On the other hand, the algorithm learns very quickly what works for most people and what doesn't. When Reels was introduced, people will have noticed that this form of content was successful and they started pushing it, so that people would use Instagram longer and more. Or perhaps tap into a new group with this.
important in the main navigation, and still focusing on the 'old' feed in discovery, Stories and IGTV are lagging behind. The question is whether these can get the attention they deserve in the busy app. As a company, you can only do that if you create really good content in those places, and think in fixed formats or categories. Then people will definitely look for it.
So what hasn't changed?
Also interesting to look at: what has NOT changed? We still can't place links to outsiders phone number library in posts or Stories. In Stories it is possible if you have more than 10k followers. We still can't share posts from the timeline to our own timeline, but we can in Stories.
Fortunately, some key principles from the original founders, who have been gone from the company since 2018, have remained. No external linking, because we tell the visual story here. And no sharing, because it’s about your own story and encouraging self-creation rather than sharing. Instagram’s huge success at the start was due to the ease with which you could upload a photo and share it with the world. The simplicity of the app has given way to complexity and a whole host of content formats.
Hashtags still work in the timeline and in Reels, they can provide a lot of extra views. In Stories they don't work, because they are temporary and full-screen, without public interaction.