If you follow social media news,
it should come as no surprise that “vertical video” has recently become a hotter topic than ever. This is almost exclusively due to Instagram and the drastic changes that the platform has made to the app in the last month — changes so big that they have garnered attention from IG users worldwide and celebrities, including Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner. Not sure what we’re talking about? Here’s the 411.
INSTAGRAM'S BIG CHANGE
In July 2022, Instagram began to roll out its exclusively vertical feed to mimic TikTok, completely changing the way we scroll through our feeds and even what kind of content we see. While this has been a long time coming (remember when Adam Mosseri just straight up said that IG was no longer a photo sharing app?) this shift really struck a nerve with Instagram users as the final straw…and rightfully so!
Millions of people began to share content that reflected the message “Make Instagram Instagram Again”, highlighting that they missed seeing photos of their friends instead of just randomly curated Reels from Influencers and brands. Within the week, the conversation spread like wildfire, leading to multiple parodies, a large exodus from the app, mainstream media attention, and endorsements by the biggest celebrities on the planet.
Talk about a big day for Instagram’s PR department, am I right?
INSTAGRAM’S REACTION
A few days later, Instagram head Adam Mosseri made a video explaining that vertical video is the future as proven by users engagement statistics. We’ll be honest, we loved hearing that because hey, it’s absolutely true! However, even we (as vertical video advocates!) missed the original Instagram and agree that eliminating everything about the original app is taking it too far. We have TikTok for that!
When the response was met with even more backlash, Instagram had no choice but to shelf the updates and walk away from the TikTok style feed.
“I’m glad we took a risk — if we’re not failing every once in a while, we’re not thinking big enough or bold enough,” Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said in an interview. “But we definitely need to take a big step back and regroup. [When] we’ve learned a lot, then we come back with some sort of new idea or iteration. So we’re going to work through that.”
The power of the people!
WHAT’S NEXT FOR VERTICAL VIDEO ON INSTAGRAM?
While the redacted changes are a win for lovers of the original app, it does not mean that vertical video content is going anywhere anytime soon. Yes, the feed will not switch to exclusively favor vertical video and miscellaneous content, but Reels still remain supreme on the app. Facts are facts! Not only do they generate more organic reach than any other kind of content (which helps grow your following) they are proven to be the best content to capture the attention of users.
Additionally, Instagram recently announced that they will begin to test vertical photos! Long story short, people do engage more with full screen content.
That being said, we totally get that keeping up with trends like this can be frustrating and hard, but this is exactly why we started Packsia! Our packs make it oh-so-easy to ensure you’ve got unlimited amounts of aesthetic content to post on your business or personal Instagram account. Whether you’re making ads or just aesthetic content to share a message, we’ve got a pack for you that will help you reach a wide audience and have your customers engage more with your post!
So, if you’ve been holding back on experimenting with vertical video, now’s the time to jump on board! We are here to help. Check out our membership options to get started and never hesitate to send us a message on how to best incorporate vertical video into your brand’s content. There’s nothing we love to see more!
Xo Packsia
