Instagram is evolving in 2025 with major updates in creativity and connection. Discover how these changes impact tourism marketing and brand strategies!
At the Digital Tourism Think Tank, we started the year by carefully observing the shifting social media landscape following a series of announcements by the most popular platforms. We have been analysing how to integrate these changes into our own marketing strategy. A recent change we have been keeping a close eye on is Instagram. At the beginning of the year, Instagram introduced a new strategy for 2025, by shifting focus on two key areas — creativity and connection. Instagram defines these strategies through their new updates and features set to come out progressively this year. Connection is a strategy led by enhancing social interactions through features like Reels Friends Tab, which is a section on Instagram that people can access to see what their friends have liked. Simultaneously, creativity embodies the reward for original content by introducing new Reels features, grid changes and a new editing app, called Edits, that is set to be released soon.
Instagram has 2 billion monthly active users (as of February 2024). The platform is huge for brands, and with the correct strategies, it can be used to connect with younger audiences, aged between 18 and 34, as they make up 60% of user engagement. Around 62.7% of users follow or research brands and products, which makes the app highly influential in informing people’s buying decisions. With Instagram being an influential platform for digital marketing, their change of strategy has made us question the implications for tourism and destination marketing and how brands can remain relevant and accessible to audiences in light of the upcoming shifts.
Profile grids are now moving to 4:5 size ratio. At first glance, this change is very disruptive to the aesthetic of the grid, especially for images with a lot of text. However, to address this, Instagram has decided that they will include tools for thumbnail customisations and post reordering, which creators can use to edit their thumbnails and rearrange posts. In order to adapt quickly, DMOs should already be posting 4:5 ratio or 1080x1350px. DMOs can also use this feature to re-brand. The feature acts as a template for creating a visual portfolio with the profile. Therefore, DMOs can use it to highlight key posts and customise their grid in a way that always reflects their brand identity and story.
Another change to the grid is that people will be able to post directly to it and have the ability to avoid this content appearing on the user feed. This is useful for content that acts as a visual connection between other posts and will be great for aesthetic purposes, while avoiding spamming followers with bulk posting. This will be a great way to market events that usually require bulk posting for logo or venue announcements across the grid as a collage.
DMOs can leverage powerful imagery by creatively using the grid feature to enhance visual storytelling. For example, a safari destination could take a beautiful image of a zebra and divide it into six separate posts. Each post will showcase a different close-up detail of the animal — its distinctive stripes, expressive eyes or tufted tail. When arranged on the grid, these posts would come together to form a cohesive and visually stunning collage, drawing in potential travellers with a sense of appreciation for the destination’s wildlife. With the new ability to post directly to the grid, without it appearing on followers' feeds, DMOs can curate a seamless visual experience without overwhelming their audience. This technique is especially effective for allowing DMOs to create immersive and unique grid aesthetics while maintaining engagement.
The Trial Reels feature lets brands post Reels to non-followers without engaging their existing followers. According to Instagram, this feature will let brands explore and experiment with new content ideas before sharing them with their active audience. This will not only help with audience engagement feedback, but it can also help to grow their following. Although this is a great feature to test new content, it can also be used as a way to also resurface older content. Sometimes, creators might want to repost content that has performed well in the past to engage potential new followers. With Trial Reels, this is going to be possible without the brand's core audience being exposed to the same content again.
Nonetheless, having a strategy for testing new content is at the core of why this feature reflects Instagram’s mission to improve creativity and connection on the platform. This is because it allows the user to get creative with new ideas while having the opportunity to reach and connect with another type of audience. However, there is a potential flaw. As the feature allows brands to reach non-followers, the creator will be connecting with a target market that might not always have the same shared interests as their core audience.
Testing new ideas with new audiences could generate positive feedback at first and anecdotal evidence suggests creators have already seen more engagement. However, some profiles might struggle to create synergies and integrate these new ideas with their existing content. This risks the potential of alienating their current followers who might not be looking for new content formats. To avoid this, creators should test new content alongside older content to compare and analyse audience engagement. This approach ensures that creators can assess whether new ideas truly resonate and add additional value. DMOs should also consider implementing this approach, as combining both new and existing content can help maintain engagement while attracting new audiences. By systematically testing both types of content together, they can refine their strategies and make data-driven decisions to enhance audience retention and growth. By combining both new and existing content, creators can strategically use the Trial Reels feature to maximise engagement while minimising the risk of failing to appeal to their current audience.
