Instagram features<\/a> are constantly pushing boundaries, evolving, and changing before our very eyes.<\/p>\n This social network is a multi-talented queen: Sure, you can throw a cool filter on a photo, but thanks to Instagram\u2019s many native features, you can also:<\/p>\n Here are the Instagram features that every marketer should know, including new updates<\/a> and hidden features. Take notes! (Just kidding, bookmarking the page is good enough for us).<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Bonus:<\/strong> Claim your pack of free animated Instagram Reels templates<\/strong><\/span> created by Hootsuite\u2019s professional designers. Easily customize them in Canva, and take your Reels game to the next level today.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n You know how you can add music to your reels? You can now add tunes to your carousel posts too! Get groovy.<\/p>\n Instagram comments have largely been left alone by the scientists who come up with new features\u2026 but no longer! Now, you can poll your audience within the comments<\/a> section on your posts.<\/p>\n Source: checkthetag on Instagram<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n For now, they\u2019re only available on mobile, but we\u2019ll keep fingers crossed for polls in the desktop version of Instagram.<\/p>\n Will this be a way to solve comment section arguments?<\/p>\n Instagram\u2019s long had location capabilities, but it\u2019s improved its map search features. Users can explore popular tagged locations around them, making it easier to find businesses, mural photo ops, and other noteworthy public places.<\/p>\n You can filter location results by specific categories like restaurants, cafes, or salons.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Instagram<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Can\u2019t find the exact sticker you want? Now you can generate them using AI! When you search through GIPHY stickers, you can simply add in a term, hit \u201cAI stickers,\u201d and have it generated for you. The opportunities are endless.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Instagram<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n You can create stickers from your own photos using Cutouts<\/a>, found in the sticker section. You need a photo with a clear subject in it for Instagram to automatically pull out a sticker, or you can manually do it yourself.<\/p>\n With Broadcast Channels, you can send followers who have opted into your channel mass updates. It\u2019s like blasting out a message to all of your subscribers.<\/p>\n Besides following accounts, Broadcast Channels are one of the only Instagram subscription features your followers have to opt in to.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Instagram<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The more the merrier, right? With this Instagram collab feature, you can now partner up with three friends on a feed post, carousel, or reel. This means your content will appear in your collaborators\u2019 feeds and vice versa!<\/p>\n You\u2019ll potentially be able to triple the eyes on your content. The engagement for the post will be shared by all of the accounts involved.<\/p>\n The Professional Dashboard<\/a> on Instagram is for Business<\/a> and Creator<\/a> accounts. Here, you can measure your performance on the app. You\u2019ll also learn about how to improve your metrics\u2014the \u201cGrow Your Business\u201d section has helpful tools for great \u2018gramming.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Instagram<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The interactive bio features make it easier for your audience to access information directly from your Instagram profile. Information like your business\u2019s address and phone number are clickable, leading curious potential customers straight to the point.<\/p>\n And don\u2019t forget about the link in bio<\/a>\u2014you can copy and paste your company website there or craft your own linktree<\/a> to maximize that space.<\/p>\n (Psst: if you\u2019re looking for new IG bio ideas, we\u2019ve got 10 hot ones<\/a>).<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Ask for Luigi on Instagram<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n In June 2021, Instagram introduced the desktop publishing feature<\/a>. This feature launched to a resounding applause from content creators everywhere who no longer were tied to their phones.<\/p>\n If you like desktop publishing, you\u2019re going to have a major crush on Hootsuite. Hootsuite\u2019s publishing tools<\/a> are desktop-friendly and allow you to plan and schedule your content, find the optimal time to post, and more.<\/p>\n Instagram\u2019s Insights allow you to track your success on the platform (they\u2019re part of the Professional Dashboard, see above). Keep track of important metrics like your engagement rate<\/a>, likes<\/a>, comments<\/a>, followers<\/a> and more using this feature.<\/p>\n For a complete rundown of how to use IG analytics for your business account, we suggest taking a looksee at this blog post<\/a>.<\/p>\n Make serious connections (in real-time) using Instagram Live. This feature helps you engage your audience and can give you a major step up when it comes to brand authenticity. Using Instagram Live, you can:<\/p>\n For more on using Instagram Live for business, check out this no-sweat, tear-free guide to IG Live<\/a>.