SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 6 ― Your Instagram Story is about to get more interesting, as the social network has unveiled three new features, ready to discover now. From sharing posts to new stickers, these options help further boost engagement on the platform.
Good news for influencers! Instagram has finally rekindled its collaboration with Twitter. As of November 3, it's effectively possible to share your Instagram post on Twitter. The social network, which is part of the Facebook group ― which recently changed its name to Meta ― announced the good news on Twitter:
They said it would never happen… Twitter Card previews start rolling out TODAY. 👀
— Instagram (@instagram) November 3, 2021
Now, when you share an Instagram link on Twitter a preview of that post will appear. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/XSZRx9dzd1
Twitter has also further embraced YouTube, allowing playback of the platform's videos to launch directly on the social network. Building connections between platforms in this way is helping to promote sharing and interactivity across social media.
‘Add Yours’ and ‘Link’ stickers
Instagram seems particularly keen on fostering engagement with its new tools. One of the latest options is “Add Yours,” a new sticker found in the Story format, letting users create public threads or chains where people can respond by adding photos relating to the proposed content.
For example, with a hashtag like “#OOTD” or “Outfit Of The Day” ― one of the most-used keywords on the platform ― a user could prompt followers to respond to by adding pictures of their own outfits. It's then possible to see the different additions to the chain by clicking on the sticker.
It's a way to boost interactivity and develop engagement among users and followers. This new sticker is somewhat reminiscent of the “Duet” function in TikTok, which allows users to reply to video content with their own videos. Instagram was already largely inspired by the Chinese social network when improving its search tool.
Add Yours = a sticker that creates public threads in Stories 🤝
— Instagram (@instagram) November 1, 2021
With custom prompts and public responses, you can share the sticker and see who responds to it in their own Stories. pic.twitter.com/C9AXiFEo92
To further foster engagement on the platform, Instagram has finally rolled out the “Link” sticker to all its users. Initially available for verified accounts, any user can now insert a hyperlink with this new sticker, available in the Story format.
The social network chose to replace the “Swipe-up” function, reserved for verified accounts and those with more than 10,000 followers, with the “Link” sticker to offer a better way of sharing links directly in Stories.
Still, users should be careful when using the “Link” sticker. Instagram has suggested that this option could be removed if a user violates the rules of the platform by sharing too much fake news or hate speech. ― ETX Studio
Whether it’s sharing info on social justice or supporting a local biz, everyone should be able to share what matters to them. 📢❤️
— Instagram (@instagram) October 27, 2021
We are excited to globally roll out Link Sticker 🔗, which allows you to share links in your story... no matter how big or small your account is. pic.twitter.com/x5QFClbpaT