Meta recently implemented a new feature on Instagram and Threads that automatically turns on a setting that limits users’ political content intake. This new feature automatically limits content that is “likely to mention governments, elections, or social topics that affect a group of people and/or society at large.”
Since this policy shift has been rolled out, there has been significant speculation surrounding what exactly this policy will impact, how organizations should be educating their users and the broader influence this will have on the digital landscape this election cycle and beyond.
Below is a brief summary of the aspects of your digital ad presence this will impact as well as some recommendations for continuing to grow your organic Instagram audience in the face of this policy change.
What aspects of my organization’s digital ad program will this impact?
At this time, this feature does NOT impact Instagram content published by accounts that users already follow or paid Instagram content.
Right now, the main impact this feature DOES have is on recommended organic content from accounts that users DO NOT already follow, specifically within the Explore, Reels, Feed Recommendations and Suggested Users sections of Instagram.
The greatest impact this policy shift will have on your organization’s digital presence is on your ability to grow your organic followers on Instagram and the ability to reach users that do not follow your Instagram account with organic content.
It is also important to note that users are able to turn off this feature by adjusting it within their Instagram settings and that this feature will be rolled out on Facebook at a later date.
What steps can my organization take to make sure that we are continuing to reach new audiences in the face of this policy shift?
Do not alter your current Instagram presence: At this time, we do not recommend creating any social media content surrounding user education on this issue since your current followers will continue to see your content despite the policy change.
Prioritize the deployment of “social boosting” programmatic ads: In order to continue to successfully grow your Instagram audience despite this policy change, there is a new type of digital advertising that you can deploy to do so. Spaceback has launched a new format for digital ads where you are able to build an authentic recreation of social media posts (see example) such as Instagram posts as Programmatic advertisements that would be dispersed as banners across various websites. These ads are specifically designed to promote your organic social media platforms via programmatic channels, thus avoiding the platform limitations.
If your organization is interested in deploying these ads, you can email paid@fenton.com for more information.
Direct use
rs to your Instagram via other owned channels: Leverage your organizations owned channels such as email and SMS as tools to further promote and grow your organic Instagram audience. When possible, we recommend including CTAs in email and SMS materials that direct back to your Instagram. (see example)
Coordinate with influencers to have them help grow your Instagram audience: If you are running an influencer campaign, we recommend requesting that one of the key call to actions they are featuring in their content is for users to follow your Instagram account. This will open up another pathway to drive organic traffic to your Instagram account.
It’s no secret that one of the biggest challenges (and benefits!) Online ads are the constantly evolving platforms and tactics. It is critical to remember the importance of staying nimble and adapting your strategies as the landscape continues to evolve.
If your organization is interested in additional support with managing your digital presence amid these platform shifts, please reach out to digital@fenton.com for more information.