TL;DR: All users on Instagram can now upload multiple videos/images to one post, similar to ad carousel units

Instagram recently rolled out the ability for every user to post multiple images/videos/etc. in one post – similar to their Carousel ad product which has been around for about a year.

While most marketers have already dabbled in this format, being able to do so organically means having a new tool in your content bag.

Highlights

• Users can upload up to 10 videos/photos to one Instagram post
• No links (like ads have) attached to the post

Things to Think About

• Opens up the creative canvas for supporting  paid campaigns with similar organic content
• Means users will be more familiar with these types of posts, which could have both positive and negative implications for our ads:

o   Ad carousels could lose their “new” factor

o   However, users also will understand how these units work and possibly engage with them more

• Opening the format up allows for more use and possibility of more creative hacks that marketers can draw inspiration from
• Giving users the chance to post grouped images/video ultimately cuts down on the number of posts in a user’s feed, possibly lessening their feed browsing time
• Fewer posts in feed means fewer opportunities for ad insertion without creating an overwhelming sense of promoted content – stay tuned to how Instagram is looking to handle this one.