5 Tips for How To Beat The New Instagram Algorithm
In case you havn’t already heard, today’s Instagram update is seriously shaking up the way that photos are displayed in your home feed. Instagram say that we miss about 70% of the content that the people we follow share, so they want to change our feeds from a chronological order, to seeing the ‘best posts’ first. Of course we all get a little nervous when we hear about change, and when Facebook or Twitter change anything there’s always a bit of an uproar, and then we realise that actually, it’s better that way. If you’re reading this as a social influencer/blogger/Instagrammer, then chances are, the Instagram changes will actually be good for you.
The order of photos and videos in our feeds, as of today, are now going to be based on the likelihood that we will be interested in the content, as well as our relationship with the person posting and the timeliness of the post. All the posts will still be there, but just in a different order.
Whether you’ve got 100 followers or 100,000, here are 5 tips to help you beat the new Instagram Algorithm and make sure your posts are seen!
Your New Instagram Strategy
Post Frequently & Be Consistent!
We all love visual content and Instagram is all about visuals, which is what makes it the fastest growing social media platform out there. The ideal amount of posts per day is 1-3. In my opinion, this is a guideline and better to post one good one that 3 average photos, but it’s important to have a consistent presence. With the update, engagement is key so keep your audience engaged and take note of the times that your users are most engaged (more on that here) so that you can post at those times. Usually it’s around 8.30 in the morning (when people are commuting), lunch time, and around 7.30 in the evenings (when people are at home, watching TV and scrolling).
Improve your Image Quality
With the update, it’s more important than ever to share high-quality images. Somehow, blurry photos will get noticed by Instagram and will drop in the home feed, meaning they’re less likely to be seen. You don’t need a professional photographer just ensure your photos are clear and worthy of engagement.
Be an Active Follower!
Engage with the people YOU follow! If you only use Instagram to share content, but not engage with the comments you receive or engage with other people, then you need to seriously change your game. It’s no secret that commenting and engaging with other people’s content is a great way to boost your own following (more on this and other tips to grow your following in this post), but it’s even more important following the 2016 Instagram Update. A simple ‘Great Photo’ isn’t good enough either, take time to create a conversation and truly engage with your followers and those that you follow for extra Instagram brownie points.
Also on this point, engage with yourself!! I have noticed an increase in engagement since I leave myself comments and likes. Sounds tragic right? But by leaving one comment with the relevant hashtags, and occasionally even leaving another comment tagging the brands within the photo, it leads to more engagement from my followers. By tagging the brand in the actual photo, then in a comment, they also get notified twice, meaning they’re more likely to see your post, engage with it (great!) or even repost it (even better!).
Consider Posting Videos
You’ve probably already spotted it, but Instagram now shows you views instead of likes. The more views, the higher the chances of your video being shown to your followers. Just like your images, make sure your videos are also clear and engaging so that you get more views.
Use Hashtags
#But #Not #Like #This – make sure you use them wisely. Don’t write a sentence made up of hashtags, use relevant and searchable hashtags that are time relevant. Think about what people will be searching for or what is trending, and I’d recommend using around 5 or 6 hashtags to be utilising them, but not being spammy.
Why the 2016 Instagram Update is Good for Bloggers
Well, honest bloggers at least.
The new update is all about engagement, and for bloggers with medium sized followings but a highly engaged audience, the new update is going to be a game changer. The higher the percentage of your followers that engage with your photos, the better, so if you’ve got 10,000 followers and averaging 600 likes per photo then you are #winning!
It’s bad news for those who have grown their following in ‘less authentic ways’ let’s just say, because chances are your ‘less authentic’ followers are not engaged and active ones, meaning that Instagram will choose to stick your photos toward to bottom of the home page. Previously, accounts with 50k followers would have their images shown in 50k (or thereabouts) people’s feeds, but now they will only appear in the feeds of people who actually care about the content that they’re posting.
So overall the honest instagrammer will be rewarded in the new update, it’s about having the best following rather than the biggest, and if you focus your energy on targeting your ideal audience then you may not have a million followers, but your followers will actually care about your content, and that’s what matters.
In This Post
Lace top by Zara
Jeans by American Eagle
Shoes by Dorothy Perkins
Bag by Jessica Buurman
Sunglasses by Quay Australia
What was your first reaction to the 2016 Instagram Update? And how will you be changing your strategy?
xoxo
