Instagram is no longer a photo-sharing app

Instagram is no longer a photo-sharing app! WTF?!

Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram said the company is looking to lean into entertainment and video after seeing the success of competitors like TikTok and YouTube. He eluded to changes and experiments coming down the pipe in the next 6 months to a year that could do away with the photo grid in favor of video content….queue the panic!

Does this mean we need to jump on the Instagram Reels bandwagon?

As someone who is uncomfortable being in front of the camera – I immediately thought “Fuck! Does this mean I need to give Instagram REELS another try?!”

Gah! Why?!

I have dipped my toe into the reels and video pond but this announcement has me feeling like I’ve been thrown into the deep end of shark-infested waters.

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed I’ve been putting out more reels content than usual. SORRY, NOT SORRY! That’s just me trying to streamline, test, and learn a video content process that works within my marketing system. The jury is still out.

I know we small business owners need to be flexible however it erks me to my core that these social platforms have the ability to pull the proverbial rug out from under us at any moment.

Assets that you own and control

It just reinforces the importance of having assets that YOU OWN AND CONTROL – such as a converting website, blog, or an email list for example.

Social platforms will come, go and continue to implement changes. It’s up to you to use them for what they are – traffic-driving mechanisms and not the be-all-end-all.

Whatever your marketing system consists of – be sure that you are devoting time to focus on your owned assets because the best hands for your business to be in are your own!

Thoughts?

P.S. Need help developing your owned assets?

Check out my website to learn how I can help you!