Instagram testing the ‘Add Topics’ option

Instagram is trying out a new update where they find another way to refine its Reels recommendations, where some users are now able to ‘Add Topics’ to their Reel uploads, to better categorize their clips.

As you can see in this tweet given below, posted by user Jacki Pitkow – A social media enthusiast, and shared by Matt Navarra Social media consultant + industry analyst, the new feature that has been rolled out is the ‘Topics’ option aims to help you reach other users who share your interests.

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This could provide another way for Instagram to showcase your content to a more engaged, interested audience, which could help to boost your Reels performance and help you connect with more people who are interested in your brand/content.

It could also help Instagram refine its Reels recommendation systems, which is a key focus for the application at present.

Instagram, of course, really wants you to watch more Reels, which is why you’re constantly seeing Reels inserted into every element of the app.

Users got annoyed by its initial Reels flood where Reels take up 20% of all time spent in the app, and rising, Instagram is very keen to show users more Reels content, based increasingly on AI recommendations, as a means to maximize engagement and fend off competition for attention from TikTok.

more signals that it can use to refine its recommendation algorithms to make Reels the most compelling TikTok alternative that it can be.

While people might end up spending more time watching Reels because Instagram is pushing them into every gap and free space that they can find in the app, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re enjoying them.