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Instagram Tests Allowing Everyone To Add Links In Stories

Instagram

Move over, users with 10,000 followers or more. Instagram may soon allow everyone to share links in their Stories updates.

Anyone on Instagram is familiar with the phrase, “swipe up.” That lingo informs the viewer of someone’s Instagram story that they can swipe up on an image or video to reach an external website. Such link-sharing is limited to users with over 10,000 followers and verified accounts, but those rules may soon change.

The Verge recently broke the news that Instagram is quietly testing a new Stories feature that will allow all users to share links. In this case, however, it isn’t a swipe up that people will offer, but instead a linking sticker. These stickers will operate the same way a swipe-up link does, except with a tap instead of a swipe. People can also respond to stories that include a sticker, which they can’t currently do with stories that have a swipe up.

But don’t get too excited. The test group for Instagram’s new feature is reportedly very small, and the company has yet to reveal a timeline for public launch.

Vishal Shah, Instagram’s head of product, tells The Verge it’s mostly to learn how people might take advantage of links. They’ll be watching for the types of links people post while keeping a careful eye on misinformation and spam. Plus, stickers, he says, fit more into the current way people use the platform, so he says this test “brings links into the same kind of overall system, which from a simplicity of system perspective, also makes a lot of sense.”

He adds that link stickers are the eventual goal for Instagram, whether for everyone or just people who already have linking privileges. “That is the sort of future system we would like to get to,” he says. “And that’s what we hope to roll out if we’re able to make this work.”

As for traditional Instagram posts, which appear in a user’s main feed, there are no plans to allow links with any photo or video captions.

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Industry News News

8 Ways To Market Your Music With Instagram Reels [VIDEO]

Instagram Reels are the hottest thing in music marketing, so we’re giving you eight proven methods of promotion to boost your career.

Some may say we made a mistake by declaring Instagram Reels dead on arrival back in August, but we argue that the company heard our complaints and took action. In eight weeks, Reels has gone from an inferior knockoff of TikTok to one of the most exciting platforms for creativity and music promotion online. Every week, millions of people are creating looping videos with the latest Instagram development, and that userbase will continue growing in the months ahead.

Since Reels is Instagram’s answer to TikTok, you might assume that marketing is the same on both platforms. After all, both platforms offer creators the ability to make videos up to a minute in length, and both allow people to use music or add original audio. Reels, however, has several advantages that TikTok lacks, including the ability to reach your audience through Stories and Instagram’s main content feed.

In today’s Music Biz 101, host James Shotwell breaks down eight proven methods for successful music promotion on Reels. He utilizes clips to expand on specific ideas, including examples from EDM superstar Marshmello and popular pop-punk group Knuckle Puck. Check it out:

Not sure if the video is for you? Here are some of the marketing ideas we discuss in the clip above:

  • Teasers. Everyone loves a tease.
  • Behind The Song series. People want to connect with the real you, and the best way for musicians to give fans that opportunity is by sharing the stories behind their favorite songs.
  • Dance Videos. They’re all the rage online, and for good reason. Anyone can make these videos, and that makes them great for music promotion.
  • Get weird. As we mentioned above, people want to know the real you, and that includes all the strange behaviors and hobbies that fill your days. Share them. Get weird. Be yourself.
  • Skits. Second only to dancing, skits provide a template that fans can use to make original content inspired by your music. A great skit with a good punchline can spread much faster than a music video or song stream.
  • AR Effects. Everyone uses Spark AR effects on their IG Stories, but did you know that same technology is available in Reels? We’ll tell you how to make the most of it.
  • Here’s a word you need to accept as part of promotion: Influencers. Finding an influencer whose audience aligns with yours can forge a great content partnership.
  • Use your archives! Some of the biggest viral clips of the past year use songs that are years or even decades old! Don’t be afraid to open your library of content and pull from every era of your creativity. You never know what will connect with viewers.
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Industry News News

Spotify’s new Storylines feature looks like Instagram Stories for musicians

Spotify is working to empower artists, and it’s coming after Instagram’s most popular feature along the way.

With over 100-million premium subscribers, Spotify is already the biggest streaming platform in music by a wide margin. That kind of lead allows the company to work on expanding other areas of its business, and that includes making the platform more social.

Now testing on iOS and Android devices, Spotify Storylines provide listeners with behind-the-scenes information about songs direct from artists. The information is presented like an Instagram Story, with a carousel of cards featuring a combination of text and images that you can tap through. Android Police notes that the feature is only available on a select number of songs right now, including Sucker by the Jonas Brothers, and a handful of songs by Billie Eilish.

Here’s a look at Storylines in action:

At the time of posting, Storylines are only available to The Jonas Brothers, and Billie Eilish, and not every mobile user can see the functionality. Spotify most likely approached the artists directly for their participation in the program, and as of right now, there are no public plans to roll the feature out to more talent.

That said, industry analysts have long predicted that Spotify would move into more social and editorial content. Storylines would give artists a direct line of communication to their listeners, and the possibilities that line presents are limitless. Artists can detail the story behind a song, promote a tour, promote recordings, or even provide steps to joining their official fan club.

In a statement, a spokesperson from the company said, “We are always testing new ways to create better experiences for more users,” but did not confirm when the feature would be released more broadly.

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Artist Advice Industry News News

Instagram will soon allow you to share links to entire Stories

A new Instagram update will empower artists, brands, and everyday consumers to promote their Story content on other platforms.

Instagram is reportedly in the final stages of testing an update that will give users the ability to share links to Stories, thus furthering the potential reach of Story content. The feature, initially spotted last week by Lindsey Gamble, gives users a new “Share Link to Entire Story” option in addition to ones already available to users in the app’s ‘More’ menu below a story.

Instagram’s new Story sharing functionality (as discovered by @LindseyGamble_)

Some readers might remember that Snapchat introduced a similar feature for its Stories in summer 2018. The idea of Instagram offering something similar makes sense, especially considering that 500 million users are interacting with Stories daily, but it’s strange it took so long for the company to plan such an update.

Instagram Stories has gained 100 million Daily Active Users (DAUs) in the last sixth months.

Given their popularity and ease of creation, artists should see the impending update to Stories as an opportunity to grow their audience and further engage with fans. Stories make sharing news updates a breeze, but it also allows artists to offer fans an insider look at their careers one photo or short video update at a time. Artists can even add polls, perhaps to decide their new single or to perfect setlists, with a few quick clicks.

The new update has an added bonus for business accounts. Labels and similar industry businesses also get the option to “Promote” their Stories through the next option on the menu. It allows brands to further the return on their Stories by empowering them to drive traffic to their websites, send people to their profile, or get people to DM them in Direct.

Business accounts will have additional options when promoting Story updates.

A release date for the update has not been revealed, but with testing already underway a launch in the near future is likely.

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