How to Delete Your Instagram Account

You no longer need your Instagram account and would like to permanently delete it? In this article, we will provide you with the steps on how to delete your Instagram account. But before that, please know that once the account is deleted, everything on the account will be removed permanently (i.e. your profile, your photos, the videos you’ve posted, the comments, likes and of course, your followers).

 

Another thing to be aware of is that once your Instagram account is deleted, you can no longer sign up using that same username, and no one can add that username to another account. And again, deleted accounts can no longer be reactivated. Deleting an account is different from just deactivating, so you might want to decide first whether you want to delete your account permanently or just deactivate it temporarily. There are two ways to delete or disable your Instagram account for any reason:

  1. Delete Instagram account by the web browser
  2. Delete Instagram account by the App

 

Delete Instagram account by the web browser

To delete your Instagram account, you need to use a web browser (you can use a smartphone, tablet or PC) since we can’t do this using the app.
Follow these steps on how to delete your Instagram account:

1. Make sure you’re logged in to the account that you want to delete. If you’re signed in to a different account, you can simply log out from that account and log in to the one that you want to delete and follow these instructions.

2. Go to Instagram’s “Delete Your Account Page” and choose your reason of deleting your account from the drop-down menu provided which can be found next to “Why are you deleting your account?” Please make sure to select one from the drop-down so you are able to see the option to permanently delete your account. There are several options for you to choose from, and just select the closest reason you have in mind.

3. You will be asked to re-enter your password to continue.

4. Click the “Permanently delete my account”. From this moment, your account, and all of your content and followers – will be disabled and will be gone.

 

Delete Instagram account by the App

1. Login into your Instagram account from the Instagram App, and go to the profile page


 

2. Select the menu button on the right top corner then select the setting in the bottom of the menu


 

2. Once you are in the menu options, select the help


 

3. When you get in the help menu, choose the Help Center


 

4. Now you are in the Help Center, choose the second option “Delete Your Account”


 

5. Delete Your Account menu give you 3 options, now you can decide you want to delete or disable your account temporarily”


Instagram can’t delete anyone’s account by themselves for security reasons, so you will need to personally do it on your own. By simply following the above steps provided, you will be able to get rid of the account you’re no longer in use or you no longer want to use. If and only if you can no longer login to the account because, for some reasons you forgot what your password is, you can simply click on “Forgot Password” on the login page or directly contact Instagram Help Center.

source: here

3 Reasons to Pay Attention to Niche Social Networks

Social-media groups provide an ideal space for people to unite and interact based on common interests. Instead of passively sifting through irrelevant content on a general feed, users can participate in conversations related to their specific needs. For businesses, social-media groups present a massive opportunity for brands to connect more intimately with their target audience. Rather than trying to reach everyone, social communities allow businesses to reach a dedicated group of people.

Companies are likely familiar with groups on major social networks like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. However, the landscape of online social communities is shifting, and businesses need to stay on top of these changes. Here are three reasons why it's time for businesses to focus on niche social groups.

1. The rise of closed communities.

More than ever, people are looking for a sense of belonging where they can express, collaborate and learn. They want to connect with a specific type of social community. As a result, niche, closed social groups are gaining more appeal versus public feeds on popular networks like Facebook.

Related: 6 Niche Social-Media Networks Changing the Ways We Connect


Growth in the adoption of major social platforms has slowed down in the U.S. According to a Pew Research Center survey, more than half of Facebook users 18 and older have adjusted their privacy settings in the past year, 42 percent have taken a break from checking the platform, and 26 percent have deleted its app from their cell phone.

That further underscores why people are shifting from broad social platforms to niche networks where they can connect with specific, like-minded audiences. Instead of trying to be everything for everyone, niche social communities remain small to serve only the people who want to be there. From hikers and graphic designers to beer enthusiasts and knitters, there is a niche group for everyone.

Unlike online public forums, the benefit of closed groups is that they encourage community members to open up on a personal level amongst other people with similar interests. This increased trust enables businesses to build closer relationships with their audiences and drives engagement.

