Instagram is updating its Link Stickers to now feature custom text as well as new colors. The platform’s also introducing the ability to import audio into Reels, and another new feature by the name of dancification.
Well, this is honestly quite the interesting and useful set of updates that Instagram has brought to the table. Let’s start ourselves off with the Link Stickers. For users unfamiliar, in order to post a link to some other website on one’s story, a link sticker must be used. Once the link is added there, it will show up in the story as a URL which users can tap on to visit the relevant webpage. Of course, URLs aren’t always very tidy and neat, and can therefore really clutter up a story. The likes of Drive links and Facebook posts are especially affected by this, considering just how long and complicated the URLs can get. Just fitting them onto a story without obstructing the underlying content is an achievement, let alone trying to make it all look aesthetically pleasing. However, with this latest update, we’ll have a far better alternative to explore.
Link stickers now have the ability to add custom text to them, which is such a relief. Now, the URL itself will now show. Instead whatever text a user chooses to add will act as the tangible displayed URL. For example, if you type out “click here for more info” into the text option, then the sticker will feature this text on your story. Clicking or tapping on it will lead users to the relevant URL. This allows users to get creative with their ad campaigns and, incredibly important for a platform like Instagram, do so aesthetically. The other feature relevant to Link stickers is that there are now different color options for the text as well, so as to allow users a wider color palette to be creative with.
The next feature on as spotted by Alessandro Paluzzi is the ability to import audio to one’s Reels. This, too, is such a useful feature and allows users so much freedom to do whatever they want. Sure, users already recorded their own audio, but they can now easily feature audio from virtually any space that they want. This may not sound like much, but it’s this exact level of creative freedom that lets users really express themselves, and accordingly generate content that engages with people. This is the sort of creativity that lends itself to trend-setting videos, which is exactly what Instagram is hoping for.
Finally, users now have the ability to dancify their Reels to songs found across the Instagram library. For those still confused, because I sure was for the first few minutes, dancification refers to a trend on Instagram where videos are heavily edited to swing and cut between shots as if they’re themselves attenuated to the underlying beat. It’s a form of content most commonly seen across fandom posts, which is why most people above 20 may not be immediately aware of the trend. Instagram choosing to add it as an integrated feature, however, shows that the platform certainly noticed.
Read next: YouTube releases its copyright transparency report this month and promises to release it every six months from now on
Well, this is honestly quite the interesting and useful set of updates that Instagram has brought to the table. Let’s start ourselves off with the Link Stickers. For users unfamiliar, in order to post a link to some other website on one’s story, a link sticker must be used. Once the link is added there, it will show up in the story as a URL which users can tap on to visit the relevant webpage. Of course, URLs aren’t always very tidy and neat, and can therefore really clutter up a story. The likes of Drive links and Facebook posts are especially affected by this, considering just how long and complicated the URLs can get. Just fitting them onto a story without obstructing the underlying content is an achievement, let alone trying to make it all look aesthetically pleasing. However, with this latest update, we’ll have a far better alternative to explore.
Link stickers now have the ability to add custom text to them, which is such a relief. Now, the URL itself will now show. Instead whatever text a user chooses to add will act as the tangible displayed URL. For example, if you type out “click here for more info” into the text option, then the sticker will feature this text on your story. Clicking or tapping on it will lead users to the relevant URL. This allows users to get creative with their ad campaigns and, incredibly important for a platform like Instagram, do so aesthetically. The other feature relevant to Link stickers is that there are now different color options for the text as well, so as to allow users a wider color palette to be creative with.
The next feature on as spotted by Alessandro Paluzzi is the ability to import audio to one’s Reels. This, too, is such a useful feature and allows users so much freedom to do whatever they want. Sure, users already recorded their own audio, but they can now easily feature audio from virtually any space that they want. This may not sound like much, but it’s this exact level of creative freedom that lets users really express themselves, and accordingly generate content that engages with people. This is the sort of creativity that lends itself to trend-setting videos, which is exactly what Instagram is hoping for.
Finally, users now have the ability to dancify their Reels to songs found across the Instagram library. For those still confused, because I sure was for the first few minutes, dancification refers to a trend on Instagram where videos are heavily edited to swing and cut between shots as if they’re themselves attenuated to the underlying beat. It’s a form of content most commonly seen across fandom posts, which is why most people above 20 may not be immediately aware of the trend. Instagram choosing to add it as an integrated feature, however, shows that the platform certainly noticed.
#Instagram is working on "Dancification", a new feature for #Reels that can automatically dancify your clip to any track 👀 pic.twitter.com/kut6U5UQCE
— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) December 6, 2021
Read next: YouTube releases its copyright transparency report this month and promises to release it every six months from now on