Since its inception, Instagram has established itself as the leading platform for sharing creative and inspiring visuals. For years, the iconic square format has been at the heart of its DNA. Instagram recently took a major step forward by adopting the 4:5 vertical format by default for publications in the profile grid.
A format designed for the mobile screen
The 4:5 vertical format reflects a fundamental trend in content consumption: the dominance of mobile. With smartphone screens getting bigger and full-screen usage becoming increasingly prevalent, this format maximises visual impact by capturing a larger part of the user's screen.
For sponsored publications, this means that your visuals have even more potential to capture the attention of a scrolling user. However, it's crucial to adapt your creative to this format to avoid empty zones or an unbalanced composition. For the moment, the 4:5 format is recommended by the meta platform, but the 1:1 format has not yet been banned.
Uniformity with Stories and Reels
This new format is in line with Stories and Reels, which already use the 9:16 vertical format. By harmonising formats, Instagram is encouraging users to create more immersive and consistent content across its various features.
For brands, this means a unique opportunity to recycle or repurpose content intended for Reels in the News Feed, thereby reducing production costs. However, beware: effective content in the Reels does not guarantee the same success in the News Feed, where the pace and context are different.
The importance of user experience
With this new format, Instagram is reaffirming the importance of the user experience. Users expect visuals that are uncluttered, captivating and adapted to the way they navigate the platform. This not only affects organic posts, but also sponsored ads.
Brands need to think about their visual storytelling to make the most of this vertical space with strategically placed textual hooks. Capturing the essence of your message in a few seconds is more critical than ever.
Production costs to consider
Switching to a new format can entail additional costs for adjusting or recreating existing content. However, it's best to think of this as a strategic investment. Poorly adapted creative not only risks missing its target, but also diluting the brand image.
For example, for an advertisement in the feed, we recommend using a 4:5 format, although 1:1 is still accepted. For Stories and Reels, the format is always 9:16. It is therefore possible to plan versatile visuals that respect these dimensions while fitting harmoniously into the new grid.
