From TechCrunch:
Instagram is testing two new features that are designed to help users control more of what they see on the app, Meta announced on Tuesday. First, the company is testing the ability for users to mark multiple posts on the Explore page with the “Not Interested” option. Meta says it will immediately hide these posts and refrain from displaying similar content in the future. Prior to this change, users only had the option to use the Not Interested feature on one post at a time.
The company will also start testing the ability for users to choose to not see suggested posts with certain words, phrases or emojis in the caption or hashtag. Instagram notes that whether you’re seeing something that’s not relevant or have moved on from something you used to like, this new functionality can be used to stop seeing content that you don’t find interesting anymore.
“It’s important to us that people feel good about the time they spend on Instagram, so we’ll continue to work on ways to give people more control over what they see,” Meta said in a blog post.
The launch of the new features comes as Instagram recently decided to temporarily reduce the number of suggested posts that users see. The change followed intense backlash from users who expressed frustration over the app’s gradual transition away from being a place where users could mainly see photos of their friends and family into an app that’s overcrowded with recommended posts.
At the time, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said the app would temporarily reduce the number of recommended posts that users see in order for the app to get better at ranking and presenting recommendations to users. Mosseri said the changes aren’t permanent, which means Instagram is still going to be focused on suggested posts; it’s just going to find a way to do so in a better way. The changes introduced today are likely part of this commitment.
As part of today’s announcement, Meta also shared tips that people can use to see more of what they want on Instagram. For instance, you can use the app’s Favorites feed option to scroll through posts from your favorite accounts. When you add an account to the feed, you’ll see posts from that account more often. You can access the Favorites feed by tapping the Instagram logo in your feed.
Link to the rest at TechCrunch
PG suggests that social media marketing for authors is not the easiest thing in the world to create. As the OP suggests, the rules for success tend to change from time to time and a hard-working author needs to put keeping up with those changes on her/his to-do list.
PG will check around for items on best practices for authors in social media marketing. Feel free to include suggestions on this topic in the comments to this post or the Contact Me button at the top of the blog.
Hey Meta, I’ve got an idea. How about letting me see the people I choose to FOLLOW, rather than limiting what I see in favor of your sponsored posts? My Facebook followers no longer see my posts unless I pay for them to be boosted and even then they don’t go as far – that’s why I no longer pay-to-play there and rarely even post on Facebook. I’m not rich enough to break the spread barrier. I guess Instagram will soon go the same way.
The more the corporation messes with its social media apps the less social they become.
Meta is trying to turn Instagram into TikTok. I don’t think it’s wise – if IG users want TikTok, they’ll use TikTok. Maybe Meta should try to come up with something new to become the hot new thing – the TikTok fad will fade, too.
If Meta wants to be Ztik Tok tbey can start by giving their data to the CCP. If tbey aren’t already. Otherwise, just raise the price.
Less coding that way. 😉