• by Colin Kirkland , May 17, 2023

Instagram has added a new feature to its Broadcast Channels -- a “one-to-many messaging tool” that creators can use to engage their fan base in one in-app space -- that allows channel hosts to invite outside participants to join their chat channel as official guests.

Broadcast Channels were introduced this past February as a “casual, quick way” to keep creators' followers in the know, almost like more interactive public-service announcements.

“Creators can use text, photo, video and voice notes to share updates and behind-the-scenes moments and even create polls to crowdsource fan feedback,” according to Meta.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, for example, has made several announcements through broadcast channels such as Meta Verified and several WhatsApp updates.

Only one creator at a time has been able to send messages, with followers reacting to shared content and polls. Now, creators can invite other creators or fans to collaborate on messages in their broadcast channels, which will be shared to all channel subscribers.

Meta says “Collaborators” is designed to be used for “expert interviews, guest Q&A&'s, or even a casual chat among friends” and is rolling out to select U.S. creators, before expanding to more users across the world.

In a viral tweet exchange with Instagram head Adam Mosseri, model Chrissy Teigen pointed out that her Feed wasn’t showcasing the friends she knows in real life as much as it was the creators she didn’t know at all. Mosseri added that “friends post a lot more to stories and send a lot more DMs than they post to Feed,” highlighting a key shift in communication on social platforms.

By opening up Broadcast Channels to guest hosts, Instagram is likely attempting to capture this private messaging trend in a more communal way, as creators may be better able to engage with their fan base in more intimate space.