So Instagram’s been busy this week. Three new features dropped, and while the platform’s clearly playing catch-up with everyone else, there are some genuinely clever bits worth your attention.
The reposts feature finally lets you share content properly (only took them about 24 years longer than X (or Twitter as it will forever be known at 24 fingers HQ). The location map is Instagram’s attempt at Snap Map and the Friends tab shows you what your mates are actually engaging with behind the scenes.
Here’s what each one actually does and why you might want to use it in your business.
Instagram Finally Gets Reposts (Welcome to 2019)
After years of watching every other platform offer native reposting, Instagram has finally caught up. You can now repost public reels and feed posts directly, complete with proper attribution to the original creator.
How it works: Tap the repost icon on any public content, add an optional note, and it appears on your profile in a dedicated “Reposts” tab. The original creator gets full credit, and the content may be recommended to your followers.
The business angle: This is brilliant for content curation. Instead of screenshotting industry insights or awkwardly tagging creators in comments, you can now properly share relevant content that aligns with your brand values. Your repost tab becomes a curated gallery of your professional interests.
Smart implementation: Don’t become the social media equivalent of that friend who shares every meme. Be selective. Repost content that genuinely adds value to your audience and reflects your brand expertise. Quality over quantity, always.
Location Sharing: Instagram’s Answer to Snap Map
Instagram has launched its own version of location sharing with the new Map feature. Users can opt in to share their last active location with selected friends, and discover location-based content from people they follow.
The reality check: This isn’t a business discovery tool. It’s designed for personal connections – sharing your location with people you mutually follow (actual friends, not business followers). The feature is opt-in only and currently US-exclusive, with global rollout coming soon.
Indirect business potential: When customers visit your location and tag themselves, their friends might see that content on the map for 24 hours. It’s authentic social proof rather than direct marketing – genuine customer moments that build credibility.
Privacy controls: Users can choose exactly who sees their location (friends, close friends, selected people, or no one), exclude specific places from sharing, and turn off location sharing at any time. Parents have full control over teen accounts.
Friends Tab: See What Your Mates Are Actually Engaging With
The new Friends tab in Reels shows public content that your friends (people you mutually follow) have liked or commented on. Think of it as Instagram’s version of social proof in action.
What this means: You can now see which reels your actual friends find engaging enough to interact with. This creates natural conversation starters and gives insight into what resonates with your immediate network.
Professional applications: For business accounts, this offers informal market research within your professional network. You can observe which business content your connections engage with and use these insights to inform your own content strategy.
Privacy options: You can hide your own likes and comments from appearing in others’ Friends tabs, or mute activity bubbles from specific people you follow. The feature started rolling out earlier this year and is now available globally.
The Bigger Picture: What Instagram Is Actually Doing
These updates signal Instagram’s shift away from pure content consumption toward more authentic social connection. The platform is prioritising features that encourage genuine interaction between people who actually know each other.
For businesses, this means moving away from broadcast-style social media toward community-focused approaches. The brands that succeed will use these tools to enhance relationships rather than just push content.
Quick Implementation Guide
Week 1: Test the repost feature with one piece of industry content that genuinely adds value to your audience. See how your followers respond.
Week 2: If you’re location-based, encourage customers to tag your location naturally. Don’t force it – authentic check-ins work better than prompted ones.
Week 3: Use the Friends tab to understand what content resonates with your friends within professional network. Note patterns in engagement without overthinking it.
Week 4: Review what’s working and adjust accordingly. These features work best when integrated naturally into your existing strategy.
The Bottom Line
None of these features will magically transform your Instagram overnight, but they do offer practical ways to enhance authentic connection and content curation. The key is using them strategically rather than just because they exist.
Instagram is clearly trying to compete with features that have worked well on other platforms (Snap Map, X Twitter reposts, etc.) while adding their own privacy controls and user experience tweaks.
For businesses, success will come from understanding that these are relationship-building tools rather than direct marketing weapons. Use them to enhance genuine connections, and they’ll serve you well.
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