Recent newcomers are joining Instagram to be up there with the veterans, welcoming the followers and the attention they bring. But sometimes after being on the platform for years you can get stuck on the same number of subscribers.
Well take a step back first, realize we've all been there! Here are some tips and actions you can use to your advantage to wake you up from your Instagram sleep.
Algorithms are ruining Instagram! False.
Whether or not we like Instagram's algorithm, it's here and we need to start using it, to pave the way for our content.
You're about to find out how the Algorithm can work for you, but first, here's how the Instagram Algorithm started to change and how it affects your brand or your business on Instagram.
Old Instagram Algorithm
Before Instagram's updated algorithm took shape, we had the old timeline feed. It worked well, really well.
We could upload a photo, write sweet captions, posdot and at that point our followers would see the post appear at the top of their Instagram feed.
The Instagram team then changed the feed's algorithm, which now shows us what we're interested in, based on what we liked, commented on, and who we followed.
The problem with Instagram's algorithm
So what's the deal with Instagram's new algorithm? Well compared to the previous version there is a drastic change that affects all accounts.
Imagine that, an IG user follows 75 Instagram marketing accounts and 25 travel accounts. (Normal feed shows 75% marketing posts and 25% travel photos)
One day the user decides to get his dose of travel craving. By visiting the explore page the user begins to like and follow the counts left and right and center of beautiful beaches, sunsets and Pina Coladas.
User continues with their day as Instagram's algorithm detects the sparkling beaches and changes their feed behind the scenes.
As they reopen Instagram, their feed is filled with sunsets and sand. Most of the other posts that usually appeared from marketing accounts were pushed down.
Instagram does this because the data shows, right now, that you want sunsets! This is all tied to your previous Instagram sessions.
This can be terrible for growing your accounts and as you can see it presents a new box of worms to navigate.
Posts at the bottom of the pack are not liked, shared or commented, found on the crawl page almost as much as those surfing at the top. By adding insult to injury, Instagram assumes your account, and all of your posts are uninteresting and unimportant.
So your account sinks into the deep Instagram abyss!
New Instagram Algorithm Strategies
What would you do with more information about the interests, likes and dislikes of your followers? Could there be a trick to playing with the system or developing strategies to effectively use Instagram's new feed?
Well, the business backend has the stats suite with all the tools and data you need to go through all of your posts. Even the statistics of your top performing posts and those that have sunk to the bottom of the pool.
So what's lurking in the back-end of the business? And how can it help increase traffic to your accounts exponentially?
Location (country and city)
You can see the location of your followers, their country, and even the cities they are from.
- You can start creating posts targeting specific cities, local events, and developing news. Do festivals take place nearby? Hit them with hashtags and reach the non-subscribers involved. Make your posts linked in a natural and open way.
- You can see which time zones are the most popular for your subscribers. Make the most of this knowledge and start posting in those time zones. Finding the best times to post will be time well spent, but don't forget to change that every now and then to reach out to other new subscribers.
Gender and age
Demographics by gender and age are crucial to understanding your audience, and if you haven't already found out, you're missing out!
Here are some questions you should ask yourself.
- Are your followers engaging with some posts more than others? Could it be related to their age and interests, or their gender?
- Could you increase user engagement by creating posts similar to top performers? Check out what is the right ratio of similar and engaging posts. You don't want to spam or saturate your account or alienate new subscribers and non-subscribers!
You can break down the amount of new follower growth each week and the ratio of males to females in a pie chart.
Subscriber activity (average user time, clicks)
Learning more about Instagram analytics and stats will help you determine the most powerful posts within your target demographic. Play around with the back end of Instagram, understand the terms and meaning of these stats.
Using these stats will give you the confidence to follow your gut instincts. Create successful engaging content, test and find out what will appear at the top of the crawl page.
Now back to the most important part of building your Instagram business and branding accounts.
Instagram Stats – Best and Worst Posts
Creating an engaging article takes a little testing and creativity on your part. But looking at Instagram statistics may take some of the uncertainty away.
As you open your stats page, find two articles.
- One of your best performing articles
- One of your worst performing posts
The one that performed well will often have more engagement from non-followers than the worst performing content.
Posts with a high number of non-subscriber engagement likely appeared on Instagram's explorer page. This is where most, if not all, of non-subscriber engagement comes from.
Brands and experienced businesses engage with their followers as well.
- Intuitively ask for their opinions.
- Invite other people and the friends of the subscribers to join the conversation.
- Encourage the use of hashtag and more comments.
These questions boost engagement and create a snowball that grows exponentially with more comments, likes and shares.
Creating unique articles and creating engaging captions takes a little intuitive thinking. Using statistics based on your subscriber's interest, demographics, and other information will help you as a starting point and a block to launch.
Another research effort would be to check out what your competition is doing. Rate their best and worst posts, are there any glaring differences? Is there a reason for the popularity or lack of it in the comments section? Are your competitors' successes consistent?
The more insight you can get by researching these stats, and looking at the comments, profiles, and interest of your followers, you can develop consistent engagement.
These messages should be natural and non-intrusive, you want to attract, not repel!
Be creative, be different, be special.