2. An increase in group-chat apps.

Instead of communicating through traditional social-media apps, many people are using group-chat apps to discuss interests with fewer interruptions. Numerous apps are popping up to build communities among people who want to connect with others based on similar interests. For instance, Capture is a group-chat app that launched this past July. Users can join the conversation with other people by pointing their camera at the world around them. Capture then uses artificial intelligence to suggest group chats and topics that matter to users, such as those based on similar interests or a familiar location. Although Capture combines strangers with similar interests in the same virtual space, the app allows users to create their own closed groups. It also offers channels where brands can promote their content.

Related: The Future of Social-Media Platforms


Late last year, chat app Wisdo launched out of beta to help people connect with others who share similar life experiences. The app boasts more than 70 communities that users can join and is open only to users 18 and older. Topics range from illnesses and job losses to how to prepare for college or buying a house. For example, if someone receives news that their family member has cancer, Wisdo can connect them to a community of people who have gone through the same situation. The app encourages users to share helpful advice by asking them to create a timeline that lays out their experience in the form of steps. Based on those steps, Wisdo develops an outline for each life experience.

Community-chat apps like Wisdo and Capture ultimately attract users seeking more meaningful interactions than they might find on a public forum.

3. Access to highly targeted audiences.

Although social media networks like Facebook and Twitter have millions of users, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are the best network for every product or service. Many brands would likely find their marketing efforts more effective when connecting with a smaller audience of a few hundred people that share similar interests. With the popularity of closed, niche networks and group-chat apps, brands now have the opportunity to connect with those highly targeted audiences. The more targeted their audiences are, the higher their conversion rates can be.

Social-media groups present a massive opportunity for marketing, but brands that zero in on niche social networks can increase their odds of reaching their target audience significantly and connecting with group members that much more effectively.

source: here

PMP DESIGN BUILD GROUP

PMP Design reputation has built up over the years through high quality of service and deliverables for all of our clients. Recommendations and happy stories from our clients have to this date allowed us to serve our community and clients. With an increase in staff of talented designers, we are also entering into the social media platform. We are excited for this process look forward to improving and extending our services to all of our clients both new and old!!

Several of our noteworthy projects created by PMP Design from the planning stage through construction, coordinated with our inhouse team of talented designers and construction experts include:

  • 81 Bayviewridge
  • 99 Bayviewridge
  • 1 Doncrest
  • 18 Brookfield
  • The Dental Clinic
  • 92 Glenrush
  • 203 Newton
  • 134 Highgate

The above-mentioned projects were all unique, and served the specific needs of our clients. They include varying styles of architecture be it classic, modern, or contemporary.


For every new project we undertake, we provide an initial discovery meeting with our clients. Through this initial meeting we are acquainted with our future or existing clients, and are able to familiar ourselves with their unique vision and tastes. The project is then handed off to our team of experts that run it through the planning and design stages, until the final approval is giving by the clients, and city.

We take pride in being able to coordinate with our clients from the planning stages, straight through to the construction stage. We plan, design, build, and advertise projects of varying scopes unique to every one of our clients.

With over 25 years of architectural design experience, our team of designers and engineers can take on projects of varying, and deliver with a satisfaction guarantee for our clients.

Our company’s president, Ron Heydari. Ron is the senior designer and is also the member of the board of advisers at University of Toronto-Building Tall Research Group. He has been heavily involved in both residential and commercial projects throughout the years. Having graduated with a master’s degree in architecture, he continued on to become a member of the faculty at the university and to this day continues to share his wisdom and insights. With continued involvement within his community, as well as consultations with other top architectural, Ron continues expand his knowledge, expertise, and practical skill within this field.

Beginning a project with Ron and his team is always a delightful experience as they always thrive for the best, and aim to break any boundaries to best serve the company’s clients.

Stay tuned for our next upcoming blog. We would love to know what topics our readers would like to discuss. Please do give us your suggestions in the comment box.

