Top Instagram Features for Marketers in 2023

Instagram has been around for quite some time now, and you’re surely missing out on many marketing opportunities if you haven’t paid attention to this platform.

Most users think publishing Instagram content is the only thing they should be concerned about, but it’s not the case.

There are several Instagram features for marketers that the majority of users don’t even use. The irony is that businesses stick to paid advertising and don’t explore the realm of social media marketing.

As a result, they fail to attract, engage, grow their business and convert a sizeable audience that would have been their paying customers or loyal followers.

Now I’ll stop beating around the bush and tell you some useful feature that would help you crack Instagram’s algorithm in 2023 and beyond.

But first things first, let’s cover all the bases.

What is Instagram marketing?

Instagram marketing refers to the social media marketing plan built for brands or individuals to discover, target, and engage the audience on the Instagram platform.

No doubt Instagram is among the top-tier social media platforms with over 2 billion monthly active users, which accounts for a huge opportunity for businesses of all sizes to connect with the audience.

Since social media platforms continue to roll out new features, it’s essential for marketers to understand what Instagram has to offer.

I’m sure there will be some Instagram features that you might not be aware of or that you haven’t had a chance to try out just yet. Keep reading this piece if you want to discover some new Instagram features.

Read-Up: Instagram growth hacks in 2023

How beneficial is Instagram marketing for marketers?

Instagram marketing is crucial for modern-day social media marketing as it’s one of the top-tier social media platforms. Marketers play close attention to Instagram ever since Facebook acquired the Instagram platform. Let me put it this way: it’s not possible to run a social media marketing campaign of any type or size without Instagram.

There is a reason why most social media influencers try to build an audience on Instagram and brands use this platform to generate leads.

Let’s look at a couple of examples:

• Spotify is the popular music app for listening to the songs and creating online music playlists. According to Statista, Spotify has over 456 million monthly active users worldwide.

They’re still running social media ads on social media. Perhaps, they know how vital it is for their platform to continue to engage with new eyeballs and bring them over to their platform.

• Curiosity Stream is a streaming service known as the Netflix of documentaries. I spotted their ads on Instagram too.

It got me thinking that Instagram must have a diverse audience. No wonder brands prefer Instagram ads over other social media ads.

Key elements of Instagram marketing

It’s vital to understand the essential elements of the Instagram platform to fully comprehend the importance of Instagram marketing. Here are a few of the major elements of Instagram marketing:

⦁ Historic acquisition

VOX penned the Instagram acquisition as one of the best tech acquisitions of all time. Mark Zuckerberg paid a whopping $1 billion for acquiring Instagram in 2012, and it surely turned into an excellent investment.

⦁ Sizeable audience

Instagram has over two billion monthly active users, which puts this social networking app on a pedestal. No wonder Instagram directly competes with YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

⦁ Suitable for most niches

It’s often said that Instagram is suitable for photographers, models, and fitness influencers. No doubt that Instagram is a photos and videos platform, but it doesn’t mean it’s specific to photographers, models, and fitness geeks. In fact, it works out great for almost every niche these days.

⦁ Facebook ads integration

One of the reasons why Instagram is beneficial for marketers is that advertisers could run ads on Instagram through Facebook. The Instagram platform without the ads serving would be quite different, especially from the digital marketing standpoint.

⦁ Offers everything to marketers

A huge benefit of Instagram to marketers and social media influencers is that this platform has everything these professionals need to discover an audience, communicate with followers, and share life updates. Instagram has photos, videos, live streaming, stories, Reels, and more.

So these are a few of the benefits of the Instagram platform for marketers that play a key role in opting for this social media platform.

What is new on Instagram?

Social media platforms continue to evolve as competition grows in the social media realm. It probably works out for the best because the end-user gets to benefit from the social media evolution.

Instagram has changed quite a lot in the past few years. It’s surely not just a photo-sharing app that we used to call it. Instagram was among the first social media platforms that picked up the Stories feature and capitalized on it quite well.

If you’re curious about what’s new on Instagram in 2023 or later, then you’re going to love the next part.

Here are five new Instagram features you should try out:

i. Links (in stories)

Gone are the days when only influencers or Instagrammers with 10k subscribers could add a link to their Insta stories. Now everyone can add a link to their Instagram stories, thanks to the Links feature.

To insert a link in your Instagram Story, go to the emoji section and find the “Link” option among others such as Poll, Question, and Mention.

ii. Highlight

Highlight is the Instagram story feature that has been around for a while. If you haven’t paid attention to this feature, then you’re missing out on a lot of Instagram engagement.

