Instagram Is Testing Something New
and I Actually Think This One Matters
I know. Every other week someone is saying, “Instagram changed everything!” and most of the time I think, Okay, yes, but not really.
(I highly recommend the podcast. It’s where we can really talk about things)
Summary of article:
Instagram is testing out a new series feature
One of my fave creators gets featured on People Magazine (and why it matters to you)
Adam Mosseri’s writes a cryptic post about being able to control your algorithm
When creating series content, always use the lens of your niche
Your assignment: implement a series with a story, education, or challenge
But this one? I think it’s worth paying attention to.
Instagram is currently testing what looks like Netflix-style series content for Reels. In the simplest terms, it means creators could eventually organize content into episodes that people can watch all the way through, instead of consuming one Reel at a time and then moving on.
And the more I think about it, the more I think this is exactly where Instagram has been heading for a while.
The Creator Who Made Me Pay Attention
I was scrolling Instagram the other day and saw that one of my favorite creators, Hailey from Bones & Builds, had been featured by People Magazine.
A few years ago, Hailey joined one of my challenges when she had around 300 followers. She kept showing up, kept refining her strategy, and now she has more than 750,000 followers.
Lately, she’s been documenting how she’s creating this magical neighborhood of playhouses in her backyard for her kids. She’s finding old playhouses on Facebook Marketplace and at garage sales, renovating them, adding bridges and little details, and turning them into something really special.
And people cannot get enough of it.
Not because they’re all planning to build tiny neighborhoods in their backyards, but because they’re invested in the story.
They want to know what she’s going to find next. How she’s going to solve the problems that come up. What the finished neighborhood will look like.
That’s series content.
We’ve been talking about storytelling and series content for a while now, but I think Instagram officially building tools around it tells us where things are going.
(Hey, want me to tell you what to post every day? Join my Club 10)
What If Your Instagram Account Was a TV Channel?
For years, I’ve taught content pillars.
I still believe in content pillars. I don’t think they’re going away. But I wonder if some of you have struggled with them because the analogy hasn’t quite clicked.
So let me give you another one.
Instead of thinking about your Instagram account as a house supported by content pillars, what if you thought about it as a television network?
Your overall message becomes the channel.
The different ways you teach that message become the shows.
For me, my channel is helping entrepreneurs build successful businesses using Instagram.
Within that channel, I have different shows:
Instagram news and updates
Instagram strategy deep dives
Quick content tips
Mindset conversations around entrepreneurship
It’s the same concept as content pillars, but when you think of them as shows, you start asking different questions.
What would someone tune in for every Monday?
What kind of content would make someone think, I can’t wait to see the next episode?
What could become binge-worthy?
Because I think that’s where we’re headed.
Adam Mosseri Said the Quiet Part Out Loud
The other reason I think this matters is because of something Adam Mosseri posted recently.
He talked about algorithms, recommendations, and what he called “agency.”
Basically, his argument was that social media used to be shaped by who you followed. Now it’s increasingly shaped by recommendations.
TikTok started that way.
YouTube shifted that way years ago.
Instagram has been moving in that direction since around 2020.
And while recommendations have made it easier for creators to reach new audiences, they’ve also created this feeling that people aren’t really in control of what they’re seeing anymore.
A follow doesn’t mean what it used to mean.
People follow accounts and never see their content. At the same time, they regularly see content from creators they don’t even follow because they engage with it.
Instagram is now trying to give users some of that control back by showing them the topics the algorithm thinks they’re interested in and allowing them to adjust them.
And I think it’s fascinating because it confirms something creators need to understand:
The future of Instagram isn’t follower-based.
It’s interest-based.
Why This Is Actually Good News
As creators, this shift is actually really good news.
Ten years ago, the person with a million followers had a massive advantage.
Now, someone with 100 followers can create a piece of content that reaches millions of people if that content is good enough to keep people watching, sharing, saving, and engaging.
The question isn’t, “How many followers do you have?”
The question is, “Are you creating content people want more of?”
Are people watching until the end?
Are they sharing it with a friend?
Are they saving it?
Do they want the next episode?
That’s what matters now.
People Don’t Just Want Information. They Want Connection.
We’re seeing this everywhere.
People send Reels to their sisters, their friends, and their spouses. My husband sends Reels to my girls all the time, and suddenly they have inside jokes and shared experiences built around content.
Years ago, everyone watched the same television shows because there were fewer choices.
Now our attention is fragmented across thousands of creators and platforms, but we’re still looking for those same moments of connection.
We’re still human.
We’re still trying to find ourselves in other people’s stories. So, we’ve got to share our stories, our journey. We’ve got to invite people in and build a brand around us. People have a hard time including themselves into their content, I see it all the time.
“But Michelle, That Doesn’t Fit My Niche”
This is where people get stuck.
Let’s say you’re a business coach who wants to share your fitness journey.
You absolutely can.
You just need to think about the lens you’re using.
Instead of saying, “Come watch me get in shape,” you could say:
“I want to become the kind of leader who takes care of herself so that I can show up better in my business, for my clients, and for my family.”
Same journey.
Different lens.
That’s what allows you to bring more of yourself into your content without confusing your audience.
You can talk about a lot of things.
You just need to help people understand how they connect back to the reason they followed you in the first place.
Your Assignment
I want you to experiment with series content this week.
Choose one of these three options:
Option 1: Look Back
Go through your analytics and ask yourself:
What posts are people already responding to?
Is there a topic I’ve talked about more than once that could become a recurring series?
What content already has “part two” energy?
Option 2: Bring People Into a Story
Ask yourself:
What am I working on right now?
What transformation am I experiencing?
What journey could I invite people into?
Maybe it’s building a business.
Maybe it’s training for a race.
Maybe it’s learning a new skill.
People don’t just follow information. They follow progress.
Option 3: Teach in Episodes
Think about something you teach regularly.
Could you break it into a series?
Instead of one giant information dump, could you create a sequence that naturally leads people from one lesson to the next?
The Bottom Line
Instagram may not release the series feature tomorrow.
It may take months.
But creators who start thinking this way now will already know what works when it arrives.
And honestly, even if the feature never shows up, series content is already working.
People are looking for connection.
They’re looking for familiarity.
They’re looking for someone worth coming back to.
So don’t just think about the next post.
Think about the next episode.
We ride at dawn.