Instagram’s attempting out a brand new option to drive engagement together with your followers, with lockable posts, that may solely be unlocked with a code.
As you’ll be able to see on this instance from the Instagram Design profile, Instagram’s testing out a brand new locked submit format which prompts viewers to “Enter secret code” to view the content material.
Right here’s the way it seems to be on desktop:

That may very well be a brand new option to drive engagement inside particular segments of your viewers, like superfans who’ve obtained a code via no matter means you select. You possibly can additionally use it to supply reductions to earlier prospects, versus all your followers, or present region-specific updates, along side your off-platform shopper particulars.
There’s a variety of ways in which model or creator profiles may use this, whereas common customers may additionally share extra focused, intimate content material for less than sure followers or mates.
It’s just like the “Reveal” sticker that IG added for Tales final 12 months, which hides your Tales behind a blurred impact that may solely be lifted by sending the creator a DM.

That’s extra aligned with the rise of DM engagement within the app, and sparking extra messaging conversations.
This new variation leans towards the code being accessed individually from the particular submit, so it’s a special sort of engagement habits that it’s encouraging. But it surely may present the same impact, enhancing connection via interactive means.
It looks as if an attention-grabbing experiment both means, with a heap of potential use circumstances, which may very well be attention-grabbing. But it surely’s not accessible as but.
This seems to be a check of the choice on certainly one of Instagram’s personal accounts (which, as you’ll be able to see within the picture above, additionally features a check of Meta’s Group Notes).
We’ve requested Instagram for more information on the check, and any plans for a broader rollout, however they didn’t reply by publication time.
We’ll hold you up to date on any developments.