Users are saying the iconic platform is losing its touch and the answer of ‘why’ could help you with your own brand.
The tech industry is no stranger to the rise and fall of empires. In the last decade we’ve seen the steady decline of platforms such as Facebook, Vine (RIP), and – with a recent takeover – Twitter. One platform that seems to constantly dig its nails into the side of the cliff it’s hanging off of is Instagram. But despite its tenacity, users are beginning to leave in droves. Why? TikTok. Instagram used to be a unique powerhouse, offering a point of difference to Facebook and Twitter by being an image-first platform.
While there was a golden period where no one could touch the app, over time Instagram had to evolve to keep up with its rising competition. Stories was the first of these features, taken directly from Snapchat. Of course, this isn’t the only platform to add stories: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and even LinkedIn added this feature in some capacity. Since then, features such as IGTV to compete with YouTube and later Reels to compete with TikTok have become core features of the app. Instagram even briefly did beta testing of their feed, expanding to a full screen which wasn’t well received. There was a viral post from @illumitati. last year calling out Instagram trying to be like TikTok that has over two million likes and was even shared by Kylie Jenner. The main takeaway is that as Instagram keeps changing its unique experience, it’s affecting loyalty to the brand. Instead of carving out a solid niche for itself, it falls prey to copying ideas and coming in second best. So, what can your business learn from this?
1 / Focus on your unique selling point
Instagram has lost focus on why its users like the platform. The point of difference is lost and as such, there’s no reason for consumers to choose them. While Instagram is focused on taking back users from competitors, they’re actually losing them. When looking at your own brand, don’t get consumed by your competition. Instead, take a step back. Consider if that would even work for your brand? Does that fit your mission, vision or audience? Just because a competitor is doing something different, doesn’t mean you should jump on the bandwagon. This mentality can damage your brand. If a competitor is doing something different, why not talk about what other avenues are available to add to your own brand’s unique experience? You should always be looking to be proactive, not reactive.
2 / Have a sense of purpose
Instagram’s mission is ‘to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together,’ but their constant updates and changes are contradictory to this. Before any changes internally, externally or even changes to your marketing efforts, always go back to your brand’s mission statement. If it doesn’t reflect what you are looking to achieve anymore, maybe it’s time to revise your mission or it’s time to take a step back and re-evaluate your potential changes.
3 / Create a brand strategy
There is a constant shift in how Instagram operates, which is damaging to its identity. With all these updates, it’s hard to know what Instagram’s focus really is. Is it stories, the feed, the grid, shopping, reels or instant messaging? Improving the customer experience is lost because they are working on so many features at once. Creating a brand strategy will include competitor research and the brand’s strengths and weaknesses. From here, the efforts you make will be intentional. You should review and adjust, rather than being reactive to the competitive market.