14 DAY TRIAL // Instagram is slowly but surely transforming its focus to adapt to the rapidly evolving trends, and given TiKTok has become such a huge sensation whose growth never stops, the company has no other option than to head in the same direction as well.
In other words, Instagram will go all-in on video next year, as CEO Adam Mosseri explains on Twitter (full statement embedded below) that the service is no longer just a photo-sharing app.
“We’re going to double down on our focus on video, we’re no longer just a photo-sharing app, and consolidate all of our video formats around Reels and continue to grow that product,” he explained.
“Two important themes were video, our focus on Reels, starting to consolidate our video format and build new creative tools, and control, giving people more ways to shape Instagram into what’s best for them with things like the sensitive content control, with the ability to hide like counts, with extending hidden words to DMs.”
The TikTok transformation
At the same time, Instagram wants to focus more on messaging, something that makes perfect sense in the world we live in. The service obviously aims to bring its users closer together, and the built-in messaging will evolve substantially in 2022.
“Messaging is one of the primary ways that people – actually it is the primary way people connect online at this point – and we think Instagram can be the best place for people to connect with their friends about their interests,” Mosseri said.
The CEO admits the world is changing and Instagram needs to align with these trends, and while TikTok’s name doesn’t show up in the video, it’s pretty clear this is the service that’s spearheading this change.
Earlier this year, TikTok said 1 billion people were using the app each month, with the numbers expected to grow even more given the health issue isn’t coming to an end and most of us are still spending most of the time at home.
2022 Priorities 📝This next year is going to be pivotal for Instagram. In addition to our industry-leading safety and wellbeing efforts, we’re focused on these four key priorities.
Hope you’re all able to get some rest over the holidays. See you in the New Year! ✌🏼 pic.twitter.com/iY8uQ1EnMZ — Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) December 28, 2021