Instagram’s latest update aims to make it easier for users to find local businesses or attractions by adding a searchable map that lets you “discover popular local businesses near you,” according to an Instagram Story from Mark Zuckerberg.
The map will offer you a list of places nearby and let you see posts about a particular area or only certain types of business.
The map includes filters for narrowing down what type of locations you’re looking for. In addition, Instagram’s new map lets you search for places and see posts about them.
There are a few ways to get to the map — if someone tags a place in a post or story, you can tap on the tag and hit “see location” to get to the location’s page. If you move around on the map, you’ll then be able to search the area to see what’s nearby.
Navigating to the map and searching it from a story sticker: You can also search for places (including entire cities) in the Explore tab. Tapping on a place search result will take you to it on the map.
Navigating to the map and searching it from the Explore page: After you’ve searched an area, you can use filters to cap down the search results, so you only see restaurants, bars, parks, or other types of places. You can also save locations if you want to check them out later. You access saved places by going to your profile, tapping the hamburger menu in the top right, and tapping Saved.
The company started testing the updated map last year in certain countries, but according to Zuckerberg’s Story on Tuesday, it’s now widely available.
Screenshot of an Instagram story from Mark Zuckerberg with a screenshot of the map experience and text reading: “we’re introducing a new searchable map on IG today. You can now discover popular local businesses near you and filter by categories.”
Instagram has been adding several e-commerce features to its app in recent months, and the map feature feels like another move to make the platform more friendly for businesses, albeit brick-and-mortar ones. Given that Facebook already suggests certain types of companies on its places pages and how many features Meta has been sharing between its platforms. It wouldn’t be startling to see a similar map feature show up in other Meta apps shortly.
Like any other social media app and platform, Instagram is all about being spontaneous. New trends emerge every day and get people talking. So many brands and businesses came to light because of trends that started thanks to social media. Therefore you must stay aware of the content and things that are trending or getting viral. Being aware of trends will offer many creative insights to you and allow you to add something new and trendy to your feed. Being in sync with trends will allow you to project yourself and your brand as stylish and aware. Awareness of what’s new will give you a broader reach on Instagram.
Simply being aware of what is hot and trending is not enough. It would help if you did something about it. Therefore as soon as you understand the content or material getting viral or attention, think about ways to use it in your content or product. After all, what’s the point of having the bestselling story if you do not publish it. Trends are something that people are interested in and a sure-shot way of getting their attention. Therefore you must create something around it or use hashtags related to similar content. The users who would not have ordinarily visited your profile will be able to watch your content based on these trending hashtags. Therefore use them as soon as they appear and gain massive Instagram followers.
It is possible that you have creed a nice for yourself or your brand by now, and there is only a particular type of content that you post. But what to do when the trending news or content is not in line with your tone or content style? Add your twist to it and make it uniquely yours. To catch up with a trend does not necessarily mean that you must follow it blindly; value and creativity lie in adding a twist to something already over the internet. You can post something in, one with it, something contradictory, or add it as a pattern breaker in your feed. And when your take on a trending piece reaches the audience, it will allow them to appreciate your views and creativity. It is a very organic way to have a broader reach on Instagram.
The most vital aspect that decides the success or failure of your brand, profile, or business is offering the audiences something they are looking for. Is it something that adds value to their life or experience? It is the golden question everyone seeks an answer to, and most of the time, brands fail to reach the place where the correct answer lies. However, the general public can help you understand what they are looking for rather than your random epiphany. Therefore as part of your marketing strategy, emphasize audience and user interaction. Going live, asking questions, posting polls, and having surveys will offer insight into what the audience wants to see or buy. With this vital information, you can spend your energy creating something they truly want rather than creating something that may not catch their eye.
Your brain may not always be full of new ideas, and you will likely feel stagnated after a while. But collaborating with someone is a great way to get out of this phase and deliver something great simultaneously. Influencer or brand collaboration will allow you to get creative ideas from the best in the business and an opportunity to create a broader reach on Instagram by getting visibility in their fanbase.
You can create a strong Instagram following by targeting one audience group at a time. You do not have to rush to reach everyone on Instagram with a single post. Instead, take some time out, create posts, and use hashtags to target the audience that will enjoy your content and provide quality engagement.
Even though it might sound like an uphill battle, you are likely to have a massive follower list successfully with the right services and algorithms. It can be very daunting to create content for your feed and manage marketing, but it is achievable with some help. For example, you can use services that allow you to buy followers and likes for your Instagram account. It is a beautiful way to promote your audience base and enable you to implement your marketing skills effectively.