In light of the new Instagram change announced last week, I wanted to dedicate today’s post to debunk some of the myths that have been holding you back and clarification to which might help you embrace the change better. There are so many unanswered questions and algorithm dilemmas that people including me, are constantly seeking information to steer the game called Instagram in the right direction. I am not an Instagram expert, but this past summer when I quit my job to pursue blogging as my new full-time career, I had no choice but to get my hands dirty.
In case you missed the most recent memo from Instagram- ” they’ll be removing LIKES in US starting this week.” Your followers or no other person for that matter will be able to see your likes, only you shall be able to see it. It will be quite a bit of a psychological jolt, trust me there are people out there for whom the number of likes is everything, they suffer from something that my VA likes to call “number of likes compulsive disorder”, but I am happy this is happening. Which means going forward the brands will use your reach and impressions versus likes as the new parameters to gauge the possibility of a partnership with you. In a way this is good as the mental pressure of attaining a certain no. of likes just for the visual sake would be alleviated, not completely eliminated though. The pressure would now be on being more consistent, more engaging and creating killer content. I would like to revisit this once the change has been implemented and tested for some time. I am pretty curious to see how effective it will be at revolutionizing the way your account is perceived with LIKES.
Changing gears back to MYTHS, let’s talk about some of those that have been holding you back from growing.
Myth #1: Instagram shadowbanned my account.
Shadowbanning is one of Instagram’s practice of banning accounts that they deem unsuitable. Every time my likes count tanked I would blame it on Instagram shadowbanning my account. But the truth is that there is no such thing as shadowban. It is just a rumor that became a myth which is now busted. Your account will not be shadowbanned for using multiple hashtags or for any other minor infraction. Your exposure depends entirely on your content quality and marketing skills. You post compelling content, you get GOLD. So it is you who has the remote control when it comes to reach and exposure.
H&M black mesh dress // DIANE VON FURSTENBURG printed dress worn as slip // CHARLES AND KEITH heels // KATE SPADE feather earrings
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MYTH #2: Instagram is hiding my posts.
There was a time when I would constantly sulk about ‘ Instagram deliberately hiding my posts as if it was holding some kind of grudge against me.” It is true that Instagram doesn’t show your posts on your or other’s timeline in a chronological order, instead it shows posts first that it believes is more likely to strike a strong chord with your audience. Instagram uses its own algorithm and a previous history of your user engagement to determine which posts will be more engaging, of value to your readers and sends them out based on that.
MYTH #3: Having a business account decreases your popularity.
In case you weren’t aware your account could be a Business, a Creator or a Personal account depending on your preference and the kind of services you offer. Rumor has it that having a business or creator account impacts your engagement in a negative way. The truth is that there is no difference per se in the way Instagram treats each account classification. On the contrary Business and Creator accounts have access to better Instagram analytics and swipe up feature in Instagram stories. With a business account you are armed with more information and features, which can help you be more smart and strategic about your personal growth.
MYTH #4: Instagram is penalizing my story views.
Last few weeks were a nightmare in the lives of bloggers as their story views slumped and if that wasn’t enough, the ‘Instagram removing likes’ news created a havoc further. The accounts that normally got 1200-1300 daily views on their stories reported merely 200-300 views. It was the worst few weeks for bloggers in particular. Well, the reality is that Instagram does a major purging of bots and inactive accounts before every big change and this time around was no exclusion. Apparently, there are accounts who in order to save time and effort hire bots to view stories and engage on their behalf. This is unethical and jeopardizing other accounts that work their asses off to engage organically. It is good that Instagram has cracked down on these deceptive bots- causing the daily story views to decline drastically. So the story views you get now is a reflection of your audience engagement from your genuine followers, ones who are there for you and your services.
MYTH #5: Instagram penalizes an account for using hashtags repeatedly.
