To decrease the bounce rate of the platform and help user exploring new contents like the contents they currently follow, Instagram has brought the Suggested Posts feature. One can spot this feature once scroll down to reach at the bottom of Instagram feed, that means after the “you’re all caught up” prompt.
So far, on the feed, we see the posts from the accounts or hashtags we follow on Instagram. That means so far we have the full control over what we want to saw on our feed if we exclude the sponsored posts that is exclusively controlled by the platform owners.
Now, with Suggested Posts, once we done seeing all the recent posts of the accounts and hashtags we follow, new posts similiar to the posts from the accounts and hashtags we currently follow starts appearing on the feed. Earlier, while scrolling and complete seeing the recent posts, the platform prompts us a you’re all caught up message. Thereafter if we further scrolls down the, we see earlier posts from the accounts and hashtags we follow on Instagram. Hence, you can see earlier we have the full control over the feed.
Now, to give the user a reason to spend more time on Instagram, the company has added Suggested Posts feature. Again, this feature recommend posts based on the accounts and hashtags we currently follow on Instagram.
How Suggested Posts differ from the Explore Tab?
Now, Instagram has two sections (called the suggested posts and explore tab) from where we can automatically explore new contents (From new contents I mean, contents from accounts and hashtags we not follow currently). However, one major difference between these two sections is, the former one (Suggested Posts) shows contents based on the accounts and hashtags we currently follow, while, the later (explore tab) suggests contents by taking consent of all the accounts and posts we interact in past.
What Instagram Home Head of Product said about this feature?
Julian Gutman (Head of Product, Instagram Home) said we made this feature to make it easier for user to go deep in their interest on the platform. Also, two years ago, Instagram launched a tool called Your Activity that help user track and set the time they spent on the platform. Hence, by utilizing the same feature users can spend a limited time on the platfrom which in turn also helps the platform not to become addictive.
Suggested Posts only contains Photos and Videos
It has been reported, for now the suggested posts only contain the photos and videos excluding the IGTV and Reels Snippet. Also, in coming days we may see ads in the suggested posts section. But that is not hundred percent sure as of now.