<\/p>\n Collab posts allow two separate accounts to share the same content to both of their feeds. Both of the creator\u2019s handles appear in the post, and the comments and likes are all in one place.<\/p>\n This is a smart feature to use when you\u2019re partnering with an influencer or another business for an advertisement or sponsored content. It makes the partnership transparent and obvious to your audience and increases your visibility.<\/p>\n To learn more about mastering the art of Instagram collab posts, here\u2019s some reading for you<\/a>.<\/p>\n Direct messages are a private way to interact on Instagram. This is the best place to have a conversation that you don\u2019t want the whole world to see. To get the most out of your Instagram DMs, here\u2019s an essential guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n Comments generally show up chronologically, but sometimes they\u2019ll be listed with the most liked ones at the top. You can pin comments at the top of the pile (directly below the caption) so you can control which comments your audience sees first.<\/p>\n Businesses can use pinned comments to amplify positive messages, draw attention to frequently asked questions or simply put a funny comment front and center. (Pinning a comment is easy: here\u2019s how to do it<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Tanks Good News on Instagram<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Using Instagram Messenger, you can send GIFs or stickers in any direct message. Plus, you can send interactive polls or quizzes to any group chat (any message with three or more accounts involved).<\/p>\n To access these features, go into the chosen chat and tap the sticker icon on the lower right side of the screen. From there, you\u2019ll be able to pick stickers and GIFs and use the poll and quiz options\u2014if what you\u2019re looking for doesn\u2019t pop up right away, use the search bar.<\/p>\n Think of the Instagram Notes feature like a bulletin board: you can \u201cpin\u201d short phrases to the top of Messenger, and they\u2019ll stay there for 24 hours. Notes are a great place to remind people about events, promotions, life updates and more.<\/p>\n Want to learn more about Instagram Notes (and what the heck they\u2019re for)? Here\u2019s a blog post for you<\/a>.<\/p>\n Captions are a classic way to up your Instagram Story game \u2014 they allow you to layer text, emojis and tags over the photo, Reel or post you\u2019re sharing.<\/p>\n You can link to a website in your Instagram Story. You\u2019ll find this feature in stickers.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Good Protein on Instagram<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n IG Stories disappear after being posted. That is unless they\u2019re saved in a Story Highlight. Story Highlights allow you to keep notable or informative Stories \u201cpinned\u201d and easily accessible at the top of your profile.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking to customize your highlight covers, here\u2019s how to do it<\/a>.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Hootsuite on Instagram<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Story stickers allow users to interact with your content while staying in the Instagram app. Interactive stickers include pools, links, quizzes and questions. You can use these features to engage with your audience, source opinions, or get ideas.<\/p>\n For more Instagram Story ideas, here\u2019s a blog post with over 30 examples<\/a>.<\/p>\n This is one of Instagram\u2019s newer sticker options, and it has some very cool possibilities when it comes to sharing. The \u201cAdd yours\u201d sticker allows anyone on Instagram to participate in a photo-sharing challenge that follows a specific prompt. For example: \u201cYou as a teenage dirtbag.\u201d<\/p>\n These sticker prompts can blow up, with hundreds of thousands of people using them as an excuse to share photos.<\/p>\n The Remix feature gives Instagram users the opportunity to make a Reel that includes a photo or video posted by another user. This is a great way to shoot reaction videos, make an engaging comment on another post or support another user of the app. (Also, sing duets!)<\/p>\n Editing Instagram Reels can be a pain (especially if you\u2019re using IG\u2019s in-app program \u2014 here are some free alternative solutions<\/a>), and Reel templates are a user-friendly strategy for creating excellent videos. Templates will automatically clip your chosen videos into a certain time frame, usually to the beat of a particular song\u2013providing you with a perfectly edited video in just a few seconds.<\/p>\n To use a Reel\u2019s template, just hit Use template, which appears above the account name on the Reel.<\/p>\n Product tags are an awesome tool for retailers using the platform (and an even more awesome tool for online shopaholics). This Instagram shopping feature gives businesses the opportunity to showcase their products online and consumers the opportunity to buy those products directly within the app.<\/p>\n Instagram shopping is an art \u2014 here are the top tricks of the trade<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
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<\/h3>\nInstagram Insights<\/h3>\n
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