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Extreme changes are rolling out soon on both Instagram and Facebook. Meta’s new direction marks not just another TikTok-inspired feature, but a major shift for the platforms that have dominated the social media landscape essentially since it existed.

Here’s a brief explainer on what’s happening, and why it matters to social media marketers.

What’s Changing on Instagram?

Nothing is completely set in stone, technically, but a number of major changes have been slowly rolling out in recent months:

• Reels, Insta’s original reaction to TikTok, are becoming the major focus of the app. More videos will be appearing in the feed than ever before, and now all videos under 15 minutes posted to Instagram will automatically be shared as a Reel. There are also new collaboration options coming to Reels, as well.

• Full-screen tests are popping up in the wild, and in all likelihood this TikTok feature will soon become the default experience for Insta’s feed. (We covered this upcoming change last month.)

• Recommended posts are also becoming more central to the Instagram experience, meaning posts from accounts you don’t follow, but that Instagram thinks you will like.

What’s Changing on Facebook?

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced some major changes in the Facebook app, as well. The official announcement lays out these changes coming soon to FB:

• Home is the new name for the main tab you see when you open the app. It is being billed as “the starting point for connection, entertainment and discovery on Facebook.” The key word may be “discovery,” because the algorithm here will be much more TikTok like*.

• Feeds will be a new tab that shows only posts from those you follow. It is sorted chronologically. You can also curate a Favorites list that filters down to your most meaningful followed people and pages.

*One of the reasons TikTok is so addicting is because of the “For You” tab’s algorithm which uses AI and machine learning to recommend posts based on your interests and engagement patterns over time.

The Backlash

Criticism of these changes (particularly on Instagram) seems to have been bubbling for a while, but it came to a head in the last few days when celebrity Kylie Jenner (and then her half-sister Kim Kardashian, followed by dozens more celebs) reshared a post asking the powers that be to bring back the old Instagram:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ▵✖️tati (@illumitati)

While criticism of algorithm changes is nothing new, this particular act may have struck a particular chord with Instagram because the last time Kylie Jenner criticized an app’s changes (Snapchat’s), that company’s shares dropped 7%.

So, this and the other celebrity criticism that followed led to a response from the Head of Instagram, who confirms that the changes are “bad” right now, explains that they are just a test, but also that the change to video is coming whether you like it or not.

👋🏼 There’s a lot happening on Instagram right now.I wanted to address a few things we’re working on to make Instagram a better experience. Please let me know what you think 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/x1If5qrCyS

— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) July 26, 2022

Still others have pointed out that these changes all feel a little “desperate.”

Why it Matters

All of these changes can be a bit overwhelming! Some of the things we have taken for granted about these core platforms seem to be shifting very quickly.

With these changes, marketers need to stick to core principles (such as providing valuable content and providing a great audience experience online) while also keeping an ear to the ground. No one can be completely sure how these changes will pan out, so those who watch the signals and shift appropriately will be the best positioned for success.