more original content being created, users will get to see fresh and creative posts.
But all good intentions have a caveat (especially on social media). In this case, Instagram has some issues in defining what originality means.
Let’s take as an example an infographic that uses already existing graphic elements, such as Google icons, to relay data that are already available to the public. Is this considered an original creation? Also, if you post your content first on a different platform and then repost it on your Instagram, does it still count as original?
For now, Instagram officials came out with a simple explanation - if you made it, it’s original.
More Space for Small Creators
The world of influencers is divided based on the size of their following, and Instagram wants to give more space to those who have under 100,000 followers (micro and nano influencers). Under the new rules, even if a post gains traction on someone else’s feed (usually because they have a bigger audience), the original creator gets the rank boost.
With this move, the platform also tries to get rid of aggregator accounts that use other people’s posts to get views and engagement.
Increased Chances of Monetization
Being an influencer is a lucrative line of work, but only if you have a big following. Mega and macro influencers are hunted down by brands who want a piece of their audience, while the micro and nano influencers are often the lowest-paid ones (or offered free products and services).
However, when you put things in perspective, small creators may be a better option, especially for businesses and brands that are just starting. This is because the communities they build are more engaged with the creator.
Also, small followings develop cult-like loyalty towards their favorite influencer because they feel a strong connection towards them.
Therefore, most followers will be tempted to at least consider a try a recommendation that comes from a small influencer. This rarely happens in large communities, where the followers are used with promotional messages and deals. In a nutshell, you can get better ROI from social media if you work with several micro and nano influencers.
Video Content vs. Images
Instagram started as a picture-sharing app, but if it wants to survive, the only option is to find ways to integrate video content. So, even if users don’t necessarily agree, the AI behind the recommendations algorithm will continue to push video content and Reels.
However, the changes may come more gradually and in a less conspicuous manner. Also, as original content gets to have more weight for rankings, creators may feel a lot happier about the video content option.
For now, we have to wait and see how the changes will evolve and who will be the main winner.