Latest Instagram Updates for September 2024: What They Mean for Your Luxury Travel Brand

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room—Instagram has just dropped a bunch of new updates, and as much as I hate change (seriously, why can’t they just leave things alone?!), we’ve got to roll with it. 

Especially as luxury travel advisors, staying on top of these changes is crucial to keeping your content fresh and engaging. 

So, let's dive into what's new and how you can use these to your advantage…

1. Followers Can Comment on Stories

This is big. Previously, interactions on Stories were limited to DMs, which kept conversations pretty private. Now, your followers can comment directly on Stories, turning your Stories into mini-conversations. If you’re active on Stories, this could be a great way to encourage discussions and create more engagement & connection.

You can now comment on Stories.

This feature is a double-edged sword, however, —it can spark conversations and build a stronger community around your brand, but it also means you’ll need to monitor these interactions to ensure that nothing reflects negatively on your brand. 

2. You can now add up to 20 photos in a single carousel.

I love this one.I am a HUGE carousel fan and where this used to be limited to 10 photos, you can not post up to 20! This is a game-changer for showcasing more gorgeous content.

You could start sharing more detailed itineraries, behind-the-scenes looks at luxury resorts, or even a day-by-day travel guide.

Imagine taking your followers on a virtual tour of an exclusive property in the Maldives, with each slide offering a deeper dive into what makes it special.

(Don’t tell anyone but I am team carousel over team Reels any day, so this makes me so happy.)

More photos mean more storytelling power!!

3. New Fonts & Effects 

Have you seen this one yet? Instagram has expanded its creative toolkit with new fonts and effects. Some of these fonts are lush (hello, Poster!!) The effects are cute too with a neon glow and sparkle to attract more attention. 

You can add a more creative flair to your Stories with these new fonts and effects BUT YOU CAN ALSO now add text directly onto your posts. This means you can create posts directly in Instagram and add your text.

This could mean less Canva time. Although, I doubt Canva is too concerned. Personally, I’d always recommend pre-planning and creating content rather than posting in real-time, however, it could be a nice and easy way to annotate certain images to add more of your tone-of-voice, without having to use a third-party platform.

4. Algorithm changes

Ah, the algorithm—always keeping us on our toes. And the latest updates focuses more on personalised content and engagement. Reach is out and engagement is in!

Trust me, this is a good thing for us smaller content creators. 

The algorithm now heavily favours content that encourages interactions, especially comments and shares. For luxury travel advisors, this means creating more content that resonates with your ideal clients, ideally niching down as much as possible.

Consider working on your storytelling in your captions, posting more engaging questions, making your CTA an invitation to comment or share.  Also, consistent engagement with your followers—liking, commenting, and sharing their content—can also boost your visibility on their feeds!

5. Allow Others to Add to Your Post

One of the most exciting and radical (!!) updates is the “Allow Others to Add to This Post” feature.

This allows followers and collaborators to contribute to your posts, perfect for building a sense of community around your brand.

For example, you could start a post about a particular destination and invite clients or fellow travel advisors to share their own photos, experiences or tips. It’s a brilliant way to crowdsource content and create a more interactive feed, ultimately boosting engagement and broadening your reach.

Before you panic, you can approve all of your collaborators content before it appears on your feed.

If you want to test this out, just switch it on when you post your content. As far as I’m aware, this isn’t available on any schedulers yet, you will need to post manually.

In summary…

Yes, change is annoying. I get it—it’s tough. But in the fast-paced world of social media, adaptability is key.  And I actually think these updates offer some nice opportunities to level up your Instagram game. By embracing these new features, you can enhance your storytelling, foster deeper connections with your audience and showcase your brand in even more exciting ways.

So take a deep breath, experiment, have fun, and really lean into the power of your brand and your story.

Something for you…

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Sources: MacRumors, BusinessToday, Preview App, NapoleonCat, BrightBrain, HeyOrca.