Instagram is also capitalising on video content becoming the most popular media format. For a long time, the platform has been breaking away from static imagery, but with these new video features, they are closing the door on the concept that gained their popularity back in 2010. Instagram is now introducing 3-minute Reels, double the original 90-second length, to support creators who felt that the original limit wasn't sufficient to tell a story.
With YouTube Shorts having also recently expanded the maximum length of videos from 60 seconds to 3 minutes, it is clear that there is a perceived demand for viewing longer content. DMOs can use this to dive deeper into digital storytelling and create campaigns, tutorials or content that sparks discussions. With 64.8% of users looking to engage in more entertaining content (as of February 2024), DMOs can use this new feature to bring forward more creative long-form content ideas. For this purpose, Instagram has also introduced Edits — a standalone app that will help users master video editing in a simple way. The app is yet to be released, however, this could be a game-changer for editing content faster and in a more efficient way during events, for rapidly producing Always-On content or immediate commentary on an emerging trend or technology.
While Instagram’s introduction of 3-minute Reels provides more flexibility for storytelling, it is not necessarily the most effective strategy for all content. Instagram itself has previously advised against relying solely on longer videos, as shorter clips tend to perform better with audiences. Overly long videos risk lower retention rates, as users may lose interest before reaching the key message. For DMOs a diversified content mix is crucial — combining short inspirational videos, to capture attention, with longer informative content tailored to users in the planning stage can help maintain engagement while maximising reach.
Instagram is moving story highlights to a dedicated tab on the profile grid. When this change occurs, users will need to click a tab at the top of the grid instead of accessing story highlights under the bio. According to Instagram, this is because the grid will move up and contribute to a more structured profile. The announcement was met with a lot of negativity. However, there is an opportunity for creativity as DMOs can consider ways to use the space to create collections, like in your phone's photo gallery. Here at the DTTT, we have already started adopting changes to the way we create content for stories in order to easily adapt if this change happens. If tabs act as a separate part of the profile, this offers opportunities for content to be divided strategically.
Tabs can be used to promote editorial content, while the main feed can be reserved for visual marketing and promotions. DMOs can even consider pinning an image that announces their new strategy at the top of the grid to lead visitors on their profile in the right direction. Research shows that 87% of travel companies use Instagram Stories for marketing (as of 2024), as this format allows for engaging and interactive content like behind the scenes updates, polls and Q&A sessions. Stories can be used for providing tips on travelling, facts about a destination or as a part of a monthly content series exploring local businesses or new attractions in the destination. If all of this content can be organised in structured and visually appealing collections on the grid, this could be a very positive change. It will not only enhance the feed visually, but it will also contribute to telling the story of a destination’s brand and identity.
Instagram’s algorithm is a dynamic and evolving system that determines which content reaches users based on various factors, including format, timing and engagement. It evaluates how audiences interact with different content types such as Reels, Stories and posts. The algorithm does this by analysing likes, comments, shares and saves. Each section of the platform, including the main feed, Explore page and Reels feed, operates with its own ranking criteria. Consistency, creativity and engagement play a crucial role in maintaining visibility and growing an audience. Notably, the Explore page matches content to users by recommending posts based on trends, hashtags and user preferences, while Reels gather strong reach because of their ability to capture attention, encourage interaction and inspire new content creation.
As Instagram moves into 2025, its algorithm increasingly values original content and relevant keywords to help connect users with the right audience. Recent updates emphasise rewarding creators by ensuring shared content directs viewers back to the original source. Things to avoid that can minimise reach include watermarks, engagement bait, non-recommendable content and posting content you didn't make. For DMOs, it is good to consider how their content fits into these categories. They can analyse their current insights to see if they are losing reach by not tapping into Reels or accidentally producing non-recommendable content.
Instagram defines non-recommendable content as anything that violates its guidelines, including the non-transparent use of AI. To address this, the platform now offers an option for users to label AI-generated content. This function could have significant implications for DMOs by encouraging transparency in promotional materials. It allows marketers to leverage AI while ensuring credibility and trust in the destinations being advertised.
These new features open up a space for opportunities to rebrand and be more creative. They are useful for supporting content creation and management on the platform more easily and efficiently. With these changes, Instagram is becoming a more interactive platform that allows users to develop better social media strategies than before. The platform is long past the association with static images. Users can now make their own brand’s presence on Instagram more engaging and reach wider audiences.
