Every marketer knows that social media platforms are constantly changing. But staying on top of those changes? That can prove to be a little more difficult. Here are 5 anticipated Instagram updates to start preparing your brand’s social media strategy for:
1. Profile grids are actually moving to 4:5
While this change has been teased for a while, the feature is officially rolling out to some accounts and it won’t be long until it reaches everyone. The good news is that even if your posts were 1:1, Instagram will use a zoom feature to adapt them to 4:5. This isn’t ideal, especially for graphics with text, but it is better than adding black trim to the top and bottom.
How to adapt: Start changing your spec sheets now! Every static post for Instagram should now be 4:5 ratio, or 1080x1350px.
2. A trial feature is rolling out for reels
This one could be game-changing. The new Trial Reels feature will let you post Reels that will not be shown to your followers. According to Instagram, the idea is that you can experiment with new ideas and get feedback on whether or not content resonates before sharing it with your core audience.
However, this is a great opportunity to essentially create organic “ads” to promote your profile to non-followers. Some creators have already had success sharing their most successful regular Reels as Trial Reels, essentially reposting their most popular content without annoying current followers. This is a great way to grow your following without spending a dime on paid media.
How to adapt: I recommend using your most popular existing content as your first few Trial Reels and evaluate. Did your following grow? If so, consider investing in a Trial Reels content strategy to create specific content for non-followers. Sell your profile! Consider it the video version of Facebook Page Like Ads, but totally organic.
If you have a specific geo targeting concern about your followership or aren’t looking to grow your account for some reason, try using the feature as Instagram intended – a testing ground for content. Do shorter or longer video lengths perform better? Faces or faceless? Lo-fi or highly produced? Incorporate those learnings into your content strategy moving forward.
3. You can now add music to your profile
Calling all millennials. Remember your MySpace days? Music on your profile is SO back. Luckily, the :30 of the song you choose will not autoplay, but users will be able to push a play button to initiate it.
How to adapt: Have fun with this one! This could be useful if your brand has a jingle you want to reinforce, but also consider pushing the boundaries with something creative. Your song selection will stay up until you remove it, so if you go with something trending or seasonal, be sure to set yourself a reminder to update it regularly.
4. Users can now comment on stories
This began rolling out in 2024, but will become available to all users in 2025. The settings on this can be customized, and you can choose to turn on comments for all followers or turn the functionality entirely off. By default, only users who are followed back by the Story creator can comment on stories. As a brand, I would recommend turning the function all the way on or all the way off.
Story comments are public to everyone who can view the Story, including if you add the Story to a Highlight.
How to adapt: If you turn Story commenting on for all users, start creating Story content that drives engagement. Think question CTAs and requests for input. Keep in mind that Story comments have a hard character count of 60, so don’t expect novels in response.
5. Highlight bubbles could be moving to the grid
If and when this change rolls out to everyone, you’ll have to click a tab at the top of your profile to see your Story Highlights instead of them being automatically visible under your bio.
Instagram says the reason for the change is to get more content up above the fold when viewing a profile. However, the announcement was met with lots of negativity across the internet, so we’ll see if the change actually comes to fruition.
How to adapt: If Story Highlights are an important part of your brand messaging on Instagram, consider repurposing that content into Carousels that you can pin to the top of your profile. It’s not the same, I know, but it’s better than nothing.
You could also consider creating a post to pin to your profile that encourages users to check out your Story Highlights. I would pin it directly under the Highlights tab and use a text graphic with an arrow to direct users exactly where you want them to click. This would cue users to view your Highlight content if it gets buried in a tab behind your primary profile and Reels grids.
There you have it. These are the top 5 Instagram updates we’re watching out for this year, though there’s no doubt 2025 will throw us lots of additional curveballs in the social media space.
Head spinning yet? If you need help planning an up-to-date, strategic content strategy for social media, give us a shout. We have a team of social media experts who’d love to geek out on your brand.