Follow us on Instagram to stay up to date with our work!!

How to Use Social Media for Your Small Business 

Instagram Video Posts Receive Twice the Engagement of Other Post Types [STUDY]

A study on Instagram engagement discovered that video posts receive 2x engagement of other post types.

The study also reveals how many followers most Instagram users have, and how many likes the average posts receive.

Data was compiled by HubSpot and Mention after analyzing 48,065,694 Instagram posts from 306,278 top users.

More than 80 percent of businesses consider engagement the most important metric, which makes this study particularly relevant to marketers.

Here are some key highlights from the study.

Engagement on Instagram

Likes and Comments

The average Instagram post receives 5,963 likes, which is admittedly skewed by the number of likes received by highly influential users.

The median number of likes is closer to 100, which suggests 50% of users receive less than 100 likes for the average post.

Video posts received on average
the highest number of likes and have increased in overall engagement year-over-year.

The average Instagram post receives 100.34 comments.

Video posts, in particular, receive an average of 150 comments, although that’s skewed by the average number of comments on viral videos.

Ecommerce Marketing in 2019: The Definitive Guide
Want your online store to win big this year? Read SEJ's free ebook on ecommerce marketing!

Read It Now

ADVERTISEMENT

The median number of comments per video is 4, which means more than 50% of total users receive less than 4 comments per video post.

Hashtags

The average Instagram post contains at least 1 hashtag. Using more hashtags actually decreases the average engagement rate.

It’s likely better to use fewer hashtags (no more than 5) than to use too many.

Ultimately, when it comes to hashtags, it’s not about quantity. It’s about relevance.

Followers

According to the data, 46.6 percent of Instagram users have fewer than 1,000 followers.

Around 33.5% of users have between 1,000-10,000 followers.

Only 9.8% have 10,000-50,000, and 2.7% have 50,000-100,000 followers.

For more data on Instagram engagement, download the full PDF

source: lupcy.com

9 Powerful Ways To Combine Social Media and Email Marketing


Social media marketing is great for reaching new people. Email marketing is awesome at making them convert.

If you see an opportunity here, you’re correct.

Customers need to encounter a brand up to 12 times before making a purchasing decision. Companies that integrate email with social media marketing can achieve that milestone sooner.

In the process, they build customer loyalty, drive engagement and generate brand recognition. Pretty cool, huh?

What’s best, it’s simple to make them work in tandem in a cost-effective way. Here are some tips to get you started.


Tip #1: Combine email and social media to build a stronger brand

Potential customers seek brand integrity. It implies that the company is trustworthy and pays attention to detail.

So what happens when two marketing teams don’t talk to each other? Email and social media start speaking very different languages.

Your brand consistency suffers. The emails you send are fun and informal. But the Facebook page is all serious business.

The whole branding becomes a bit weaker – and you lose potential customers as a result.

But syncing up the language of your emails and social media marketing isn’t hard. It comes down to communication between teams. And if you do it right, this approach helps you build more effective branding.


Product Hunt is a great example of this tactic. Their email newsletter and tweets share the same language. The brand is informal and enthusiastic, it features tons of emojis and can’t help but post another cat GIF.

Fans of Product Hunt will understand what the brand stands for no matter if they use Twitter, email or both. The brand is consistent.

Tip #2: Use your email list to make informed decisions on social media ads

Ads on social media can be a powerful way to convert potential customers. But they don’t come cheap. Wouldn’t it be nice to know which call-to-action will achieve more conversions?

Use your email marketing to test ideas for ads before you buy them. For example, write several emails based on effective subject lines techniques. See which one performs best – and use it in ads for social media.

You can go even further and A/B test various subject lines and images based on the customer group you want to target.

Tip #3: Recycle content

It’s pretty easy to recycle content between email and social media marketing channels. Once again, it all comes down to having a system in place, i.e. teams communicating with each other.

The obvious advantage here is the opportunity to share assets between teams. It’s a great and cheap strategy.

