Table of Contents
Introduction
Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms.
It is typically used by Gen Z and Millennials to interact and stay in touch with each other.
Therefore, the platform is constantly evolving to keep users engaged and brands scrambling to adapt.
Evan as we are progressing towards 2025, the platform doesn’t seem to slow down!
Interested to know what’s new in Instagram in 2025?
Continue reading to know how you can use the latest updates of Instagram stay ahead of the curve and maximize your brand’s presence.
#1: Instagram Stories
Stories have been and are still considered as one of the most promising features of the platforms.
It is observed that most of the users on Instagram like to share their content privately either through messages or through stories.
Here are some of the recent updates that have been made pertaining to Instagram stories:
Comments on Stories
This feature allows the users to make public comments on stories.
Whenever a comment is made on a story, a tiny bubble appears that people can view and react on it.
Wondering how this is useful for marketers?
You can use this feature to get immediate feedback on products or also get suggestions on your content.
Pro tip: If you are worried that you might get affected by negative comments, you can setup comment filters and hide comments which contain specific words or phrases.
Reveal Stickers
This is another interesting features introduced by Instagram to encourage one on one interaction between users.
This new sticker helps blur your story and it will not be visible to anybody unless they interact with you in any of the two ways.
The users can either tap on the sticker or send a DM to you to view the story potentially increasing direct interactions.
You can use these stickers for new launches, exclusive offers or behind the scene content.
For example, if you have a clothing band, you could make use of these stickers to launch a new collection. Users can tap on the stickers to reveal a sneak peek of the new line and then are prompted to your DM for more information.
New Fonts and Stickers
Instagram has a new collection of fonts and stickers that you can use for customizing your stories.
For example, the “Add Yours” sticker was enhanced to include music, allowing users to share the song they’re listening to.
Pro Tip: Use the “Add Yours” music sticker to create community-driven playlists or to align your brand with specific music genres.
#2: Enhanced Feed Posts
Instagram has recently produced many updates to improve the feed posts so that marketers can create compelling content directly within the app.
Extended Carousel Posts
Instagram has increased the number of slides that can be added to a carousel posts.
Earlier, the limit was 10 slides which has now been increased to 20.
Though this change is effective since 2024, it can be perfect for in-depth storytelling, comprehensive product showcases, or recapping events in detail.
This can be used by marketers to share multiple highlights.
For example, if you are engaged in a real estate business, you can use this feature to show more aspects of a property or conference recaps, etc.
In App Text Overlay
The users can now upload images, videos and also add text overlays directly on Instagram.
It also allows the users to add stickers including custom cutouts of company logos or mascots to further customize their posts.
However, Instagram provides only a basic version of this feature.
To add complex designs or brand specific templates, it is better to use dedicated design tools like Canva.
Polls and Prompts
These are new interactive elements which appear as visual icons at the bottom corner of the post which shows how many people have participated.
These polls and prompts can help gather the opinions of the audience and gain valuable insights from your followers.
Pro tip: Pin your polls to the top of your profile to engage viewers immediately.
Product Tags
This feature enhances the platform’s e-commerce facilities.
Using this feature, business accounts can now add product names, prices, and direct purchase options directly to their posts, making it easier for users to shop in the feed.
Broadcast Channel Tags
This feature helps you attract more people to your Broadcasting channel.
Using this feature, you can now include tags for broadcast channels which helps you attract more people to the community spaces.
#3: New Reels Feature
Reels are of the most popular ways of engaging with your audience on Instagram.
To make sure that this interaction continues, Instagram continues to introduce new features to enhance creation and editing capabilities.
Multiple Audio Tracks
Instagram now allows you to use multiple audio tracks in a single reel.
You can use as many as 20 different audio tracks.
This feature allows you to make complex and professional reels incorporating multiple sounds, voiceovers and music to enhance your storytelling.
Drafts, Duplication and Other Enhanced Editing Features
Instagram has added several features for editing reels without leaving the app.
Editing tools such as undo/redo button, the ability to split clips, and a replace function can help you to edit your reels on the platform.
Further, you can also edit reels after posting including changing the cover image and editing frames.
The ‘split‘ function on the platform can be used to remove mistakes or adjust timings and the ‘replace‘ function can be used to swap out clips without starting over.
Another interesting feature provided by the platform is the ability to save the reels as draft and then create duplicates of the existing reels easier to make it easier to iterate on your content.
Multiple Collaborators
Now, the users can make reels by collaborating with up to 5 collaborators.
This helps in increasing engagement with the audience of other creators in your niche.
#4: Live Video Features
Instagram has introduced the new feature of Broadcast Channels through which they can communicate with their audience through live videos.
Desktop Live Streaming
The users can now go live using their desktop computer on Instagram.
This platform now enables more professional setup for your live content.
You can make use of live streams on desktop computers as the quality of video will e very high.
Further, it is easier for you to manage comments and engage with your audience.
Live in Broadcast Channels
This is only available to users who have professional accounts with more than 10000 followers.
Broadcast channels help creators to send one way messages to subscribers, which are similar to private newsletters within Instagram.
You can use this feature for for intimate Q&A sessions, product reveals, or exclusive live content for your most dedicated followers.
Pro tip: Highlight these exclusive live sessions to encourage more followers to join your broadcast channel.
#5: Meta AI
Instagram has introduced the MetaAI, which is a conversational tool which can be used by users to perform various tasks within the app.
This AI can be found as a search option with a purple and blue ring icon on the Explore Page.
This tool can be used to research hashtags quickly, get content ideas, or find information relevant to your marketing efforts without leaving the Instagram app.
Some accounts also have the option to create custom AI chatbots for their profiles.
If you gain access to this feature, create a custom AI to answer the frequently asked questions or provide basic information about your brand to your followers.
Further,Meta is also developing an AI Studio where you can customize and set up their AI assistants.
Once this feature is released, you can use this feature to provide powerful tools for creating more sophisticated and tailored AI interactions for your audience.
Bonus: Revealbot for Instagram Ads
Though this is not a feature of Instagram per se, it helps you to create advanced rules for Instagram ads.
Revealbot checks the performance of your ads every 15 minutes and makes adjustments based on your predefined rules.
It also reduces your ad spend faster than what you can do manually.
It does so in the following ways:
- It automatically pauses underperforming ads.
- It increases budgets for high-performing ads.
- It adjusts bids based on real-time performance data.
Conclusion
The updates introduced by Instagram are clearly intended towards user engagement and interaction.
Using the updates such as MetaAI, Reels, etc in an efficient manner, the marketers can truly up their game and effectively engage their target audience.
As the digital landscape continues to shift, it’s essential for brands to stay updated with the latest features and adapt their strategies accordingly.
Therefore, embrace these changes, experiment with new features, and watch your brand thrive in the dynamic world of social media marketing.
