Instagram will focus on the video content: Brief description of the plunge:
As numerous social media platforms adapt to changing user habits, Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, recently announced that the app is switching from its photo-sharing function.
Instead, the platform will expand its capabilities in four key areas: creators, video, shopping and messaging, Mosseri said in a video a week ago.
In the video, Mosseri noted that the COVID-19 pandemic “accelerated the transition of commerce from offline to online for several years, and we’re trying to adapt to that trend” with shopping features.
Diving into the point:
In his video announcement, Mosseri cited the success of competitors such as TikTok, YouTube and smaller platforms as one reason for his focus on video. In the coming months, he said, the social network will experiment with recommendations – starting with giving consumers content, even from accounts they don’t follow, based on topics they’re interested in.
“People go to Instagram to have fun, there’s fierce competition and there’s a lot to do. So we have to accept that. And that means change,” Mosseri said in the video.
Instagram has taken its cue from other platforms such as TikTok and Clubhouse, an audio social networking app. Clubhouse, founded in early 2020, offers live audio chats and recently launched a direct pay tool to collect tips from users. Similarly, Instagram launched a rooms feature in March that allows up to four users to chat live with each other at the same time. Last month, Instagram also introduced features to help authors monetize their audiences.
Meanwhile, TikTok teamed up with Shopify last fall to introduce in-app e-commerce tools. In December, Instagram launched a feature called “Shopping in Rollers,” which allows sellers and influencers to tag their merchandise for sale in their videos. Last month, the company also expanded the Reels feature to the world.
