Increasing Your Instagram Engagement

Have you noticed a decline in your Instagram engagement? Indeed, I have. Moreover, posting content at optimal times has little effect on Instagram engagement. Additionally, I’ve changed hashtags to find new audiences. Even so, there was little impact on engagement.
So what is happening on Instagram that is causing a decline in engagement?

Facebook Is Cleaning Out Its Closets

Facebook is cleaning up its platforms. Consequently, a lot of hashtags have been banned. 
Clearly, Instagram drives business profiles to buy likes with promotions. With each post, Instagram suggests advertising. Fortunately, Instagram likes aren’t everything.

Don’t Blame Your Engagement on The Instagram Algorithm

In addition to this, there have been significant changes to the Instagram algorithm. The changes have reduced organic follower growth. Additionally, post-discovery has been affected. Overall engagement is flat, too.
Also, I’ve noticed that Instagram uses computer vision to identify the contents of your post. Clearly, this metadata is affecting your post-discovery. Also, banned hashtags are negatively impacting post and profile discovery.
Incidentally, a banned hashtag can be benign. However, when a hashtag is banned, all of the content is hidden. Consequently, any profile that uses a banned hashtag takes a hit on discovery.

Rethinking Your Content Strategy for Instagram Engagement

If you want to increase your Instagram engagement, you will have to change your strategy. Here are the most effective tips for improving your Instagram engagement:

1. Expand Your Instagram Content Diversity

If you’re only posting images. Stop doing that. Post carousels, post video, post stories, post channel content, update your highlights. Content diversity is getting measured and featured more on Instagram. You may have noticed that posts linger for three days in your feed. Carousel posts get seen more frequently because Instagram automatically advances the carousel until you have seen the whole post over three days. So switch things up.

2. Instagram Video is Mission Critical

Video is more discoverable on Instagram and promoted by the platform over images. This may seem strange for a platform that has rooted its DNA in still photography. Nevertheless, if you want to get noticed, you need to add video savvy to your content marketing.

3. Go Offline, Get back into the Real World

If you want more followers, meet more people in the real world. Gone are the days of rapid growth on Instagram. If you genuinely want more followers, you need to get off of Instagram. Build content and an audience on another platform. Get back into reality and network with other humans. Authenticity shines through in every engagement.

4. Make Your Instagram Posts High Quality and  High Frequency

Increase your post with frequency. Instagram rewards creators that post frequently.
Your post has a shelf life of 72 hours. That’s how long it stays in your followers feed. If you make one post per day, it will only be seen once per follower. After it’s viewed, it’s gone from your followers feed. If you post more than once per day, you can create more engagement with your followers.  In turn, this influences what their followers see.

Build an Adaptive Content Marketing Strategy

It’s not a one-size-fits all world. Facebook keeps innovating.. Your content marketing strategy must be responsive to changes on the platform.

• Try new things.
• Test your content.
• Adapt based on your findings.
• Do your own research.
• Then test again.

One More Thing to Boost Your Instagram Engagement

5. Use Location Tags in Your Instagram Stories.

Bonus Tip: Stories have been updated for locations tags. Now, Stories feature a collection of from a general area. If you’re not using Location Tags, your story is missing a larger audience and exposure in your local community.
Now, you can book your MADEGRANDBYCAM reservation to shoot new creative and scrolling-stopping content for your Instagram and social profiles. I’m looking forward to seeing you in the studio or on-location!

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Want to learn more about building your Immortal Brand or have a personal branding question?

Cam Evans, MBA. Photographer

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