BENGALURU: Mounica Tata, a citybased artist has been wondering how to rewire and adapt her content to newer formats. Tata, who is popular on Instagram as @doodleodrama, has been using the platform to share static art in the form of relatable, slice-oflife comics and illustrations. Now, she seems worried about the algorithm as she feels that it’s no longer working in favour of static content. “I’ve noticed that in the past few months, Instagram is pushing video content more, especially since the introduction of reels. Even brands (through collaborations/ commissioned gigs) want to focus on reels,” said Tata.
Other creators and users too have noticed video content (short videos like reels or even video clips shared as stories) getting higher engagement or cropping up more on their feed. Change was clearly on the horizon and this was recently confirmed by head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri. He fittingly shared a video on social media to discuss how video would be a big part of the app’s attempt to entertain people. “We’re no longer a photo sharing app,” he said.
Photos will still be a part of the app, but the future seems to be video. On his official Twitter handle, Mosseri wrote, “At Instagram, we’re always trying to build new features that help you get the most out of your experience. Right now we’re focused on four key areas: creators, video, shopping and messaging.” This could mean different things for millions of app users. Deena Pinto, a fashion blogger (@skinnygirldiariez), says, “It’s best to hop aboard this trend as it gathers steam. It can be good for both creators and users.” For one, storytelling and visualisation becomes easier.
“A photo of a jacket doesn’t say much. But someone using a short video to show you what it looks like from different angles or ways to style it seems better,” explains Pinto. Video also helps in a world of waning attention spans. Sakshi Agarwal, a homebaker who runs @itswhipped, has noticed reels on baking hacks or product showcases have more appeal than a photograph. “I’ve touched 100,000 views with reels. But on a photograph, the maximum likes has been 300.
Reels are more work but it’s rewarding too,” she says. Though challenging, Tata too doesn’t deny that she is looking forward to experimenting with her content. “But with everything moving to video, there would be people like me who would miss the photo-focussed platforms,” she says. There’s nothing one can’t find a reel for, the list of tips, tricks and trends is endless. Users, however, question how much is too much? Jeanne Rozario, a copywriter, already finds herself scrolling through a bottomless pit of reels.”Since it performs better than photos, more people resort to using it. It’s hard to say how I’ll feel about more video but I might go off the app for sometime if it’s too much,” she says.
Diya Rajan, who uses Instagram to share her art, feels the pivot to video would not affect her since she doesn’t use the platform to earn a living. “But as artists, we just want to share the final look of our work. Now, we have to turn art content into videos for reach. I’m not a fan of the change but I can’t do anything about it,” she says. Cajole Kapoor echoes a similar thought. Though sad about Instagram moving away from its photo-sharing roots, she is curious about what changes are in store for creators like her. “For me, Instagram allowed more growth than YouTube. With reels, I have managed to reach many others who weren’t even following me. Not evolving with it could mean getting left behind,” she adds.