Changes in Instagram newsfeed will further boost influencer, celeb engagement for brands

 17th March 2016    Opinion 

Instagram recently announced that it was moving onto an algorithm based feed from a choronoligical based one. Although this move is not expected to hit brands till a few months, it is pretty much an inevitable one.

This follows in the wake of  dipping organic reach and engagement levels with a huge jump in the rate of posts per day.  As the user base grows, the number of posts people view declines,  the move tries to actively address the growing pressures of FOMO and ensuring you get served what you want and do not miss out on content.

How will the new Instagram feed work?
The Instagram algorithm will work in a way that actually shows you more relevant posts, from accounts that you engage with more. In a blog published earlier this week, Instagram pointed out that it was trying to actively address the fact that one an average, users miss 70% of their feeds.

What it means for brands?

Influencer led engagement for brands will become bigger than ever and Instagram celebrities will continue to rise on the back of their content credibility and relationships with their audiences.

For brands and communicators alike, the holy grail of engaging content comes to bat, yet again. Since the algorithm will largely be based on a user's relationship to the account posting and the timeliness of their posts – we expect a transformation in the way brands engage with consumers. Success lies in  focusing on content that invokes reaction rather than relying on the frequency of posts or the realtime nature on the back of important events and news.

Indian brands like beverage maker Paper Boat and buy and sell site OLX are active on Instagram as are Indian designers such as Masaba Gupta and the FDCI. The FDCI is making good use of Instagram during the ongoing fashion week.

Karan Bhandari (@karanbhandari), is  director digital, Weber Shandwick India