Mentions Archives - Silver Light Media

If you follow me you know I’m active on social media. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn I make sure to cover the basics, but my favorite social networking platform is Instagram. I fell for how creatives use it to share their inspiration, being a sucker for sick photography edits; I love the way Instagram pioneered visual storytelling.

In the last few months, Instagram upped its features. In case you haven’t noticed, Stories have been introduced and recently updated on November 10, 2016, to include Boomerang and Mentions. The platform is even starting to test links inside some stories (hint) that upgrade may be coming for everyone shortly.

Boomerang

This feature lets you turn any moment into something unique. You don’t even have to leave the app, take a Boomerang inside Instagram. Swipe right from your feed, and you’ll be able to open the camera used to share a story. If you are familiar with sharing stories, you’ll notice a new format picker that lets you select Boomerang mode. Tap to record and the camera will put a series of photos into a movie that plays backward and forwards.

Mentions

Already a staple, if you’re used to sharing updates on Instagram. Now the app lets you share who you’re with just mention them in your story. Mentions in stories work the same way they do in captions and comments. After adding text to your story type “@” followed by a username, then select the person you would like to mention in the post. The username will appear underlined when the link is clickable. Click the user mentioned, and you’ll see a pop-up appear that takes you to their profile.

The person mentioned in the story will also receive a notification via Direct Message that they were mentioned in someone else’s story. Tap the preview button to go to the story for as long as it’s live. If you are mentioned by someone who doesn’t follow you, the notification will appear via Message Requests.

Coming Soon

The ‘See-More’ Link Feature is now appearing in select stories. Watching someone’s story and feeling inspired to dig deep? Soon you’ll spot ‘See More’ Links at the bottom of stories. A test phase is taking place that let’s verified accounts add links making it easier for their followers to learn more. Discover newly released music or read a related article just tap ‘See More’ and swipe the app up, there you can view the link right inside.

Want to learn more about these Instagram updates? Click Here to view our Contact Page, a great place to schedule a complimentary consultation with Silver Light Media to discuss any of your social media, branding, or publicity needs. We offer consulting, training, and account management.

New to Instagram Stories? I’ve captured screenshots below of our views for insight into the numbers you could be gaining by using the feature. Call 208.284.5570 to learn how to be more influential to your audience with a custom Instagram Strategy.