Here's how we are making changes to our Instagram strategy at the Digital Tourism Think Tank:
As we navigate the platform's changes, here are our recommendations for DMOs looking to enhance their social media presence in 2025 and realign their approach in sync with the upcoming changes to Instagram:
At the Digital Tourism Think Tank, we started the year by carefully observing the shifting social media landscape following a series of announcements by the most popular platforms. We have been analysing how to integrate these changes into our own marketing strategy. A recent change we have been keeping a close eye on is Instagram. At the beginning of the year, Instagram introduced a new strategy for 2025, by shifting focus on two key areas — creativity and connection. Instagram defines these strategies through their new updates and features set to come out progressively this year. Connection is a strategy led by enhancing social interactions through features like Reels Friends Tab, which is a section on Instagram that people can access to see what their friends have liked. Simultaneously, creativity embodies the reward for original content by introducing new Reels features, grid changes and a new editing app, called Edits, that is set to be released soon.
Instagram has 2 billion monthly active users (as of February 2024). The platform is huge for brands, and with the correct strategies, it can be used to connect with younger audiences, aged between 18 and 34, as they make up 60% of user engagement. Around 62.7% of users follow or research brands and products, which makes the app highly influential in informing people’s buying decisions. With Instagram being an influential platform for digital marketing, their change of strategy has made us question the implications for tourism and destination marketing and how brands can remain relevant and accessible to audiences in light of the upcoming shifts.
Profile grids are now moving to 4:5 size ratio. At first glance, this change is very disruptive to the aesthetic of the grid, especially for images with a lot of text. However, to address this, Instagram has decided that they will include tools for thumbnail customisations and post reordering, which creators can use to edit their thumbnails and rearrange posts. In order to adapt quickly, DMOs should already be posting 4:5 ratio or 1080x1350px. DMOs can also use this feature to re-brand. The feature acts as a template for creating a visual portfolio with the profile. Therefore, DMOs can use it to highlight key posts and customise their grid in a way that always reflects their brand identity and story.
Another change to the grid is that people will be able to post directly to it and have the ability to avoid this content appearing on the user feed. This is useful for content that acts as a visual connection between other posts and will be great for aesthetic purposes, while avoiding spamming followers with bulk posting. This will be a great way to market events that usually require bulk posting for logo or venue announcements across the grid as a collage.
DMOs can leverage powerful imagery by creatively using the grid feature to enhance visual storytelling. For example, a safari destination could take a beautiful image of a zebra and divide it into six separate posts. Each post will showcase a different close-up detail of the animal — its distinctive stripes, expressive eyes or tufted tail. When arranged on the grid, these posts would come together to form a cohesive and visually stunning collage, drawing in potential travellers with a sense of appreciation for the destination’s wildlife. With the new ability to post directly to the grid, without it appearing on followers' feeds, DMOs can curate a seamless visual experience without overwhelming their audience. This technique is especially effective for allowing DMOs to create immersive and unique grid aesthetics while maintaining engagement.
The Trial Reels feature lets brands post Reels to non-followers without engaging their existing followers. According to Instagram, this feature will let brands explore and experiment with new content ideas before sharing them with their active audience. This will not only help with audience engagement feedback, but it can also help to grow their following. Although this is a great feature to test new content, it can also be used as a way to also resurface older content. Sometimes, creators might want to repost content that has performed well in the past to engage potential new followers. With Trial Reels, this is going to be possible without the brand's core audience being exposed to the same content again.
Nonetheless, having a strategy for testing new content is at the core of why this feature reflects Instagram’s mission to improve creativity and connection on the platform. This is because it allows the user to get creative with new ideas while having the opportunity to reach and connect with another type of audience. However, there is a potential flaw. As the feature allows brands to reach non-followers, the creator will be connecting with a target market that might not always have the same shared interests as their core audience.
Testing new ideas with new audiences could generate positive feedback at first and anecdotal evidence suggests creators have already seen more engagement. However, some profiles might struggle to create synergies and integrate these new ideas with their existing content. This risks the potential of alienating their current followers who might not be looking for new content formats. To avoid this, creators should test new content alongside older content to compare and analyse audience engagement. This approach ensures that creators can assess whether new ideas truly resonate and add additional value. DMOs should also consider implementing this approach, as combining both new and existing content can help maintain engagement while attracting new audiences. By systematically testing both types of content together, they can refine their strategies and make data-driven decisions to enhance audience retention and growth. By combining both new and existing content, creators can strategically use the Trial Reels feature to maximise engagement while minimising the risk of failing to appeal to their current audience.
