Instagram is enhancing content discovery through friends and private interactions with the introduction of Blend, a feature that creates a shared feed of Reels among users and their friends. Users can invite friends via Direct Messages to join a Blend, which curates a feed of recommended Reels based on mutual activity and interests. New Reels will appear based on shared content, and users can exit a Blend at any time.
With 4.5 billion Reels shared daily across Instagram and Facebook, engagement is increasingly occurring in private messages rather than public feeds. By focusing on content discovery through close connections, Blend aims to make Reels consumption more personal and social, moving away from purely algorithm-driven experiences. This initiative aligns with Instagram's goal for 2025 to enhance interactive and social content consumption.
Other platforms, such as LinkedIn, are also adapting by facilitating easier post sharing through messages and highlighting trending content among users' connections. This shift towards private content sharing raises important considerations for brands:
Creating Shareable Content: Content that resonates emotionally—entertaining, relatable, or provoking strong reactions—is crucial. Such content is often less sales-driven, posing challenges for brands aiming for organic reach.
Importance of Creators: Brands should collaborate more with creators for sponsored content and user-generated content (UGC). Hiring in-house creators and adopting a creator-first approach is recommended.
Rethinking Engagement Metrics: With increased private sharing, traditional metrics like likes and comments may not accurately reflect content success. Brands should consider new ways to measure performance beyond public engagement metrics, which have been key performance indicators (KPIs) for many marketers.
This trend highlights the evolving landscape of content sharing and its implications for brand strategies.
