Instagram users could soon be able to change the order of the posts on their profiles, and we couldn’t be more excited!
The news comes after the popular social platform’s recent development in testing feed changes, which will [hopefully] soon provide the option to switch between three different views on home screens: Home, Favourites or Following.
Testing Feed Changes 👀
We’re starting to test the ability to switch between three different views on your home screen (two of which would give you the option to see posts in chronological order):
– Home
– Favorites
– FollowingWe hope to launch these soon. More to come. ✌🏼 pic.twitter.com/9zvB85aPSp
— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) January 5, 2022
But back to the new grid feature… According to leaker Alessandro Paluzzi, the social media platform is “working on the ability to edit the profile grid allowing you to rearrange posts in any order you like.” His screenshots shared on Twitter earlier this week showed an “Edit Grid” button in the profile settings and the rearrangement of the grid posts – suggesting a users’ grid could be shown in an order aside from the current chronological.
What does this mean for your business Instagram profile?
If what Allessandor suggests is true, Instagram users will be able to pull relevant posts from [up to] 7 months ago back up to the top of your profile – so if it’s trending you can simply reuse and rebrand your old content (rather than reposting the same or very similar content). It means you can repurpose content that’s timely in season; saving you time and reducing your social budget. It also prevents your posts and profile feeling too repetitive.
If a post has performed particularly well and you feel, as a business, as if it has more to give, pulling it to the top of your grid gives it a chance to gain more engagement. You can edit the caption, add new hashtags or even new relevant tags if needed and see if it’s able to drive more engagement. The great thing about this feature is if a post isn’t performing as well as expected, it can be dragged further down the grid to make way for a new or different post (which will hopefully be more successful!).
The same goes for any past posts where your business has worked with influencers or used UGC content. By pushing these familiar posts towards the top of your grid, your users will start to recognise and attach them to your brand.
#Instagram is working on the ability to edit the profile grid allowing you to rearrange posts in any order you like 👀 pic.twitter.com/fjmkJD4je2
— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) January 10, 2022
On the flip side, you can also drag posts further down on your grid. If your business is looking to run a giveaway or throw a competition, then you’ll easily be able to hide things deep within posts. Not only making it more difficult for users to enter the competition, but it will also drive engagement stats up the more people explore for the ‘hidden prize’.
The [reportedly] new feature will also allow you to change the flow of your Instagram profile – if your grid seems a bit jumbled or you’d rather make it into a puzzle feed (without worrying that it’ll realign all your other posts) then allowing you to style your own grid is a great advantage. Being able to better manage the aesthetics of your profile is a social media manager’s dream.
It’s unknown whether this new feature will mean that old posts dragged to the top of your grid will appear as new posts on your users feed – in fact, that’s pretty unlikely. But it does mean that businesses and personal profiles alike will have more say in their profile design and how their posts look on their grid.
Only time will tell when – or if – this feature will come into play, but I have my fingers crossed!
Looking for help with your social media marketing? We can help! Get in touch today.