There is no denying that Instagram is one smart cookie- it can flag any spammy behavior and even crack down on accounts trying to hack the system to get more likes. Hashtags are an important tool to getting your account in front of your niche audience, or just getting discovered by other accounts with similar interests. While Instagram will not ban you for repeated use of hashtags, being genuine with their use is key. Excess of anything is bad- same rule of thumb applies here. Use hashtags that are more relevant to your field. Try to switch between a few sets of hashtags depending on the type of post under consideration to minimize the odds of getting flagged. You can use up to 30 hashtags on your main feed posts and a maximum of 9 in your stories. Try to keep a balanced mix of very popular to medium popular hashtags.
These are some of the common myths that I tried to debunk in the best, most helpful possible way. Remember, Instagram is just an app which provides you a social platform to connect with people who share similar interests. I know it is easier said than done but Instagram algorithm is just a number game which you play- it doesn’t play you! You play fair you WIN! But if there is any kind of malpractice you are the one to LOSE. So, be authentic, be genuine, be consistent, be respectful, be engaging, speak your heart and your audience will connect as well.
Congratulations to Cheryl of Cheryl Shops, she is the featured blogger of the week.
Now it is your turn to share your favorite looks.
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I much appreciate this information about IG,however, I have always played fair on IG and I am NOT winning at any of it! LOL. I cannot grow my following at all on there. I gain 10 new followers over the course of a week and then immediately lose 30 in a day. I don’t think I will ever understand it! And maybe you know the answer to this…is it harmful to me as a blogger to have the number of accounts that I follow far outweigh the number accounts that follow me? Years ago I had heard that was the case and recently I tried to clean up the number of accounts I follow and I got completely suspended from doing anything for 2 weeks. It was super frustrating because, like I said, I lose followers at a rate of dozens a day and then I get suspended for unfollowing a few accounts. Perhaps because I have never unfollowed an account before in the history of my account…I guess it looked suspicious. I just was always more about giving support to everyone so I would follow…so being nice really has harmed me in the long run on the IG platform. Oh well. Thanks for sharing this helpful information. And your dress is amazing, by the way!
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
I understand your frustration Shelbee. There are many group your are entirely based on the follow for follow module and I hate them, cuz you follow, others follow and then unfollow. It is tedious to keep a track of your followers count.
I used to stress a lot about my Instagram, but what started as a channel to promote your blog became so important that people forgot the essence and beauty of this whole creative community of bloggers we belong to. So stay authentic and true, create killer content and people will come to you, they will find you.
I use Instagram mostly to get more followers/readers on my blog so while I post my daily outfits and something about a blog post, I try not to make it my focus. I have gotten some very sweet followers that I love to interact with on there and I do enjoy reading posts and watching stories from other like minded people. My numbers do not go up much, but little by little steadily increase, one a time. Thanks for sharing this info. I always love to learn more.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
That is actually a good strategy, to keep your followers engaged and very specific to your niche. A steady growth is always a plus.
Thank you for posting this, I had no idea about the upcoming instagram changes. Blogging will always be my favorite platform, but I do use instagram to bring more visitors to my blog.
Ellibelle's Corner
Thank you, so much for this information I use Instagram to promote my blog. I do enjoy the interaction on there – but I’m weaning myself off it, as it takes up too much time, and I would rather spend the little time I have writing a blog post and taking photographs. Hence I now lose followers and gain a few daily.
Alison xx
Thank you so much for the feature! IG is kind of the bane of my existence, and I'm actually looking forward to the hiding of likes—I'm hoping it will help me focus on using IG as a vehicle to drive people to my blog, rather than me getting all wrapped up in my engagement (or lack thereof)!
Cheryl Shops | http://www.cherylshops.net
I couldn't be bothered with IG anymore. And since I don't I get a lot of likes. It's crazy, but they're are more important things. Like great dresses as yours!
I did wonder if the shadow ban thing was actually real…now I know! I don't know when IG will stop showing likes in the UK, but I get about a third of what I used to, despite a slightly increased following. I have an app to track unfollowers, but I can usually tell who will unfollow fairly quickly. It seems like a game sometimes, and a very time-consuming one at that. It could be a full time job if I let it! I love your fabulous dress!
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com