Since stories are live for 24 hours, some of our Stories are too good to lose. Therefore, Instagram came up with a new feature lately that saves your Stories forever. All you need is to add a specific Story using the Highlight feature. Once it’s done, the saved Stories will be displayed on your profile.

iii. Remix

Remix is an excellent Instagram feature that lets users react to Instagram Reels. Users could create a side-by-side reaction video or record their video once the original video ends.

To use this feature, tap on the three-dotted options button to access the video settings and then choose the Remix option. Now you could record your part and prepare it to post.

iv. Bookmark

The bookmark feature does what exactly it sounds like. It lets users bookmark Instagram posts to check them out later. Interestingly, Twitter also introduced a bookmarking feature named Bookmark that does the same thing for tweets.

To book the Instagram posts, look at the right bottom of the random posts on the feed and you’ll see a bookmark button. Tap on that button to bookmark that post. You’ll find all the bookmarked posts in the bookmarks section on your profile.

v. Share as post

This feature may have been around for a while, but it could be new to most readers. The “Share as Post” Instagram feature allows Instagrammers to post their Stories as posts. It helps users keep their updates or stories alive after publishing them as posts.

To share your Story as a post, open your Instagram Story and tap on the three-dotted options button and choose the “Share as Post” option.

Also Read: The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Automation

12 best Instagram features for marketers

Here are twelve of the best Instagram features for marketers to try out:

1. Insights:

This feature allows you to track the performance of your posts and stories, as well as your followers and engagement. You can use this data to inform your content strategy and understand what works best for your audience.

2. Hashtags:

Using relevant hashtags can help increase the visibility of your content and reach a wider audience. A post can contain up to 30 hashtags, and you can also create branded hashtags to promote your business or campaign.

3. Stories:

Instagram stories allow you to share content that disappears after 24 hours. It is a great way to produce more authentic, spontaneous content and engage with your audience in real-time.

4. Live:

Instagram live allows you to stream live videos to your followers. This can be a great way to connect with your audience in real-time and offer behind-the-scenes glimpses of your business or products.

5. Shopping:

This feature allows you to tag products in your posts and stories and create a shoppable Instagram feed. This can make it easier for your followers to purchase your products directly from Instagram.

6. Reels:

Instagram reels is a new feature that allows you to create short, vertical videos. Reel videos could be up to 60 seconds long. You can use this to promote your services and products in a creative and engaging manner.

7. Polls:

Instagram polls allow you to ask your followers a question and let them choose between two options. This can be a great way to gather feedback and engage with your audience.

8. Questions:

Instagram questions allows you to ask your followers a question and let them respond with a text or video answer. This can be a great way to gather feedback and get to know your audience better.

9. Filters:

Instagram filters allow you to add special effects to your photos and videos. Visual interest can be added to your content and make it more engaging for your followers.

Related Read: How to Create the Perfect Instagram Grid

10. Brand collaborations:

Instagram allows you to work alongside other businesses or influencers to promote your products or services. This can be a great way to reach a new audience and increase your brand awareness.

11. Highlights:

Instagram Highlight feature allows you to save your stories and group them into collections that are visible on your profile. This can be a great way to showcase your best content and make it more discoverable for your followers.

12. Direct (DM):

Instagram DM allows you to send private messages to individual users or small groups. This can be a great way to build relationships with your followers and offer personalized social media customer service.

So these surely were some of the best features of Instagram for marketers to try out and take their Instagram marketing to the next level.

5+ best tools for Instagram marketing

There are several Instagram marketing tools available on the internet, but a few of them are my go-to tools. Here are some of the best tools for marketers, businesses, bloggers, and influencers to use for Instagram marketing:

1. ContentStudio:

ContentStudio is a social media management and content marketing platform that allows you to schedule and publish content on Instagram and other platforms, as well as engage with followers and track the performance of your social media channels. It’s equipped with tools that help you analyze, plan and create effective social media content strategy.

Check out this video to learn how to schedule your instagram posts with ease.

Read-Up: What Makes ContentStudio a Great Instagram Management Tool?

2. Iconosquare:

Iconosquare is an Instagram analytics and management tool that offers features like performance tracking, hashtag research, and user insights to help you optimize your Instagram marketing strategy. It also allows you to schedule and publish content, and engage with followers.

3. Snapseed:

Snapseed is a photo editing and manipulation app that allows you to improve and enhance the visual quality of your Instagram content. It offers a range of tools and filters for adjusting lighting, color, and other aspects of your photos and videos.

