Instagram has introduced four new interactive stickers in an effort to increase engagement and interaction within the platform. With more sharing activity moving to private DMs, Instagram is looking to provide more options and capitalize on content trends to maintain in-stream interactivity. One of the new stickers, “Add Yours Music”, allows users to respond to a Story with a track, providing another engagement option that taps into the trend of music playing a key role in social app engagement, especially among younger users.
Another new sticker, “Frames”, transforms photos into an old-school style photo that viewers will need to shake their phone to make the image appear. Instagram previously previewed this option for its Coachella tie-in last month. The “Reveal” sticker, on the other hand, will only be made visible when the viewer sends the creator a DM. Viewers will need to send a DM to see the image, providing another interactive option and a line of direct communication between creators and viewers.
The “Cutouts” sticker, which has been available for some users since January, allows users to create a sticker from any element in a photo that can be used in other contexts. While some Instagram users have had access to this option for some time, now all users will be able to use the Cutout option for their compositions. These new options provide additional means of engagement within Stories, sparking more interest and interaction among users. While they may not be transformative options, they add another dimension to Stories engagement, potentially leading to increased interest in content.
Overall, the new interactive stickers introduced by Instagram aim to encourage more engagement and interaction within the platform. By capitalizing on content trends, such as the role of music in social app engagement among younger users, Instagram is providing more ways for users to interact with Stories. The Frames sticker adds a unique twist by requiring viewers to shake their phone to make the image appear, while the Reveal sticker prompts viewers to send a DM to see the image. The Cutouts sticker also offers a creative option for users to engage with their photos and share them in new contexts.
These new stickers are part of Instagram’s efforts to maintain in-stream interactivity and keep users engaged within the platform. By providing additional options for engagement and interaction, Instagram is hoping to retain users who may be shifting more of their sharing activity to private DMs. While the new stickers may not be revolutionary, they add variety to Stories engagement and provide users with new ways to interact with content. It will be interesting to see how users respond to these new features and if they lead to increased engagement on the platform.