Instagram’s “New” Strategy for Creators Sounds…Pretty Familiar

Is this new(ish) Instagram advice tantamount to slapping some new paint on a beater?

Instagram’s Adam Mosseri recently jumped on a live with creator coach Brock Johnson to share what creators should focus on in 2025. It was positioned as a clarity session, but if you’ve been playing the social game for more than five minutes, it probably felt more like déjà vu.

There were some useful nuggets, sure. But also a whole lot of rebranded advice we’ve all heard before. 

Let’s get into it...

The Feed Is Back on Top

According to Mosseri, the main feed is now the most important place for creators to post. Not Stories. Not Reels. The good ol’ feed. Why? Because regular users aren’t posting there much anymore, which means there’s more space for creator content to surface.

Basically, they want you to fill the feed void. This makes sense algorithmically, but let’s be honest, we’ve been here before. It’s just another loop in Instagram’s constant format shuffle. Reels were the golden child for a hot minute. Before that, Stories. Now it’s back to feed content like it’s 2017 again. Sure, we’ll play along, but it feels a bit like rearranging deck chairs at this point.

DMs Matter More Than Likes Now

Mosseri also called out DMs as a big engagement signal. Specifically, when users share your content in a DM, Instagram sees that as a sign it’s worth showing to more people. He said shares to Stories and DMs are weighted about the same, but DMs are more personal so they might carry a little more weight.

So the platform wants you to create content that sparks private conversations. Cool. We’re all just out here chasing shadowy signals now. 

Likes don’t count. 

Comments matter less. 

But if someone slides a meme to their friend with a “lol” in the chat, that’s the magic move. 

Instagram Finally Cares About SEO

In a moment of rare honesty, Mosseri admitted that Instagram’s search function is “not very good.” No argument here. But apparently, they’re working on improving it so that posts and even comments become more discoverable.

This could actually be helpful? If they pull it off, it means creators might be able to optimize content in a way that has lasting value, not just short-term engagement. But again, we’ve heard this tune before. Instagram flirted with keyword discoverability in the past, but never really committed. If they’re serious this time, great. But forgive me for not holding my breath.

What Creators Should Do With This Info

For creators, startups, solopreneurs, marketers, etc., juggling five roles, here’s what this all boils down to.

Put your best content on the main feed. Not just your throwaway pics or whatever Canva graphic you posted because you hadn’t shared in three days. The good stuff needs to live there now.

Encourage people to share your posts directly with friends. That could be through DMs or tagging someone in the comments. Make it easy for folks to pass it along.

Start thinking like an SEO nerd. Add keywords to your captions. Engage in the comments. Write like a human but with search in mind. Even if Instagram’s search still kinda sucks, it’s clearly where they’re headed.

What’s Old Is New Again

This whole update is another example of how social platforms like to pretend they’re innovating when they’re mostly recycling. We’re being told to double down on feed posts and keyword-friendly captions like it’s some revolutionary new approach.

But the reality is this: Instagram needs us to keep feeding the machine. If creators stop posting, the platform becomes another TikTok clone with a shopping problem.

So sure, take the advice. Adjust your strategy. Test and tweak like always. But don’t act like this is some major pivot. It’s just Instagram doing what it does, shifting priorities and calling it progress.

One Last Thought

If you’re creating content and trying to build something real, this stuff matters. But it’s not everything. What matters more is that your audience sees you. Whether that’s in a Reel, a feed post, or at an event.

Instagram will keep changing the rules. It’s what they do. Keep building anyway.