Instagram is also capitalising on video content becoming the most popular media format. For a long time, the platform has been breaking away from static imagery, but with these new video features, they are closing the door on the concept that gained their popularity back in 2010. Instagram is now introducing 3-minute Reels, double the original 90-second length, to support creators who felt that the original limit wasn't sufficient to tell a story.
With YouTube Shorts having also recently expanded the maximum length of videos from 60 seconds to 3 minutes, it is clear that there is a perceived demand for viewing longer content. DMOs can use this to dive deeper into digital storytelling and create campaigns, tutorials or content that sparks discussions. With 64.8% of users looking to engage in more entertaining content (as of February 2024), DMOs can use this new feature to bring forward more creative long-form content ideas. For this purpose, Instagram has also introduced Edits — a standalone app that will help users master video editing in a simple way. The app is yet to be released, however, this could be a game-changer for editing content faster and in a more efficient way during events, for rapidly producing Always-On content or immediate commentary on an emerging trend or technology.
While Instagram’s introduction of 3-minute Reels provides more flexibility for storytelling, it is not necessarily the most effective strategy for all content. Instagram itself has previously advised against relying solely on longer videos, as shorter clips tend to perform better with audiences. Overly long videos risk lower retention rates, as users may lose interest before reaching the key message. For DMOs a diversified content mix is crucial — combining short inspirational videos, to capture attention, with longer informative content tailored to users in the planning stage can help maintain engagement while maximising reach.
Instagram is moving story highlights to a dedicated tab on the profile grid. When this change occurs, users will need to click a tab at the top of the grid instead of accessing story highlights under the bio. According to Instagram, this is because the grid will move up and contribute to a more structured profile. The announcement was met with a lot of negativity. However, there is an opportunity for creativity as DMOs can consider ways to use the space to create collections, like in your phone's photo gallery. Here at the DTTT, we have already started adopting changes to the way we create content for stories in order to easily adapt if this change happens. If tabs act as a separate part of the profile, this offers opportunities for content to be divided strategically.
Tabs can be used to promote editorial content, while the main feed can be reserved for visual marketing and promotions. DMOs can even consider pinning an image that announces their new strategy at the top of the grid to lead visitors on their profile in the right direction. Research shows that 87% of travel companies use Instagram Stories for marketing (as of 2024), as this format allows for engaging and interactive content like behind the scenes updates, polls and Q&A sessions. Stories can be used for providing tips on travelling, facts about a destination or as a part of a monthly content series exploring local businesses or new attractions in the destination. If all of this content can be organised in structured and visually appealing collections on the grid, this could be a very positive change. It will not only enhance the feed visually, but it will also contribute to telling the story of a destination’s brand and identity.
Instagram’s algorithm is a dynamic and evolving system that determines which content reaches users based on various factors, including format, timing and engagement. It evaluates how audiences interact with different content types such as Reels, Stories and posts. The algorithm does this by analysing likes, comments, shares and saves. Each section of the platform, including the main feed, Explore page and Reels feed, operates with its own ranking criteria. Consistency, creativity and engagement play a crucial role in maintaining visibility and growing an audience. Notably, the Explore page matches content to users by recommending posts based on trends, hashtags and user preferences, while Reels gather strong reach because of their ability to capture attention, encourage interaction and inspire new content creation.
As Instagram moves into 2025, its algorithm increasingly values original content and relevant keywords to help connect users with the right audience. Recent updates emphasise rewarding creators by ensuring shared content directs viewers back to the original source. Things to avoid that can minimise reach include watermarks, engagement bait, non-recommendable content and posting content you didn't make. For DMOs, it is good to consider how their content fits into these categories. They can analyse their current insights to see if they are losing reach by not tapping into Reels or accidentally producing non-recommendable content.
Instagram defines non-recommendable content as anything that violates its guidelines, including the non-transparent use of AI. To address this, the platform now offers an option for users to label AI-generated content. This function could have significant implications for DMOs by encouraging transparency in promotional materials. It allows marketers to leverage AI while ensuring credibility and trust in the destinations being advertised.
These new features open up a space for opportunities to rebrand and be more creative. They are useful for supporting content creation and management on the platform more easily and efficiently. With these changes, Instagram is becoming a more interactive platform that allows users to develop better social media strategies than before. The platform is long past the association with static images. Users can now make their own brand’s presence on Instagram more engaging and reach wider audiences.
Here's how we are making changes to our Instagram strategy at the Digital Tourism Think Tank:
As we navigate the platform's changes, here are our recommendations for DMOs looking to enhance their social media presence in 2025 and realign their approach in sync with the upcoming changes to Instagram:
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