Facebook really wants Instagram users to know about its parent company, and with such urgency that a notification will soon appear at the top of Instagram feeds to tell users about features available on Facebook. However, this is not the first time that Facebook wants to leave its imprint on the photo-sharing platform. Back in 2019, the Instagram app starting showing a splash screen with a prominent ‘Instagram by Facebook’ branding, after giving the same treatment to WhatsApp a few months earlier.
While the branding appears to be a not-so-subtle attempt at boosting product awareness and brand identity, it is also a precursor to the deeper cross-app integration and interoperability that Facebook has been planning for years. The plans, which Mark Zuckerberg announced back in 2019, are already visible to a noticeable effect. For example, Instagram users can already cross-post Stories to Facebook and link their Instagram account to multiple Facebook pages. Additionally, Instagram users can now chat with folks who use the Facebook Messenger platform without requiring users to install both apps on their phones, while the Vanish Mode is now available on both platforms.
Further building upon that approach, the Instagram app has begun a test that will show users a notice at the top of their feed that tells them about features only available on Facebook. Needless to say, it is an attempt to lure Instagram users to Facebook, which actually offers a lot more communication features and might actually prove to be productive. As per an Engadget report, the notice will tell Instagram users about features such as dating, the goods marketplace, job listings, and news content currently exclusive to Facebook.
Should Instagram Users Hop On Facebook?
As mentioned, Facebook wants Instagram users to experience features that are not available on the photo-sharing platform. To start, Facebook Dating could provide a much wider pool of potential dates that are cataloged based on their groups, interests, and events. The Secret Crush feature, for example, analyzes mutual attraction based on the circle of online friends, while the Virtual Dates feature relies on the video-chat functionality to let users meet virtually before an in-person encounter. Coming to the professional side of things, the platform allows users to create a job listing using the Facebook Page of a business. These job listings also appear in the news feed based on user interests and the activity of their online friends.
Another lucrative motivation for Instagram users to have a look at Facebook is news. Facebook has poured millions of dollars towards its news platform ambitions lately, which involves sourcing news from renowned media outlets across the globe and populating the content in a dedicated News section. Facebook even adds a dash of personalization to the news consumption experience by populating the feed with stories based on interests and letting them block/unblock content from certain publications. There have been a few hiccups during Facebook's news journey, but the consumption of news content across the platform has been steadily growing.
Source: Engadget