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A recent app redesign means that a new Reels tab and a Shop tab are now on center stage on Instagram.

Described as a “new home screen,” this redesign is a clear sign that Reels (the TikTok-style 15-second multi-clip videos) are here to stay. It also shows that Shopping for products is becoming more of a strategic focus (just in time for the holidays!).

“This year, with the pandemic and much of the world sheltering in place, we’ve seen an explosion in short, entertaining videos on Instagram. We’ve also seen an incredible amount of shopping move online, with more and more people buying online and young people looking to their favorite creators for recommendations on what to buy.”

— Facebook/Instagram

How the new menu works

As pointed out in Tech Crunch, this redesign is a major deal if for no other reason than IG has moved the compose button.

Here are the major changes:

• The Activity tab (heart icon) has now been replaced in the menu with the Shop tab (shopping bag icon)

• The Compose button (plus icon) and the Activity tab (heart icon) have been relocated to the top-right of the home screen

• Reels now appears in the center of the main menu (play button/reel icon)

Why it matters

What does this mean for the future of IG marketing? There are a few top-level takeaways to consider:

• Focus on videos. This redesign is a good sign that video content will be getting more attention on Instagram than ever. Likewise, it’s a sign that FB/IG are going to keep confronting their TikTok problem head on.

• Sell Sell Sell. There is more opportunity than ever to monetize Instagram if you are a business that sells products online. This is of course more important than ever as more businesses have gone online following the COVID-19 pandemic.

• One potential downside of this change is user confusion. Reels is still very new on the platform, and it’s not clear that most users understand what they are at this point. (It’s also been criticized in the media.) With so much change happening in the world, could this shuffling of content cause more user frustration than delight?

• A potential positive: Now that it’s easier to find Reals, they may become more popular as users are (aggressively?) shown what they are all about

Related News

This month, we’ve also got you covered on these important social media news items:

Blog

Instagram encouraging users to “Try a New Account”

Twitter gives their ad creator a facelift

Reels and Shops getting prime Instagram app real estate

Introducing “Vanish Mode” in Facebook Messenger and Instagram

TikTok now connects with Shopify

More noteworthy news items from this month:

• Pinterest launches new tools for product optimization (Pinterest news)

• Introducing Snap Connect: Specialized Courses Taught by Snapchat Experts (Snapchat Business)

• 5 new features for better watching on YouTube (YouTube blog

• New Pinterest iOS home screen widget for daily inspiration (Pinterest news)

• Instagram Direct: How to Change Chat Themes (Adweek)

• New ‘Neighborhood Sponsorships’ on Nextdoor (Nextdoor business)

• Twitter's Working on New Warnings for Likes of Tweets Which Include Disputed Claims (SocialMediaToday)

• TikTok announces agreement with Sony Music Entertainment (TikTok blog)

• Introducing Facebook Elevate: Resources for Black and Latinx and Hispanic-Owned Businesses (FB Business Blog)

• Facebook Shares New Insights into Evolving Consumer Behaviors Amid COVID-19 (SocialMediaToday)

• Twitter Labeled Some 300,000 Tweets for Violating Its Civic Integrity Policy (Adweek)

• Facebook Tests New Options to Add Motion Effects to Still Images in Feed (SocialMediaToday)

Here’s how Facebook’s new ‘motion effects’ feature for photo posts works... pic.twitter.com/FHqpOBbhsO

— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) October 28, 2020

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