4. Canva:

Canva is a graphic design and content creation platform that offers a range of templates, tools, and resources for creating visually appealing content for your Instagram account.

You can use it to create social media graphics, posts , and other types of content to help you stand out on the platform.

5. Repost app:

The Repost app is a tool that allows you to repost content from other users on your own Instagram account. It allows you to give credit to the original content creator and helps you curate a feed of relevant and engaging content for your followers.

6. VN video editor:

VN Video Editor is a video editing app that allows you to create and edit videos for your Instagram account. It offers a range of tools and features for trimming, splicing and adding special effects to your videos to help you create more engaging content for your followers.

Read More: Top 10 Instagram Planning Apps You Must Have In 2024

Make the most of Instagram features as a marketer

Instagram offers a ton of features to marketers to attract, engage, and convert the audience into paying customers. However, a lot of marketers and businesses struggle to get traction on the platform even though they have access to the same features.

Sometimes, a little bit of wit and fun helps a lot in getting attention. Furthermore, when you put out quality content consistently, you get noticed on the platform organically, which turns things upside down.

Some of the readers might wonder how they could make the most of Instagram features. The answer to their query is simple: try to understand the platform and its features as much as you can so that you use the right tool at the right time.

Here are fours Instagram features that every marketer should hone in on and use for communication, engagement, and conversion:

i. Carousel posts

Instagram carousel posts are amazing because they quickly engage the audience. Most Instagram users tend to ignore random single-photo posts because they seem mundane.

However, when a carousel post pops up on the feed, it looks like a meaty post with multiple pictures or videos. Thus, it engages the audience rather quickly.

ii. Reels

Reels are vertical videos on Instagram, and now this format has become the main video format of the Instagram platform by replacing square videos. If you want to learn more about Instagram Reels, I highly recommend checking out our guide on using Instagram Reels.

iii. Hashtags

Almost everyone uses hashtags on Instagram, but I bet not all are used correctly. Have you ever noticed that our non-techie friends use the most generic hashtags like #tea, #cup, or #lunch on Instagram?

Perhaps, they don’t know that these short and generic hashtags won’t take their posts anywhere because of the high competition.

iv. Mentions

Mention is one of the most underrated Instagram features. The way it works is that any Instagram user could use the “@” sign along with any Instagram user handle to mention them in a comment, story, or caption.

It later notifies the person that someone mentioned them. Furthermore, the more you get mentioned on Instagram, the easier it gets for Instagram to discover your content.

There are several other Instagram features that are worth mentioning here, but the above-mentioned four are essential for marketers to use almost every day.

Final thoughts

Instagram is a mainstream social media platform, and surely inevitable for some niches in the social media marketing realm. A lot of digital and social media marketers think that putting out content on Instagram is the only secret to success, which isn’t the case.

Several Instagram features are there for a reason. No wonder Instagrammers and influencers try to use the majority of the features on Instagram. Therefore, we decided to shed some light on some of the top features of Instagram so that marketers could benefit from it.

The irony is that most of us think we already know these things until we realize that we don’t. I bet the majority of the readers knew about Instagram features such as “highlight” or “Filters” or “Reels,” but they haven’t had a chance to try them out.

So article comes up as a reminder to everyone who wants to grow followers on Instagram, but hasn’t been able to utilize the Instagram features to the fullest.

We’re more than happy to pinpoint some of the best Instagram features for you. Plus, a small segment of the audience may not even know much about Instagram. So the tips and suggestions in the article would come in handy for them.

Read-Up: How to make money on Instagram?

FAQs

Here are a few questions about Instagram features for marketers that people are asking on the internet:

1. What are the main features of Instagram for a digital marketer?

There are several features of Instagram that are worth trying for digital marketers, but they must pay close attention to stories, carousel posts, live streaming, and reels. However, it doesn’t mean other features aren’t that great.

All I’m saying is that the above-mentioned features are the best ones.

2. How do you grow on Instagram in 2023?

The easiest formula to grow on Instagram is to put out great content that caters to a certain audience on the platform. When Instagrammers consistently publish content for their niche, they surely grow on Instagram over time. So this should be your Instagram strategy for 2023.

3. What content performs best on Instagram 2023?

Any type of content that either entertains or helps the audience is likely to do well on Instagram. There is no secret sauce to get followers or make your content go viral except for putting effort into your content.

Try experimenting with different content categories within your niche and see what works best for you.

4. What are the new features of Instagram 2023?

Instagram has been adding new features to the platform for a while. Some of the best new Instagram features include brand collaboration, highlights, reels, stories, and carousel posts. Don’t hesitate to try out these Instagram features in 2023.