Got a minute? Check out our marketing update from the week -- all about Instagram!

Instagram Stories
Instagram's latest feature allows users to pin their favorite Instagram Stories to their profile. Instead of saying good-bye to the content after 24-hours, you can now pin it to your Instagram page directly below your Instagram bio.

Our Take:

• The concept is very similar to Facebook’s pinned posts, essentially allowing brands and individuals to highlight a certain story for as long as they choose.
• We think this could be a beneficial feature for brands since it will give their Stories a longer shelf life and add more content to their Instagram pages.

Instagram Direct
Instagram is taking another note from Facebook’s playbook and rolling out a separate app for DM’s. The app, called ‘Direct’, will replace the Instagram inbox. Once it’s installed, the Instagram inbox disappears from the main app. The rollout is only happening in select countries – Chile, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, and Uruguay – but based off the success Facebook has seen with their standalone messenger app, it’s probably safe to assume Instagram will eventually make Instagram Direct available to all users.

Our Take:

• The fact that Instagram is trying out a standalone messenger app points to the popularity of messaging apps. More and more people are using them as a means of communication – to the point that messaging apps have surpassed social media use!

Instagram Business Profiles
The recent announcement that there are now more than 25 million active business profiles on Instagram comes as no surprise. The social network’s popularity and impressive growth has driven more businesses to the platform in an effort to reach their target audience there. As more brands use Instagram to connect with customers, Instagram continues to roll out more features to cater to businesses.

Our Take:

• This announcement further solidifies Instagram as a beneficial marketing tool for most (not all) businesses.
• As more businesses use Instagram to connect with customers, Instagram continues to roll out more features to cater to businesses, like their new business toolkit and post insights, which makes the platform even more appealing.