Instagram teens: Will Instagram’s new update make targeting youth audiences harder?

In September 2024, Meta announced their new update: Instagram Teens. This update targets teens aged 13-17 and will limit their use of the app as well as the content they are exposed to.

Not too long ago, the Australian Government vowed to crack down on how old children can be before accessing social media sites. Meta has said this update comes separately and is not connected.

There are a bunch of things Meta will be restricting, some of which include the following:

  • All teens aged 13-17 will be put on private accounts, which only a nominated parent or guardian can change
  • Teen accounts will be set to see less sensitive content from accounts they do not follow
  • The automatic sleep mode mutes all notifications. This turns on auto replies and teens will be reminded to close Instagram from 10pm to 7am every day
  • Daily time limits will remind teens to close Instagram after 60 minutes spent on the app every day
  • They can preselect topics so they only see content they are interested in
  • If a teen is on the explore page too long, the “Nudge” feature will suggest other posts to look at with a similar theme

While this has been done to better the mental health of our youth, some have been left asking what this means for businesses.

The baseline: We do not know. This is a brand new development due to be rolled out in January 2025. As such, there is no telling what this might mean for businesses marketing towards younger target audiences. But there are some theories.

If your target audience is teens, this could mean a bunch of different things:

  • There may be reduced audience targeting for teens
  • Purchasing decisions could be subject to parental oversight
  • There could be lower engagement for youth-based campaigns
  • Ethical and mindful marketing campaigns will be needed to fit safety guidelines

If your demographic falls within the 13-17 age bracket, you might miss out on ad exposure unless the teens are following the brand themselves. This reduces exposure to new audiences and limits reach through campaigns and collaborations.

The 13-17 age bracket is arguably the least profitable age bracket on the internet. In saying that, the brands that do mostly market to youths may find they are more difficult to influence. Parental oversight for teen accounts may see ads and influencers get axed in the hopes that doing so will keep their children safe. A shift in messaging might be needed to appeal to both teens and their parents.

It might be harder for teen-oriented campaigns to reach their intended audiences. Relying on organic content that requires community engagement could be a problem for your metrics. If your campaign needs comments, likes, and shares then these restrictions may be an issue.

Mental health is a huge issue on social media these days. This means there is a need for mindful and ethical marketing, especially for teens. Marketers will need to come up with more safety-conscious practices. You can reach these audiences through messaging that aligns with mental health and well-being.

This can be turned into an advantage in a few ways:

  • Brands and marketers should create personalised content, interactive campaigns, and exclusive offers. This helps build trust and brand loyalty
  • Appealing to parents could be key towards teens gaining access to ad material
  • Marketers will need to focus on positive, uplifting, educational messaging to meet strict sensitive content guidelines
  • Brands can adopt ethical marketing strategies to appeal to both teens and their parents. This is commonly done through advocating for mental health, well-being, and transparency

Some argue that moving teens away from the main Instagram feed might be a good thing for marketers. Teens are thought to be the least profitable demographic on the internet. Removing the teens from the main Instagram feed means ads target the big spenders.

Brands and marketers could also have more creative freedom with a purely adult audience. This would allow them to explore bold and innovative marketing strategies. They could use humour, complex themes, and mature messaging to appeal to adult consumers. This could mean more effective campaigns that capture attention among a mature audience.

As Instagram rolls out their new update, it will be interesting to see if the marketing landscape changes. Learning how to market to younger audiences will be a challenge. Especially if it becomes difficult to connect with teens through their account restrictions. Will marketing towards adults change once teens are separated from the main Instagram feed?