For example, look at the productivity app Notion. As a rule, they use a lot of GIFs on their Twitter page to showcase new features before they release.

But when the update is out, the team repackages the same GIFs in an email update:


That’s a pretty basic use case. Of course, you can take it to the next level.

For example, ask your Twitter/Facebook followers to share their success stories. Pick the most impressive posts and use them in the next email update.

This tactic kills two birds with one stone. You have the content for your next email and you will tell subscribers about your social media pages.

Here’s another idea. Use a Twitter thread (or a Facebook post) to explain something to users. When it’s time to write another email, link to that explanation instead of writing a new one. Once again, this will also nudge subscribers to your email list to follow you on social media.

A good example of this tactic also comes from Notion. In an email update, they announce a new feature with a quick description. But on Twitter, they publish a longer thread with the in-depth explanation – and link to it in the email.


The tweetstorm consists of a dozen tweets with custom images. By design, it also features replies of your customers. Manage to gain positive feedback and email subscribers will immediately see social proof:


The tactic works in the other direction, too. Tell an in-depth story in an email update and recycle it for Twitter or Facebook.

Content exchange helps marketers keep the pipeline full and improves brand consistency.

Tip #4: Add links to your social media pages in your email updates

This one’s pretty obvious. Don’t forget to put links to relevant social media pages in your email updates! This will make subscribing to your profiles a one-click decision.

Imagine that a customer subscribes to your email list. If they like it, they might be interested to check out your social media pages. But if you don’t have the links available, most people won’t bother finding them on their own.

Having links in your email remedies this. For example, compare these two emails.

Airtable sends email updates without a hint of the existence of their (pretty popular) social media accounts. Once their subscribers read an email, they don’t have an incentive to connect:


TunnelBear’s email looks similar. But they put links to Twitter and Facebook in the footer. The decision to check them out is pretty easy to make. Guess to which account I’m subscribed?


Featuring links to social media updates isn’t the only reason why TunnelBear’s Twitter page has 191K followers (compared to the 14K followers of Airtable). But it certainly reflects a more cohesive overall approach to marketing.

Tip #5: Schedule new posts on social media that will remind people about your email list

It’s useful to remind followers of your social media pages about your email list as well.

For starters, you can schedule posts with a link to your email list landing page. Explain what the user will be getting out of it and why your email list is cool.

Intercom, for example, likes to add custom images to their tweets:


On Instagram, it’s more than worth it to put a link into your bio. You can also run Stories promoting your email list. This way users will be able to visit your landing page with a simple swipe up.

And in some cases, it’s better to take advantage of built-in tools for such kind of promotions (like Facebook’s call-to-action buttons).

Product Hunt is a great example of promoting a business email list in a very simple way. They publish each edition of their newsletter online and then share it on social media:


Their followers are able to check out what kind of content they are going to see in an email before subscribing. If they do want to subscribe, the sign-up field is right there.

Notice that the published newsletter prominently features share buttons for Twitter and Facebook. This, once again, blurs the lines between email and social media marketing.

