Beyond Aesthetics: How Instagram’s Latest Updates Elevate Brand Strategy

Instagram has been busy adding new features, and honestly, they’re not just for influencers and pretty feeds. These updates are actually super useful if you’re running a brand or managing comms. Here’s the breakdown of some of these new tools and how they can be useful to you:

Edits App

Earlier this year IG dropped the Edits app, basically their own editing tool with green screen, voice effects, and HD export. At Cachet, we see the Edits app as Instagram’s way of keeping creators in-house, eliminating the need for tools like CapCut or Canva. For brands, it translates to quicker content production and more consistent branding. 

Reposts

You can now repost public feed posts straight to your profile, and they’ll show up on your followers’ feeds. Think about it: UGC, partner shoutouts, collabs…all with built-in reach. More reposts = more eyes on your content.

Friends Tab for Reels

This one’s very interesting. You can now see what Reels your friends are engaging with; think of it as Instagram handing you a cheat sheet. For brands, that’s pretty much free market research. Instead of guessing what’s trending, you get a front-row seat to what your audience is actually watching and loving in real time.

Linking reels

You can now link multiple Reels into a cohesive episode series. Users will see a "Next Reel" button to navigate through themed or narrative-focused Reels, enhancing storytelling and engagement. We see this as a powerful storytelling tool which is great for brands building campaigns, teasing launches, or keeping audiences engaged over time.

Reels Retention Metric

Finally, let’s talk about data. Instagram’s new retention metric shows how long people actually watch your Reels and which songs your followers are playing the most. So now you can have a better insight on what content works best for your brand.

All in all, these updates aren’t just shiny new features.They’re practical tools that make content planning smarter, sharpen your strategy, and simplify creation. Whether you’re building a personal brand or managing a full-on comms team, Instagram is clearly pushing us toward more intentional, data-driven storytelling.

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Written by: Gabrielle Telemque