The Instagram Explore page is an extremely powerful feature for brands with a strong Content Marketing strategy, as it helps profiles and businesses gain further engagement and exposure on Instagram.
The Explore page has recently been updated to include new topic channels, a shopping feed, Instagram Stories, and a dedicated space for IGTV (Instagram’s video sharing app).
Instagram’s main aim has been to make the Explore page more personalised to each user. When viewing your Instagram Explore page, it will look totally different for you than it does for someone else, because it’s specifically tailored to provide content that you’ll enjoy, based on what you already like to see on Instagram.
The algorithm is constantly learning from your behaviours on the app, such as the accounts you follow, what posts you interact with, and what Stories and IGTV content you love to watch.
It uses this information to create an Instagram Explore page with tons of suggestions of similar content that you might like, but don’t already follow. So what individual aspects should businesses be aware of?
1) Instagram Stories on the Explore Page
The new Instagram Explore page will now showcase personalised Instagram Story recommendations based on static posts that you like. Now you can tap through and engage with stories from accounts that you haven’t followed yet, but are probably similar to ones you do follow, or engage with frequently.
This is great for brands, as it allows them to be seen by new audiences, and thus gain new followers and exposure. This feature is in the process of being rolled out. So if you don’t see stories on your Explore page just yet, stay tuned!
2) New Topic Channels on the Explore Page
Earlier this year, Instagram launched topic channels on Explore with the aim to give users a new way to discover content around their specific interests on Instagram. Over 200 million people visit the Explore page every day, so it makes sense that Instagram created a way to organise all of these posts!
Starting with a ‘For You’ channel (which has a mashup of posts tailored to your wider interests), you’ll then see channels on topics you might like, such as Art, Sports, Beauty or Fashion.
If you’re a brand looking to get on the Instagram Explore page, it’s more important than ever to focus in on your niche topics and use hashtags to help categorise your posts!
3) IGTV Videos in the Explore Page
IGTV now has its own section on the Explore page — which is great news for video creators and brands! By tapping on “IGTV,” you’ll see the recently updated home for IGTV, where you can browse a personalized feed of recommended videos from creators you follow or may want to follow.
4) Shopping Channel on the Instagram Explore Page
Instagram are making it so you can shop directly from the Explore page! The feed will have category filters in the navigation bar to help users browse specific types of products on Instagram, including Beauty, Clothing, and Home Decor.
Tailored to products you already interact with you will now be able to go from browsing to purchasing without ever leaving the app!
As a brand these key changes are great news – Instagram’s algorithm is based on individual interests, so when your content appears on the Explore page, you’ll be exposed to a targeted audience instead of a random one, giving you more exposure to the type of customers that you want to attract!