Source: http://pheromonesinc.com

1. Build a Credible Reputation
Building a credible presence for your business on social media isn’t as complicated as it sounds.
Want to know why?
Because you don’t have to have a huge following to do it!
As a local business, instead of connecting with a lot of people -- you just need to connect with the RIGHT people.
You can begin this process by building brand awareness. The best way to do this is to create an online presence that's a perfect representation of who you are both online and offline.
Start by translating your brand through visual marketing. From your logo to your website, blog and social media graphics - you need to design a look and feel that matches your persona.
Find someone who can help create graphics that match that essence. Create captivating and professional visuals that represent you and your business.
There are so many people who can help you with this process -- and you’ll be able to find someone regardless of what your budget is.
Or, if you have more time than money -- you can choose from a myriad of tools (many of them free) and learn how to do it yourself.
If you do decide to tackle these graphics yourself, our ebook can teach you how to go about it. You can grab that at How to Create Visual Content for Maximum Social Media Impact.
Peg's tip is to learn from the big brands!
Get inspiration from really big marketing campaigns and spin that around for your own business in a way that’s affordable.
2. Attract Potential Clients
During this training, Peg told the story of her hairdresser, Betsy. Betsy owns B & B Style Salon in New Hampshire.
Betsy wanted to learn how to use social media for her small business -- and Peg suggested that she use Facebook and Instagram to attract potential new clients.
If you’d like to do this for your local business also, the first step is to make sure the geotagging on your Facebook Business Page is setup properly.
You want people to be able to check-in when they’re at your business. Each time someone does that, it’s free advertising for you since all their friends will see their check-in.
The average Facebook user has 100 friends (and most are local) -- so think of each check-in as advertising to 100 new potential clients!
Plus, that type of post is better advertising than a boosted post since it’s a check-in from a real customer (not a boosted post or ad).
Want even more check-ins? Offer special incentives for people to check-in at your business.
For example, in Betsy’s case, she posted a small sign that says those who check-in get $5 off their next haircut. You can give any bonus you’d like!
Peg's advice...
Get into the hands of your customers. This means get on their phones!
Betsy also wanted to do a girl’s night out to promote herself as a hairdresser in her small town.
She updated her Facebook cover photo -- plus she posted a Facebook post and an Instagram post.
By doing those 3 things, with zero budget, she was able to fill her event!
This is a great example of how a small business owner was able to attract the right customers.
Instead of trying to cast a wide net and attracting a bunch of people who may or may not be interested in her services, she focused on connecting with her target market.
The takeaway -- even small changes can make a huge impact on your social media marketing!
3. Connect With Like-Minded Business Professionals
In the social media world, relationships are everything.
Whether you’re on LinkedIn building your professional network or responding to your tweets -- it’s important to set aside some time to connect with like-minded professionals.
As a small business owner, you’re probably cringing at the thought of spending valuable time engaging with peers on social media.
No worries! Peg has some great advice for how to make it work.
She suggests you dedicate 1 chunk of time each week to work on your content for the following week (she does this every Sunday). This means find or create the content you want and schedule it.
Why does this help you?
Now that your content is setup for the whole week -- you can pop onto social media 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night to respond to comments, answer questions and reach out to like-minded business professionals.
This will allow you to make those important connections since you’ll be focused on people during the time you’re online!
source:here

 

Top Instagram Updates You Need to Know in 2019 – January Edition

We’re moving into a new year, and January is typically the time when businesses and marketers take a close look at their marketing strategies to assess performance, goals, and whether it’s time to shake things up.

As you’re taking a look at your social media marketing strategies for 2019, it would be a helpful start to see all of the new changes happening with the platform, and we’re here to help with our first Instagram update post of the year.

In this month’s post, we’re going to take a look at all the changes that have happened in the past month, stretching over that crucial Christmas break period where things are easier to miss.

There were some big changes on Instagram in the past few weeks, including the ability to schedule videos, share posts to multiple accounts, and new Stories stickers, along with a few new great features in testing.

There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started.


No Changes To the Instagram Algorithm

Our first update is technically a non-update, but there have been a lot of rumors going around, and algorithm news is always a good place to start.

A post went around claiming that Instagram’s algorithm must have changed and was only showing content to about 7% of any profile’s followers. This, supposedly, was the reason why so many engagement-oriented strategies were being used.

Instagram took to Twitter to debunk this. They’ve said that the algorithm has not changed, and

They’ve confirmed that the algorithm is still based on factors that include relevance, timeliness, frequency in posting, and the number of people following you.

This is the same algorithm that’s been in place for a while now, and as far as social platforms go, they’ve been transparent about what affects your ranking within it.

Posts with a lot of engagement will help you in the algorithm, as they always have, so keep creating high-quality, engagement-oriented content in the feed and you’ll be just fine.

Now on to the actual updates that have really happened!

