So what is it?
Easyan entertainment and branding platform, just like TV used to be.
Recent changes at Instagram show a significant shift away from a simple photo-sharing site.
Eaters Collective / Unsplash
But now, Instagram seems to be consolidating these changes and admitting the truth.
Mosseri outlines the platform’s priorities over the next year.
Right now, were focused on four key areas: Creators, video, shopping, and messaging."
Users will see many more recommendations.
Mosseris video is full of detail, and but one quote shows the change.
“We are no longer a photo-sharing app,” says Mosseri.
For Marketers
People go to Instagram to be entertained, for shopping, and product research.
“70% of shopping enthusiasts turn to Instagram for product discovery,“says Instagrams own spiel.
Instagram sees it that way too.
Three of the four key areas he mentionedcreators, video, shopping, and messagingare about branding and sales.
Four, if you also count messaging as a way for brands and potential buyers to communicate.
The changes here are already happening.
Another change is links.
What Does This Mean for You?
Thanks to the new emphasis on video and recommendations, the beloved Instagram timeline will no longer be around.
Not in the way we want.
These changes make it clear that Instagram is optimizing for its heaviest creators…
There are plenty of alternate places to share and view photos.
500px and Flickr are both great examples, but the problem is, the audience is on Instagram.
All while Instagram does its best to become a total entertainment destination that keeps users stuck in the app.
Weve arrived at an internet monoculture.
We have one main app for most things.
Amazon for shopping, YouTube for video, and so on.
It used to be Instagram for photos.
Maybe another app will arrive to fill the gap.
Or maybe personal photo sharing will wither or move to Facebook.
Either way, it seems that Instagram doesnt care anymore.
