Instagram Updates 2025

Instagram’s Latest Features: How to Use Them to Grow Your Business in 2025

Instagram isn’t just a platform for pretty pictures anymore. It’s a serious marketing tool for small businesses. With every update, Meta is making it easier for brands to get noticed, connect with audiences, and drive real results.

Here’s what’s new, and how you can use each feature to increase visibility, build community, and convert followers into customers.

Broadcast Channels: Think VIP List, But Better

Broadcast Channels allow you to send direct updates straight to your followers’ inboxes. It’s like a group chat, but one-way, giving you a direct line to your most engaged audience.

Use them for exclusive content, early-bird offers, behind-the-scenes updates, product launches, or personal messages from the founder. It’s an excellent tool for building community and brand loyalty.

Recent changes mean Broadcast Channels are now available to all creator and business accounts.

Tip: Treat it like a VIP club. Share high-value content and let people feel like they’re part of something exclusive.

Reels Trends Hub: Eliminate the Guesswork

The Reels Trends Hub gives you access to the top trending sounds, effects, and hashtags so you can create relevant content faster. No more endless scrolling to see what’s working.

It helps you react quickly to trends, plan content more effectively, and increase your chances of landing on the Explore page.

Tip: Make the trend your own. Stay consistent and keep your content aligned with your brand message.

Link Stickers in Stories: More Clicks, More Conversions

Instagram now lets you add multiple clickable links directly within Stories using link stickers. You can drive traffic to different pages be that your website, blog, sign-up form, product page, or campaign.

New functionality includes the ability to customise the link text, making CTAs much clearer and more compelling.

Tip: Use direct, actionable phrases like “Book now” or “Download the guide” to increase click-through rates.

Reminder Posts: Build Momentum Before You Launch

Reminder posts allow your followers to opt in to receive notifications for product drops, live videos, events, or launches. These are perfect for building anticipation and driving timely engagement.

Use them alongside countdown stickers, teaser content, and Reels to create a strong build-up to your big moment.

Tip: Schedule multiple touchpoints in the lead-up. Use Stories, Reels, and posts to tease and inform your audience in stages.

Instagram Gifts: Monetise Your Best Content

Instagram Gifts enable followers to tip you through Reels using Stars. If you’re consistently posting valuable, educational, or entertaining content, this can become a new revenue stream.

Gifts are being rolled out more widely in 2025, including for smaller creators and service-based businesses.

Tip: Focus on content that educates, entertains, or inspires. Then use strong CTAs to grow your following and encourage ongoing engagement.

Algorithm Update: Engagement Matters More Than Ever

Instagram has confirmed that meaningful engagement such as direct messages and comments is now weighted more heavily by the algorithm. This means that features like Broadcast Channels, Reels with strong conversation prompts, and Stories with interactive stickers can all help boost visibility.

Tip: Actively respond to DMs and comments. Ask open-ended questions. Encourage interaction wherever possible.

The Bottom Line

Instagram’s latest features are designed for deeper engagement and smarter conversions. Whether you’re just starting out or scaling fast, showing up strategically is what matters now.

Use these tools intentionally. Build a real connection. Create content that not only looks good, but gets results.