Instagram Video Scheduling

Instagram post scheduling has been a huge asset, and one of my favorite features of social media publishing software like Hootsuite. It allows you to upload and create content from both a mobile app or a desktop (I seriously prefer the latter) which creating a cohesive content schedule that will help you reach your goals.

At the tail end of last year, Instagram quietly updated its API, allowing third-party social media management tools like Hootsuite to offer video scheduling, too.


This is a game changer for a lot of businesses and social media marketers, especially since video is such an important and effective part of most marketing strategies.

Now, you can make sure that your video is fitted into time slots that align with your social calendar and are posted at peaking posting times, helping you to maximize reach and the results it can drive.

Instagram Allows Sharing to Multiple Accounts

It’s a little funny; several months ago, Twitter forbid exactly this on their platform, and now Instagram has rolled out a new feature to make it possible on theirs.

Over the last month, they’ve slowly rolled out a new feature that allows users (including personal accounts) to share a single post to multiple of their linked accounts at the same time.

This feature is exclusively for feed posts, not for Stories… at least not yet.

Ideally, it’s typically a good idea to create unique content for each account you’re sharing, but if you have sister accounts for some reason that benefit from overlapping content, this can benefit you.

Examples of this would include an account that has a sister company, like Banana Republic’s separate men’s and women’s accounts, or if you’re doing marketing for a franchise and each location has its own profile.

It’s worth pointing out that this feature isn’t anything too groundbreaking– social media management software has already made this possible, allowing a single account manager to publish the same update not only to different accounts but to different platforms, too. Still, if you’re keeping it small or don’t have the budget for the software, this can be a perk as long as it’s used sparingly.

This feature is currently only available for iOS devices, and there isn’t currently any word about when it will be available for Android. Typically the cross-device rollouts follow soon after, so keep an eye out for it, Android users.

New Sticker Features Available

Last year, we saw a ton of new, interactive stickers being made available for Stories, making them even more dynamic and engaging. At the very end of last year, they kept that trend going strong, and we got two big developments along the same lines: an update for the Questions Sticker, and a new Countdown Sticker.

The Question Sticker rolled out at the end of last year, and it allows you to place a sticker on your Story that encourages people to ask you questions. They can respond right there on the sticker, and you’ll see what they’re asking. You can then respond publicly to the ones you want to share.

The new update allows Question Stickers to be available for live usage, making the question-and-answer session more immediate, more urgent, and more engaging.

This is an excellent way to make those Q&A lives more interesting for viewers while also making them easier to manage; trying to keep up with all the live comments can be difficult and overwhelming, but this will make it easier to sort and you can even show the question on the screen while you’re answering the question, keeping everyone up to speed even if they’re joining you halfway through.

The Countdown Clock Sticker, on the other hand, is brand new but just as exciting.

You can create the date and time you want to be counting down to, add it to the sticker, customize it with text, emojis, and color schemes, and watch a live countdown clock form on your Story. Every time someone watches it, they’ll see a live countdown in real time.

This will be an outstanding way to use Instagram stories to promote events, including online specials like flash sales or new product releases.

Conclusion

Instagram is starting the new year off with a bang and a whole lot of changes, so make sure you’ve taken some time to look at the new features and see what they mean for you.

The biggest news is easily the video publishing abilities, but the new Stories stickers are excellent developments, too, and we’ll likely see a lot more of them as we move through the year if 2018 was any indication.

We’ll also keep an eye out for those exclusive in-testing influencer accounts we discussed last month and let you know when more info is available on that front.

What do you think? Which update are you most excited to get your hands on? Where do you think the platform will go in 2019? What are you most hoping we’ll see this year? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below! 

Top Instagram Updates – December 2018

Last month, Instagram rolled out a whole lot of selling features just in time for the holiday shopping rush, and this month they’re giving us new ways to better connect with our target audience.

This makes sense; we saw the big selling features in time to use them, and now we’re getting features focusing on relationship-building that you can start to implement now and in the new year.

