Forget Telegram Channels, Meta launches “Instagram Channels”

Mark Zuckerberg announced on Thursday that Meta has launched a new feature called Instagram channels. The feature allows users who subscribe to a channel to receive updates and messages from their favorite creators. These channels look pretty identical to the already existing feature on the Telegram app.

Similar to Telegram Channels, Instagram followers won’t have the ability to post on the broadcast channels. However, they can “emoji-react” to content and vote in polls. Zuckerberg plans to provide news and updates on all the products and tech the company is building at Meta, on his own channel, the “Meta Channel.”

According to Zuckerberg, he will be the first to break news on the Meta Channel, which seems like a sneaky way to get more people to subscribe. As seen from the image above, the feature is currently being tested with a small group of creators, some of whom are set to launch broadcast channels on the same day the news broke.

If granted access, users will be able to create a channel from their Instagram inbox. Soon, they will be able to pin the channel link to their profile, making it easier for others to join. The channels can be accessible to all subscribers or only paid subscribers.

Instagram’s latest move is an attempt to capitalize on the growing popularity of direct messaging within the app. Users spend more time on direct messages than on stories or the main feed. Instagram wants to help businesses connect better with their audiences, as they believe this is a crucial issue that needs to be fixed.

This is in line with the general trend of people preferring private messaging to public status updates, and channels may provide an additional entry point for this shift by allowing content creators and brands to interact with their audience in a more natural and native way. The Channels feature is currently only accessible on the Instagram app, but it will roll out to Messenger and Facebook in the coming months. As you work to expand your brand, this could be an important factor to think about.


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