Yesterday Meta introduced a new feature on Instagram, Favourites and Following.
What does this mean? After 6 long years, the chronological order is returning to Instagram…well kind of! With this update, Instagram is giving users the chance to shape their Instagram feed with the addition of ‘Favourites’ and ‘Following’ options.
‘Favourites’ shows you the latest from accounts that you choose, like your best friends and favourite creators – or maybe your favourite Ad Agency. You can add up to 50 accounts to your list and you can make changes at any time. Plus, users won’t be notified when they are added or removed.
‘Following’ shows you posts from the people you follow. Both Favourites and Following will show you posts in chronological order.
At present, your Instagram feed is a mix of photos and videos from people you follow, suggested posts and more. The default ‘Home’ algorithmic feed is designed to show ranked posts in a non-chronological order, influenced by factors such as interaction with accounts, user activity, post information, and the uploader. So, the purpose of Favourites and Following is to give you more choice and control over what you see and help make the time you spend on the app feel more intentional and enjoyable.
What does this mean for brands? With users enjoying more control over their user experience, brands will need to work harder to create content that brings real value to consumers.
