Joana Jamil, the Strategic Partner Manager, Global Partnerships at Meta, offers a unique perspective on the dynamic social media landscape of Instagram.
How do you envision Instagram’s role in shaping the future of fashion in the Middle East?
Instagram has already proven itself to be a transformative platform for the fashion industry, and its role in the Middle East will only continue to grow. The region is home to dynamic creators, designers, and influencers who use Instagram to express themselves, break barriers, and connect with global audiences. Instagram serves as a critical enabler and connector within the fashion industry in the region, empowering creators to not only showcase their work but also reach new markets and collaborate with brands through tools like Reels, Stories, and Shopping. But we don’t just enable onplatform; we actively connect the industry off-platform through initiatives like the industry roundtable dinner we hosted during Dubai Fashion Week and our participation in events such as the IG x Elie Saab collaboration, where we connected a global brand with regional creators. We also prioritise nurturing talents by providing creators with workshops and educational sessions that focus on how to best utilise our tools and features, ensuring they maximise the full potential of the platform.
How can the platform be leveraged for authentic growth?
Instagram empowers emerging talents by giving them direct access to a global audience through Reels, Stories, and Instagram Broadcast channels. We also host a series of workshops, roundtables, and 1:1 meeting with creators and creatives in various industries to hear from them and understand their needs and challenges throughout the year. We’re also constantly working on finding opportunities to bridge regional fashion creators with global moments in fashion, such as the Met Gala and Paris Fashion Week. For example, we had creators from the region fly to New York to represent us at the IG Met Watch Party.
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What bold strategies do you think Instagram has recently implemented for better user experience?
Instagram has introduced several new features within Reels to provide a more bespoke experience for creators while creating content such as remixes and templates, which allow creators to easily create engaging and visually appealing content using pre-designed templates. These templates can be customised with text, images, and other creative elements, making it easier for creators to produce high-quality content on the go as well as be inspired by trending content in their niche. We also introduced our latest messaging tool, Instagram broadcast channel, which allows creators to create a more personal experience and engage directly with their community utilising multiple formats within their channels such as voice notes, pictures, videos and text.
How do you see AI, AR, VR technology impacting the future of fashion shopping?
At Meta, we see AI is a catalyst or accelerator for things we’re trying to do – whether it’s unleashing more creativity or working more efficiently. It’s not an end product in and of itself. When it comes to AR/VR technology, these tools are poised to revolutionise fashion shopping by making the experience more immersive and interactive. Imagine trying on clothes virtually using AR or walking through a virtual store using VR – these technologies can bridge the gap between physical and online shopping. In addition to AR/VR, AI plays a significant role in making fashion shopping more personalised. On Instagram, for instance, we’ve integrated AI-driven content recommendations that help fashion brands connect with their audience more effectively. AI analyses user preferences and suggests fashion related posts, stories, and reels tailored to users’ styles. Some AI-powered features that fashion brands can leverage on the platform include content recommendation, image and video recognition, generative AI tools, ad targeting and AI-powered captions and hashtags. With these tools, both AR/VR and AI will continue to shape the future of fashion shopping, offering brands and consumers more interactive, personalised, and efficient experiences.
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How can Instagram’s advertising platform be used more efficiently?
Instagram’s advertising platform offers various targeting options to reach specific fashion demographics and preferences in the region. A number of vital ways include demographic targeting (age, gender, location, language), interest targeting (fashion, beauty, lifestyle), behavioural targeting (purchasing fashion items online, engaging with fashion content), lookalike audiences (based on existing customers or website visitors), location targeting, and many more options which allow fashion brands to create a targeted campaign that increases their engagement and conversion.
Will the recent change in algorithm impact organic growth?
The algorithm now prioritises content from accounts that users interact with most, which means that accounts may need to adapt their content strategy to increase engagement and reach. This could include creating more interactive content, using relatable topics and hashtags, and posting at optimal times. Additionally, accounts may need to focus on building a loyal community of followers who will consistently engage with their content.
How can Meta effectively adapt Instagram’s strategies to capitalise on the growing popularity of Reels?
Reels has a world of opportunities. In fact, it is our fastest growing feature on the platform! There are multiple ways to capitalise on the growing popularity of reels – to name a few best practices: Focus on creating original, engaging, and entertaining content; collaborate with other creators or users on the platform; utilise Instagram’s features (polls, quizzes, questions) for further engagement with your communities; post consistently – have a schedule that best suits you and your community. Monitor analytics to track learnings — fluctuations in reach are common, but if you’re using a Business or Creator Account, you can check your Instagram Insights to monitor trends and content performance. Watch out for patterns= and keep tabs on which pieces of content are getting more reach to help inform your content strategy. Within Insights, you can break down Accounts Reached by followers and non-followers so you can see how much of your reach is coming from people who don’t already follow you – and track that over time by changing the time frame selected. Experiment with different formats until you find your perfect fit. Get inspired! Make sure to keep an eye on rising trends and music through browsing other Reels and checking @Creators weekly Reels of roundup.
Are the ‘save’ and ‘share’ features more pivotal for your content’s reach?
Yes, the ‘save’ and ‘share’ features are important for a user’s content’s reach on Instagram. When users save or share your content, it increases its visibility and can lead to more engagement and followers.
What bold approach do you think can help brands or individuals to stand out on Instagram?
Be original. Focus on creating unique, high-quality content that tells a story and showcases your brand’s personality. This can include using creative visuals, experimenting with different formats, and leveraging user-generated content. Additionally, engaging with your audience through comments and DMs can help build a loyal community and increase brand awareness.
This is The Bold Issue, what does being bold mean to you?
For me, the formula is simple:being bold means taking risks and stepping outside of your comfort zone to achieve something remarkable. It means being fearless, confident, and unapologetic in your approach, even if it means going against the grain. Being bold is about embracing uncertainty and pushing boundaries to create something truly innovative and impactful.
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