Instagram’s Latest Updates: Stories, Zoom, Comments

An ever-changing platform, Instagram has recently introduced several new features artists ought to be familiar with, including the ability to zoom, stories, and additional comments management. Here we offer a quick guide to help users get acclimated to the new updates.

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Guest Post by Allison Ullrich on The Orchard's The Daily RindOver the past couple of months, Instagram has released some key updates that we think you should be aware of, including Stories, Zoom and Comments management. Take a look below to get an idea of how you can best utilize these updates and maximize your marketing efforts on this platform.

Instagram Stories

Having a hard time grasping Snapchat and adding in yet another social account to your arsenal? Instagram released an update over the summer that allows you to post stories, much like Snapchat. We’re not saying that this should replace Snapchat for you, but this is definitely something you should be looking into considering your audience is most likely larger on Instagram than Snapchat. Below are a few ways you can also utilize Instagram Stories to engage with your audience:

On tour? Share photos and videos from the road
Tease out new music, videos, or artwork
Give fans a quick glimpse into your personal life
Share footage from rehearsal
Announce contests, tour dates, etc.
Or just say “Hi” to your fans

In a recent update to Stories, you’re also now able to save the photos and videos you’ve uploaded to your stories, allowing you to share them on different platforms if desired.

Pinch & Zoom

Instagram now allows you to zoom into photos and videos! What does this mean for you, the artist? It means you have yet another tool to create engaging and interactive content. Artists and brands are already taking advantage of this highly anticipated update. For instance, Spotify used it to reveal album artwork and Reyka Vodka used it to showcase its home base: Iceland. Note: zoom only works on mobile devices.Perhaps a virtual scavenger hunt, asking fans to find themselves at one of your shows or hiding an announcement deep in a video is in store for you. However you decide to utilize this new feature, be sure to use it sparingly and make it count when you do!

Comments

In what has been described as the “first” feature of this rollout, Instagram is now letting you take control of the comments on your posts by letting you hide inappropriate ones. This is great if you’re an artist who gets trolled frequently, or if you just want to keep your Instagram spam-free.In order to access this feature, simply go to your settings and click on Comments, then select Hide Inappropriate Comments. Since Instagram’s list of “inappropriate” words might not include something you find offensive, you can add custom keywords and phrases that will also be hidden.These are just the latest slew of updates Instagram has pushed through this year, and we’ll be here to keep you up to speed with more as they continue to roll out. In the meantime, continue to work on growing your Instagram following while introducing these new updates into the mix!