There is always hesitation when social platforms put out a new feature. Whether it’s an accusation of copying another platform, debating whether it’s truly a useful feature or just a disinterest in learning a new tool. Because of this, many people resist using the tool at all until it becomes really popular. 

Today, we’re here to flip that thinking on its head. We want you to jump on that new feature train at the earliest stop you can. Here’s why!

Promotion of Features

If a company has a new product, they promote it. It might be through advertising, partnerships or influencers. When a platform like Instagram puts out a new feature, they want to promote it too! But they have the added benefit of owning the platform that they want to promote it on, so they get creative. They just simply show the new feature as much as they can.

User benefit

If they’re showing a feature a lot, then they also need a lot of people using that feature. That’s where the user benefit comes in! Since they have a lot of slots to fill, but not many users fill them at the beginning, the people that are using it get shown repeatedly. More or less, it feels like Instagram or Facebook are promoting you, as a way to promote their new feature.

Why that matters

Often, when a person’s account skyrockets and appears to get famous overnight, it’s the result of exploiting a new feature. This is because Instagram is essentially rewarding you! New features give people, even with small accounts, the opportunity to stand out, even if their content isn’t amazing. They can sometimes garner 1000s of new followers with 1/10th of the effort they would need to get the same reach with standard posts.

5 tips to help you make the most of the opportunity

• If you notice a new feature, start giving it a try as soon as you can.
• Don’t be shy about not having the perfect techniques. No one is perfect because everyone is just starting to learn it.
• If you can, try to use the feature as often as possible.
• Don’t be shy about repurposing existing content and making it fit the new feature. Often a different audience will be seeing it!
• Every once in a while, a feature may be discontinued, don’t be discouraged!

The temptation to say, “oh gosh another feature we don’t need?!” may be there with every update, but if you’re looking to grow, new features are the ticket to success! Do your best to keep an open mind when they’re released, have some patience with yourself as you learn them, and get ready to watch your account grow.

If you need more help wrapping your head around social media, check out our Social Media Management Packages.