We all know Instagram as the one app that is ever changing. From its beginning and until the present moment, Instagram has gone through a massive ‘make-over’. It started from a chronological stream of photos which developed quickly into an algorithm that considers what people like and are interested in and rank the posts displayed in their feed accordingly (Hackett, 2022).
A first noteworthy update was inspired by the Snapchat platform, such that Instagram introduced the Stories functionality in 2016. Users could see it as a first step towards building a new image of their platform, from being mainly a picture sharing platform to a more videos-based platform. Furthermore, 2018 saw the addition of the IGTV function which allows users to upload videos longer than 1 minute in their feed. In 2020, following an “ascent” of TikTok as a video-sharing platform, Instagram introduced Reels, thus becoming its main competitor (Mosseri, 2021).
The interesting story at play here is how users took the recent updates Instagram has made to its platform. While the intent was directed towards becoming as video dominant as possible, it seems like users did not appreciate the new changes. With celebrities taking a stance on Instagram shifting towards a “new TikTok” and having more of a random and ad targeted algorithm in their feed, the head of Instagram spoke openly about the new changes which are going to be reverted. According to the businessman, what Instagram did with its new shift was to take a risk and learn more from its users (Milmo, 2022).
Why I wanted to write an article on the topic of Instagram vs. TikTok is because I think Instagram’s strategy works in what regards listening to consumers and adapting based on the market. Having so much data at hand is powerful and the social media giant has proved it. Their algorithm was developed as a function which takes available data from consumers and gives it back in a new form of content. Moreover, developing and trying out new ideas can result in backlashes from consumers. It is crucial how you respond and what you learn from this. Instagram was on a continuous learning path with all the implementations it has brought forward, and I do not think it will stop here.
Lastly, positioning yourself in a market where only a couple of players have made it can be both risky and advantageous. It is a battle of the first mover on one hand, the one who manages to establish a competitive advantage over the others, and the power of adaptation and change on the other hand. Learning from its competitors, Instagram changed over the years, adapted to the wants of consumers and thus stayed in top amongst users’ favourite platform. Moreover, Instagram became not only a hub for amusement and fun, but a platform where many businesses find a place for developing a strategy. To leave you with a last note, flexibility in strategy thinking and market adaptation, especially in a digital era that is continuously evolving, make one business to stay on top of their game.
Sources
Hackett, S. (2022). The Complete Timeline Of Instagram Updates That Have Changed The Way We Gram. Kicksta. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://blog.kicksta.co/the-complete-timeline-of-instagram-updates/#Instagram_Updates_2019
Milmo, D. (2022, July 29). Instagram rolls back some changes to app after user backlash. The Guardian. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jul/28/instagram-rolls-back-some-changes-to-app
Mosseri, A. (2021). Shedding More Light on How Instagram Works. about.instagram.com. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/shedding-more-light-on-how-instagram-works
Wynne, M. (2021). Instagram Reels vs TikTok: Which should you be using? Creative Bloq. Retrieved October 6, 2022, from https://www.creativebloq.com/features/instagram-reels-vs-tiktok
Really well written blog! I have a question for you: What is your take on the revenue models of both platforms? They make their money when they keep people on the platform for as long as possible. Do you think TikTok succeeds better at this because they focus purely on videos rather than Instagram which focuses on images. That videos captivate people longer.
As Matthijs said, well written blog, and interesting subject. Social media, and in this case Instagram, has developed enormously ever since it has first launched. You mention in your blog that Instagram users were not happy with the shift the platform took lately. And although Instagram has made some changes, they are still slowly shifting towards Video content. This could be seen as they fear the rise of TikTok. We all know that Meta cannot fix this threat by simply buying TikTok (a strategy they have used many times in the past), so do you think TikTok could be the first big challenger of Instagram and maybe even take over market leader position?