Navigating the world of Social Media: What changes you need to know
The social media landscape is always evolving. Staying on top of platform updates is essential for marketers aiming to keep their strategies sharp and relevant. Recently, Instagram and Meta have introduced significant changes that could impact your content planning and digital marketing efforts.
Here’s a breakdown of what’s new and the social media updates in early 2025.
Instagram’s New Grid Size: Adapting to a Fresh Aesthetic
Instagram has recently rolled out updates to its grid size, moving from the traditional 1:1 portrait and square-friendly layouts to a taller 3:4 (1015x1350px) grid format. However, whilst the grid preview now shows this bigger ratio, you can’t actually upload your posts in this format (confusing, right!). The recommended size now for all feed posts and carousels is to upload in 1080x1350px (4:5 ratio) (you’ve been able to do this for a while now, anyway!) This change aligns with the app’s emphasis on vertical video content, as Reels continue to dominate user engagement.
What does this mean for marketers?
Optimised Visuals: With the new grid size, it’s time to rethink how your visuals appear in the feed. Vertical content now takes centre stage, so adapt your images, carousels, and videos to maximise their visual impact.
Increased Engagement: Taller visuals naturally take up more screen space, capturing user attention for longer and potentially boosting engagement rates.
Revisit Branding: Make sure your branding (logos, text overlays, etc.) is designed to fit this new format without being cut off or looking cluttered.
Huge algorithm changes in 2025:
We all know Instagram loves to switch up its beloved Algorithm, and they’ve released new info about how it ranks and pushes content.
Instagram organises content into two primary categories:
Connected Reach – content shown to your existing followers
Unconnected Reach – content shown to audiences who don’t follow you yet
The top 3 metrics that influence your ranking are:
Watch Time – The longer someone spends on your content, the better.
Likes – The OG metric still holds value.
Sends – This is now the KEY to reaching new audiences and driving reach
For existing followers, likes carry more weight, but for new followers, sends hold more value.
What does this mean?
If growing your Instagram page and reaching new audiences is your goal, you should focus on creating highly shareable content that encourages viewers to send it to their friends or re-post it to their stories, i.e memes, relatable posts, and quotes.
To nurture your existing community, prioritise content that encourages likes, i.e. educational tips, personal content, etc.
Fact-checking updates on Meta: Prioritising Credibility
Earlier this month. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced significant changes to its content moderation policies, discontinuing its third-party fact-checking program in the United States, which has been replaced instead by a "Community Notes" system used by X (formerly Twitter). However, there are ‘no immediate plans’ to get rid of third-party fact checkers in the UK yet.
What does this mean?
Transition to Community-Based Moderation: The new system empowers users across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads to add contextual notes to posts they find potentially misleading. This crowdsourced method aims to provide diverse perspectives and enhance the informational value of content. Think Wikipedia style!
Reduction in Content Restrictions: Meta is lifting certain limitations on topics that are now part of mainstream conversations, whilst enforcing stricter policies on illegal activities and severe violations. This allows for more open discussions while keeping the platform safe.
Updates to X:
X formally known as Twitter has seen multiple updates since it was bought by billionaire Elon Musk in October 2022. One of the main developments is on the focus on having a ‘premium’ account to have full functionality of the platform. The latest update has seen changes to the Analytics tools with the engagement tab now showing the ratio of followers to non-followers engaging with your content.
They’ve also added Parody tags to parody accounts so when you’re scrolling on the app you’ll be able to tell if an account is legit or just a parody account.
How to Stay Ahead
1. Keep Learning: Regularly review platform updates and attend webinars or workshops that explain how these changes affect your marketing strategies.
2. Test and optimise: Experiment with different content formats and analyse their performance to find what works best in this new digital landscape.
3. Engage Your Audience: Use polls, questions, and feedback tools to understand what your followers want to see more of. This can guide your content creation and ensure you’re maximising your engagement.
The recent changes to Instagram’s grid size and Meta’s fact-checking policies and even the US proposed ban on TikTok, highlights the importance of adaptability in social media marketing. By staying informed and adjusting your strategies accordingly, you can turn these updates into opportunities to enhance your brand’s presence and credibility online.
At Bevic Marketing Services, we’re here to help you navigate these shifts and create strategies that work. Don’t know where to start? Bevic offers focused marketing power hours and more detailed workshops to help develop your marketing objectives, ideas and activities. Get in touch for more information vicky@bevic.co.uk
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