When fun MET dystopia

There is something huge happening on Instagram that can severely impact business accounts, and we ALL NEED TO PRAY that it doesn't happen.

This has been the week of the MET. But instead of the memes, this year we received the good news that Indians (Alia Bhatt, Mona Patel, Mindy Kaling) slayed and a media class about “earned media value”. All in all; it was quite a great week (on the surface).

Personally, it feels incredibly dystopic and whiplash-y to be on any social media platform. I scroll over Mona’s timeless look, followed by instigating content about a certain community on an Indian political party’s page, the plight of Palestinians, cute cat videos (I am a Gabbuji fan, and only the real ones know who he is) and then right back to Alia’s look being compared to Deepika and Kriti. It’s a never-ending loop that keeps our fingers, eyes and attention on the app.

Intrigued by the presence of a new girlboss on the scene, I stalked Mona Patel and discovered that just like me, she too hasn’t posted anything on the Instagram account or the website for her healthcare startup radx.ai 👀 I am glad to know that I am in the same boat as a global girlboss. BTW Mona, I am always happy to consult you on the content for IG💅🏼 (shameless self-plug 🔌)

On the other hand, Instagram shared a major algorithm update this week about how they’ll be showing every reel directly to non-followers who might be interested in your content. If your reel performs well, it will be shown to a wider section of non-followers, so every reel has a chance to go viral. In my next newsletter (24th May, Friday), I will share a strategy for creators and businesses to adapt their content to deal with this update. So stay tuned and subscribe if you haven’t yet! 👀

But wait, there's more! Instagram is launching "meta-verified" tiers. Businesses can pay more for features like adding links to reels, protection against employee impersonation, and getting ‘featured’. The highest tier costs $350 a month and offers a ‘semi-annual account review’.

This "meta-verified" system is still being tested and is only available in a few places, like the US. This creates a confusing picture. Adam Mosseri (Head of Instagram) says they want to help small accounts, but Meta is testing features only big businesses can afford. Adding to the confusion, there's a lack of consistency in the features offered.

Earlier, according to a screenshot from IG Guru Brock Johnson, the most expensive plan, "Meta Verified Business Max," which costs around ₹29,000 per month (ouch, that's more than my rent!), allowed links in eight reels, but now it's only for six. They've also changed "most featured" to "featured."

Also, the meaning of ‘featured’ isn’t clear. How will these accounts be featured? In what way will it impact reach, engagement, and followers? Will this hurt creator accounts or limit the reach of business accounts that can only afford the standard plan? What does the semi-annual review include? So many questions, but no answers. Meta needs to be more transparent. They should answer our questions and make sure these changes don't harm small businesses.

We have some small but great updates from the YouTube gworlies.
1. You can create shopping collections that will help you highlight your latest drop or a seasonal collection. You can tag the collection in the videos for your audience.
2. YouTube creators will have to label if their upload has been significantly altered using AI.
3. You can remix a remix short now and give your spin to it.
4. Live streamers can track the reactions to their livestream in their analytics tab and track audience engagement better.
I will be sharing more updates in the next letter!

Before I sign off, here are some topics/trends you can use to create content over the next two weeks.
1. Bridgerton S3 Part is coming! Plan and create content around the show that’s relevant to your niche, and it will perform well.
2. Cannes is also happening this month! So get ready to make memes, trivia content, and reaction videos.
3. For Bangaloreans, it has started raining. That means it’s time to create relatable content around electricity cuts, traffic, floods and that gorgeous Airbnb which is only 2 hours away. 😜
4. Several desi macro creators are currently capitalising on Heeramandi-related content; give it a try!

And because I am a sweetheart, here are three trending audio tracks that you can use for your reels👇🏼
1. Just Because (Trap Mix)
2. Karinkaliyalle
3. Good morning you fabulous bitch!

As promised in the first letter, here’s some exclusive cat footage. This one is of baby Gigi panting on command! 😂

That’s all for this time. If this newsletter made you laugh or learn something new, share it with your friends and invite them to join our exclusive subscriber community!