Changes You Need To Know As A Brand Posting On Instagram In 2025
If you've been using social media for your business over the last few years, you already know this — it's constantly changing.
And this is especially true for Instagram. After all, it wasn't too long ago that photos were the only type of content shared on the platform.
Since their introduction to the app, Reels have been a great tool to increase accounts' reach and views. But one month, it's best to prioritize 7-second videos with trending sounds and the next, vlog-style videos are going viral.
With this constant adaptation, brands often struggle to stay ahead of the curve and end up falling behind in their social media game. Which is why we've summarized in this article the notable changes you need to know as a brand posting on Instagram in 2025.
💌 Create shareable content
Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, announced it in late 2024 — you get better views and impressions as a creator if your content is being shared (either via direct message (DM) between friends or via daily stories).
“More important than watch time or like and comment counts is send rates, [and] generally, I think the rate is more important than the count. So the number of sends per reach, the number of likes per reach, the number of comments per reach. But sends per reach correlate more, in my experience, with overall reach than anything else, because we are looking to help people discover content they want to connect with friends over, and so sends is a great proxy for that sort of connection over creativity.”
But what does this mean in practicality? Instagram has put a huge emphasis on fostering real conversations via DMs. Which is why funny memes and relatable posts tend to perform significantly better than other types of content.
For example: you see a hysterically funny cat video and want to virtually share a laugh with your friend, so you use the share button under the Reel video to send it via DM. Your friend reacts to it and sends you a funny comment via DM. They've been brought to Instagram — which is a win for them. And you've officially started an online conversation thanks to this hilarious video.
So what content shift should you follow for more shareability? Our recommendations ⤵️
Focus on your target audience's pain points before the use of your product or service.
Use more pop culture moments and trends in your content.
Stop the traditional promotional content, and think of the transformation that your customer will go through in acquiring your product/service.
By posting more shareable content, you'll increase your visibility metrics (profile visits, impressions, and reach) which in turn will improve your overall social media KPIs (such as external link clicks, engagement rate, new followers).
In other words, there is no reason not to dive right into this algorithm update for your business!
✨ Skip the branded and polished content
There was a clear era on Instagram where branded and polished was the aesthetic that everyone, businesses included, was following.
But as time went by and visual trends started to blend in, brands and content creators that showed more personality and authenticity often performed better than the masses.
These days, raw content pieces, mainly edited with the built-in Instagram editing tool, are often seen as more 'real' and authentic than most.
Here's an example of two different posts from the same brand, KOOSHOO, one of our clients, that (1) was published during the 'overly edited & polished' era on Instagram and (2) with a less branded style.
Another explanation for this aesthetic transformation is that polished and branded content often rhymes with sponsored on Instagram. Most of the sponsored/paid ads that you'll come across on the platform tend to be more edited than other organic content pieces — because the businesses using them are usually spending a considerable budget on them and for an extended period of time. In this case, users have created a habit to skip content that is overly edited and prefer to stick to the raw (or at least rawer, more 'authentic') versions of them.
So what qualifies as a raw and authentic post? Our recommendations ⤵️
Forget the branded post templates with your standard typography, color palette, and logo.
Use the built-in Instagram editing tools — they've also just announced so many more fonts that you can use to make your content even more personalized.
Spend less time in the editing room and more time thinking about the messaging and the relatability of your posts.
By switching from polished to more raw and authentic posts, you'll nurture a deeper relationship with your audience, thereby improving your engagement metrics (such as the number of reactions under your posts, shares, and DMs you'll receive). You'll appear less salesy and more intentional.
🎓 Empathize, don't educate
Think about this: do you go to Instagram to learn the '10 best ways to improve your communication skills' or look up 'how to start a native plant garden'? Absolutely not. There are other platforms that are much better suited for that (aka YouTube).
Most people go to Instagram to decompress, be entertained or inspired. They won't go on the platform to be educated by the content creators or brands they follow. Although there was a decently long phase during which long educational posts were the go-to for service providers and product-based businesses out there. The truth is: everyone got tired of seeing the '7 steps to', or 'how to' guides. Everyone.
So, how does this inform us on the type of content that we need to create instead? Our recommendations ⤵️
Turn the long and pompous educational posts into bite-sized content pieces that people can easily read and digest.
Think of your audience's journey in potentially acquiring your product/service and the problems they're currently facing. Which transformation can you demonstrate to them?
Show other sides of your business like meetings you run, how and why, your new product/service development journey, more about your team and so much more.
Spending less time trying to educate your audience and more time empathizing with their situation, showing them you care, as well as portraying other sides to your biz would be far more fruitful in fostering a real Instagram community.
Conclusion
As our social media consumption habits change, platforms and algorithms adapt as well. Businesses and content creators have to closely follow these changes to be successful online and reach their social media goals.
For 2025, the main Instagram changes seem to be circling around the engagement metric with the most importance at the moment: shares.
With this new focus, other important modifications need to be made like prioritizing raw and authentic content over branded and polished posts.
A certain shift from heavily educational pieces into bite-sized and entertaining posts can also be observed in these Instagram changes.
By implementing these changes in your Instagram strategy - focusing on shareable content, maintaining authenticity, and creating relatable posts - you'll be better positioned to grow your brand's presence and engage meaningfully with your audience in 2025.
Remember: social media is about building connections, not just broadcasting messages. Stay flexible, keep testing new approaches, and always prioritize content that resonates with your community.
