It was July 2021 when Instagram made the announcement lamented by many of its faithful users: The app would no longer like to be known as the place to share photos, rather, it was moving toward video in a big way.

This had people feeling pretty nervous about the state of their hard-earned accounts, questioning their next moves, and looking into brushing up on their TikTok-like video skills.

Six months later, the changes are subtle, but they’re there. Many brands are complaining of their posts not being seen by their followers. We’re seeing more video recommendations in our feeds from people we don’t follow.

But don’t for one moment think Instagram is going back on its plans. In a video message at the end of 2021, Instagram head Adam Mosseri shared plans and priorities for the app in 2022, with video being heavily featured. “We’re going to have to rethink what Instagram is because the world is changing quickly, and we’re going to have to change with it,” he said.

What does that mean for the platform? It’s doubling down on the push for more video, consolidating more of its products around Reels, the video portion of the app. (Instagram killed its IGTV product in October, migrating everything into Reels.)

It isn’t clear exactly what the ‘Gram has in store for its video feature, but Mosseri alluded to new tools to help its creators earn a living on the app, presumably through more video-related content.

I’ve personally seen a shift in the content I view when scrolling through my Instagram feed, and it feels like a fairly natural change. More jewelers have gotten comfortable with creating video content, even if it’s not TikTok- influencer-level stuff. Some talk to the camera to connect with their audiences, some share revolving views of their work.

Instagram still remains an important place to be for businesses, especially as it continues to pour funds into its in-app shopping features. If you haven’t dabbled in video with your account yet, 2022 is the right time—the platform shows no signs of backing down from its promise of no longer being just a photo app.

(Logo courtesy of Instagram)

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