All Your Questions Answered About Instagram’s New Chronological Feed
Recently, Instagram announced it is testing chronological feeds, meaning users will see content in chronological order. Still a bit confusing, I know, chronological as in.. alphabetical, or what exactly? Essentially, they are testing the ability to switch between three specific views on your home screen.
Two of these would give you the choice to see content in chronological order. These three views include home, favourites, and following. Head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, explained all of this in a short video and stated the three-feed format whereby you see posts chronically would be rolled out in the first half of 2022. It’s now April, and the roll-out has officially happened.
If you want to harness the power of social media for your business, it’s important to stay ahead of the curve and tune into any updates across the platforms. Continue reading to discover more about Instagram’s new chronological feed and whether it’ll benefit your business or if you need to revamp your social media strategy to suit.
Why has Instagram switched to a chronological feed?
Despite the brief explanation above, you’re likely still a tad confused, as many are, about what exactly Instagram’s chronological feed is. We’ll get to that but first, let’s look at why Instagram is doing this in the first place. Instagram switched its chronological feed to an algorithmic one years ago, and it didn’t achieve what it had set out. There were reports that the news feed impacted people’s mental health and wellbeing.
There were reports surrounding people feeling insecure at the sight of their Instagram feed, and people complained they did not see posts from the people they wanted to. The list of complaints goes on, and Instagram didn’t waste any time when it came to a response. So, they responded with the chronological feed as a solution! Although it looks like they responded due to these reports, some believe they may also be actioning a chronological feed due to the current popularity TikTok has gained.
This seems entirely plausible as TikTok is growing rapidly, and Instagram is likely becoming frightened about being left behind. Let’s face it; this has happened before. Despite their insecurity, it is unlikely Instagram will be forgotten. However, it is interesting to see how they are responding to the rise of a new platform that has grabbed the attention of teenagers, Gen Zs, millennials, and everyone in-between!
What is the Instagram chronological feed?
As promised, let’s hop, skip and jump into what precisely the Instagram chronological feed is. Instagram first came into being in 2010, and at that time, the home page was nothing more than a basic stream of pictures, all of which were in chronological order.
It wasn’t unlike Facebook or Twitter, whereby the user saw all posts of the people they followed in the exact order they were posted. For example, if Joe Bloggs posted at 1 pm and Karen Sweeney posted at 2 pm, you would see the posts in this exact order on your feed.
Over the years, Instagram has grown more and more. This growth reached a point where it was impossible to see posts from everyone a user followed. We’ve all been there before, “did you see my recent Instagram post?”, “no, I must have missed it!” This is essentially down to the increasing number of people on the platform posting content.
With this, they ultimately realised they had to enhance the user experience so that people on the platform could see those posts they cared about. This caused the initial change in 2016 when Instagram went from having a chronological feed to an algorithmic feed. The main difference being each user had their own unique, personalised feed that was jam-packed with content they adored.
The idea is not too different from TikTok – Instagram picked up on what you interacted and engaged with and showed you more of that. Since this initial change occurred, people have been begging for the feed to be switched back to a chronological order so they can decide, once and for all, how they would like to use the app. In saying that, people never really thought it would happen. Now, Instagram has brought this chronological feedback and two additional feed types so people can have their cake and eat it too!
How do I change my feed to chronological order?
Changing your feed to chronological order couldn’t be easier. All you need to do is visit the Instagram app and when you land on the home page, click ‘Instagram’ in the top left corner. It’ll give you the option to choose the following feed or the favourites feed.
Favourites allow you to select 50 accounts you would like to follow so you can regularly interact with their content and not miss anything. The following shows content from everyone you follow. In both options, posts will appear in chronological order, and you must select your choice every time you open the app.
How will the changing feed benefit businesses?
Now that you know the difference between the feeds and what exactly they entail, you’re probably asking if the new chronological feed will benefit your business in any way. There are pros and cons to everything, and luckily, there are some ways the chronological feed will benefit businesses.
The vital thing to note here is that it is not a full change; you can still switch between both feed options and choose what works best for you. With that, your success with the new feed option will depend on whether your target audience has also made the switch or whether they have decided to stick to the same.
In saying that, let’s look at some of the ways, the chronological feed can benefit businesses and help meet your objectives.
Opportunity for increased reach
If Instagram’s feed resembles TikTok’s For You Page, you can expect your posts to get more reach. This is because it will be based on recommendations and people’s interests, so your business will be connected with the people interested in it the most. You will be positioned in front of new people who are yet to find and fall involved with your account and offering.
This ultimately means the high-quality content will be brought to and appreciated by the people that want to see it. What’s better than that? This type of feed has already proven successful for businesses on TikTok, so on Instagram, it could prove to be a real game-changer in helping you achieve your goals.
No longer missing content
It’s not uncommon for people to post content only for others to miss it or not have it appear on the feed. This is no different for businesses, but you can ensure you are viewing the content from people you follow with this feed option.
This is important when it comes to building a relationship with your followers, customers, suppliers, and more, which all helps to improve your brand image further online.
In addition, the chronological tab means there is a choice between the following tab and the favourites tab. The good news about this is you can save time when researching what is trending. You can use that time to connect with businesses and customers to grow your business.
The downside of the chronological feed?
When it comes to the downsides of the chronological feed, the main one is people not being aware of the change. Since it is a choice, some may never find out and leave their Instagram how it has always been instead of testing out the new option and seeing how it works. However, once people know about it and how to make the change, this issue will be eradicated. Another thing worth mentioning is that the chronological feed may not yield the results you want for your specific business. In saying that, you can switch back to the algorithmic feed whenever you please.
As a result, there is no risk in trying out the new feed and seeing how it works for your business. After a couple of weeks of using the new feed, look at your Instagram insights to see if it has worked in your favour!
In summary
To sum everything up, the chronological feed is now back on Instagram but with a slight twist. You get to choose whether you want a chronological feed or an algorithmic one. There are some benefits to having a chronological feed for businesses, but ultimately, it is for you to decide whether it works for your specific business.
Due to the nature of the feed, posting time, collabs, and stories to promote posts will be critical. In addition, keeping an eye on your Instagram insights to see if the feed is working in your favour. If you’re looking to outsource your social media and want high-quality posts that deliver results, contact us at Social Directions Agency.
Article written by Bronagh Loughlin | 12/04/2022