The Instagram app is testing a new way to improve engagement with its users which would allow them to share their latest posts with connections via DM.
In a Tweet shared by app researcher Hammod Oh on Sep. 23rd, Instagram is testing a new ‘Public’ folder in your DM inbox which would enable you to “Message or share your favorite posts directly with your followers.”
We’ve seen a trend in social media users transitioning away from public posting in favor or more personal or private spaces such as groups or DMs. The News Feed feature has become more of a place to discover than a place to engage.
Executives at Meta agree. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has said, “Most people use feeds to discover content and use messaging for deeper connections.” The new feature for Instagram backs this statement.
This is reflected in trends across all social media platforms. Apps like Tiktok, for example, are primarily focused on providing its users with entertainment, not social engagement like we’ve seen in the past from platforms like Meta (Facebook) and Instagram. The growing popularity of entertainment-focused apps has forced engagement-focused apps to follow suit and shift focus to providing entertainment publicly. We can predict that, because of this, a shift to engagement privately will likely follow on more platforms beyond just Instagram.