And remember, that’s what social media is really about– establishing communities and relationships with your audience.

Have I caught your interest yet? Maybe a little?

Let’s go ahead and say I did, and start taking a look at the Instagram updates that have been released and how they impact marketers and brands.

Instagram Releases Alternative Text Descriptions

Anyone familiar with blogging, site design, or SEO is already going to know what alternative text descriptions are, and yep, they’re pretty much the same thing here.

Alternative text descriptions are exactly what they sound like: you place a description of what’s happening in the image or video in a designated place.

Users with screen readers will have the text read out loud to them, giving them the context of the image even if they have trouble reading it.

Instagram’s alternative text descriptions are making the visual platform more accessible to visually impaired users, and it comes with two options:

  • You can rely on automatic alternative text, which uses pretty impressive object recognition technology to create audio descriptions on their own.
    While this is undoubtedly efficient, remember that technology does have its limitations. This is available when users are seeing photos in feeds, Explore, and on individual profiles.
  • You can manually create your own custom text-based descriptions when users click on the photo or scroll through.
    This takes more time, but it’s the better option, because it allows you to ensure that the description is accurate and that it highlights specific things you want to showcase.

Image source: Instagram

Right now, it doesn’t seem like there is a big search benefit (which is one of the biggest reasons many bloggers use the alt image text so religiously), but the accessibility features alone are more than enough reason to take some time and use these features.

Connecting with every audience member possible is definitely worth the work.

Instagram Announces Profile Changes

Right after our November update, Instagram announced that there were going to be a few changes to both personal and business profiles.

These are all cosmetic interface changes, with new icons, buttons, and tabs.

One example is the new “mutual followers” option, which allows you to see which followers you have in common with any given account (just like you do with friends on Facebook).

Fun tip: can also see what the “Shop” tab will look like (if you don’t have it yet) in the third picture all the way to the right, which lets users look at a feed of only shoppable posts.

Image source: Instagram

Image source: Instagram

The look of Instagram business and personal profiles are also changing a bit, with updated layouts.

Users will be able to see which of their friends follow a certain profile; this feature will be a fantastic addition for marketers and brands, as it gives you the opportunity to leverage social proof.

It’s one thing to think that a brand looks cool and another to see that three of your friends follow it, too.

We don’t have all the information on what these changes are going to be yet, because Instagram is still testing them and figuring all that. Keep an eye out for the changes, and remember that we’ll let you know what they are exactly when we know more.

New Voice Messaging in DMs

This feature has been rumored to be in the works since it was spotted in testing earlier this year, and now it’s official.

Voice messaging is rolling out on a wider basis for use in direct messaging.

Voice messages can be sent in one-on-one chats and in group chats, and they can be up to a minute long.

Unlike other direct messages in Instagram, voice messages are going to stay; instead of disappearing like other content, they’ll stick around permanently.

Take this into consideration if you’re using disappearing DMs as part of a strategy to create urgency for sales, discounts, or events with your customers.

While this feature will likely be used mostly for personal use since text is more efficient and video is more personal (and we already have both features), this is a feature that we can keep our eye on to look for interesting, innovative use cases.

That being said, this feature may develop into something even more impactful over time; we’re seeing Facebook focus more on the voice market, especially with the big push towards Portal.

Close Friends List for Stories

If you want to create segmented lists of users to show certain Stories, now you have your chance. You can actually create “cost friends lists” on Stories, ensuring that the only people who can view it are those that you’ve chosen to see it.

Good news: business profiles have this ability, so you can actually create a single group of “close friends” to show exclusive content to.

While you have to be careful with this because you don’t want anyone to be excluded, one potential use case for this is to create a close friend group of your top-tier, platinum level, loyalty, and rewards member customers.

Show them exclusive offers like “early access sale to gold members with code GOLDNOW,” and make sure that you mention in the story that it’s exclusive.


You can create your “close friends” group under your settings, and then just select them when publishing your Story.

source: here

© Copyright media-tipz