Time to update that Instagram Strategy again!
In a surprise move, Instagram have opened up the app to allow users to post landscape and portrait shots as well as the iconic square shot.
They claim “the visual story you’re trying to tell should always come first, and we want to make it simple and fun for you to share moments just the way you want to” and that “nearly one in five photos or videos people post aren’t in the square format, and we know that it hasn’t been easy to share this type of content on Instagram”.
On the feed page, it will still appear as a grid of squares, although whether that lasts is questionable as I can see them offering landscape images in the newsfeed as an ad unit able to be bought by those brave enough to pay the hefty Instagram price tag.
Instagram star wars in landscapeThe move also opens up the way to improving their video experience which also now allows shooting and playback in portrait and landscape as well as the full range of filters available. In a very smart move to guarantee awareness, they launched this update with the new Star Wars trailer on Instagram which was shown in landscape.