OMG These IG Updates!
I just got off my call with META and these updates are GAME CHANGERS!
I just had my quarterly call with META and there was two announcements they spoke to me about that had me SHOOKETH, especially since one of them is something I’ve been asking of them for yearssssssssssssss.
1. IG is rolling out the ability to rearrange posts on your profile grid.
2. Meta is expanding its subscription strategy across its ecosystem, deepening its investment in recurring revenue products for creators, businesses, and consumers.
So let’s break this all down bc one update is about aesthetics, while the other is about economics (ahem, I shall explain)….
After my call, I got to thinking and realized that these two roll-outs reveal something much larger that what it simply appears to be. And it’s this: META’s betting that the future of social media will be defined by curated identity and paid access.
For years, IG operated under a simple premise: You posted content and your profile became a literal chronological archive of your life, your work, or whatever pleases your dear heart. The timeline itself was the story.
That model made total sense in the early days of social media when, for lack of better words, IG was your digital diary. Authenticity was measured by immediacy. How quickly could you post something WHILE it was happening?
Today’s internet operates very differently.
Something that I pound in the head of my clients, no matter their niche or following size, is that their profile HAS to be treated like their landing page. So now allowing users to rearrange their grids acknowledges a reality that I’ve been teaching for YEARS: IG ain’t your digital diary. It’s your goddam business!
The second announcement is equally revealing. META continues to expand its subscription business at a time when much of the technology industry is searching for alternatives to advertising-driven growth.
Since the dawn of IG, its economic engine was straightforward:
Free access = captured attention
Monetization of attention = advertising
But this model is showing signs of strain, and personally I’ve felt it. I’ve worked with social media ad agencies that promise you the world and underdeliver more than Ashlee Simpson on SNL (millenials, ya know).
Don’t get me wrong though. Advertising remains enormously profitable, but but but but but social media platforms increasingly recognize the value of recurring revenue. What subscription products create is predictability all the while strengthening customer relationships, and reducing dependence on algorithmic engagement cycles.
When I was listening to my META rep speak, my brain kept going back to Netfli, because when we think about the padrino of subscription entertainment look no further than Netflix.
Access has become a product.
META, finally, is coming to terms that creators aren’t just shooting cute pics, they’re building multi-million dollar business (and sure, they can be OF the cute pics!). But businesses need revenue streams that are more stable than fluctuating ad rates and unpredictable reach.
Boom! Subscriptions offer exactly that.
If you’re interested in how I work with creators and founders in scaling their online business, I’d love to hear from you. In a week I’ll be holding a small advisory room for only 10 founders/creators who are looking to scale their business. If you’re interested in learning more, click here.
xx
Idalia