This project was challenging because of a specific sharing model for reels between Instagram and Facebook that did not require a Facebook presence. Because of this, there was a content-focused challenge of how to present users with the option of following an account that only exists on Instagram.

“Follow on Instagram”

Reels that are created on Facebook or shared to a Facebook presence from a connected Instagram presence allow for native account following on Facebook. Because in this specific scenario, reels are shared to Facebook from Instagram with no native Facebook presence, there is no native account to follow while viewing Facebook. An app switch is required to follow the Instagram account with the user’s Instagram account.

There were explorations of how to present a “follow” option for users without falsely implying that they will be following an Instagram account with their Facebook account. This is not technically possible, so a decision was made to require the user to tap on the profile, denoted by an Instagram glyph next to a username, to view a miniature profile. The final product included a grid showing a collection of other reels the Instagram user shared to Facebook, with the Instagram profile photo, number of followers and a CTA allowing for “Follow on Instagram.”

Live UX research sessions testing different prototypes found users tended to look through a reel creator’s other reels before deciding to follow the account. It also revealed buttons such as “follow” and “view profile” added a layer of confusion for potential followers who were unclear as to where they might be following the account, or were thrown off by being taken immediately to the Instagram app.

Ultimately, a decision was made to show miniature profiles natively on Facebook, which displayed other reels the creator had shared to Facebook from Instagram. This gave users context on what they might follow. A CTA showing the option to “Follow on Instagram” displayed only on that miniature profile clearly communicated to users where they would be taken (the Instagram app) and where they would follow the account.

This was an experiment that required a lot of trial and error in terms of communication experiments, where ultimately it was found that the least amount of content provided the clearest path to user understanding of where they were taking actions and where the journey would take them. Toast messages (appearing at the bottom of the screen) proved more confusing, simply because they complicated accessibility (AX) considerations by providing important information in unexpected areas.