On Instagram, you’ve probably come across people voicing their frustrations about the algorithm. But what exactly is it and why is it important?
“The Instagram algorithm is a set of rules that rank content on the platform. It decides what content shows up, and in what order, on all Instagram users’ feeds, the Explore Page, the Reels feed, hashtag pages, etc. It takes metadata (including captions and alt text applied to images), hashtags, and engagement metrics into account. The main purpose of the Instagram algorithm is to make each user’s experience with the platform as pleasant as possible.”
Hoot Suite | Stacy McLachlan | July 20, 2022 | 2022 Instagram Algorithm Solved: How to Get Your Content Seen
It’s important to understand how Instagram’s Algorithms work, so you can overcome its barriers and grow as a content creator.
Shadowbanning is another familiar term on social media. It means that the platform is restricting and deprioritizing accounts. Getting shadowbanned negatively affects your account because it decreases reach and engagement, and limits who can see your account and content. This can be frustrating for creators and business owners trying to grow their following and reach new audiences.
Social media plays a large role in marketing. It increases sales, brand awareness, and conversion rates. It’s a cost-effective tool to provide insight on reach, engagement, and demographics. It’s important for businesses to engage with their communities and build relationships with them because it promotes their brand, products, or services. So, if they’re shadowbanned, they’ll lose the opportunity to foster relationships and make sales. It’s important to take into consideration that shadowbanning isn’t considered to be “real,” so it causes a lot of invalidation and lack of support.
“Shadow banning is not a thing. If someone follows you on Instagram, your photos and videos can show up in their feed if they keep using their feed Being in [Instagram’s Explore page] is not guaranteed for anyone. Sometimes you’ll get lucky, sometimes you won’t.” Read More Here
Huffington Post | Jesselyn Cook | February 20, 2020 | Instagram’s CEO Says Shadow Banning ‘Is Not A Thing.’ That’s Not True.
Users are not notified and cannot check to see if they’ve been shadowbanned. There’s not a guideline with set rules to dictate if you do this or do that, you’ll be shadowbanned. All users see is their numbers decreasing and not understanding why. Therefore, it fuels a lot of insecurities and unfortunately, this has caused a lot of people to abandon their accounts. They put so much effort into creating something, so it’s defeating when no one sees it. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do about being shadowbanned either. Honestly, the best option is to take a few days away from social media because it’s not healthy to overanalyze something you don’t have control over.
Disclaimer: I’m not claiming these methods are the path to social media success. I’m just trying to be transparent. I’m a small Bookstagrammer that’s experimented with a lot of methods trying to gain an audience. It’s been a slow process, but at least I’m seeing some progress. I’m really proud of the progress I’ve made, and I wanted to share the methods that have worked best for me. However, Instagram’s algorithm could easily change, and these methods could no longer be useful, so don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Take it one step at a time to find out what works best for you. Lastly, I wanted to make sure you understand that you’re not doing anything wrong, you just haven’t found what works for you yet, so don’t give up.
Engagement and reach are intertwined with one another. Reach is the number of people who see your content and engagement is the number of interactions your content receives. Meaning, if you get more people to engage with your content, Instagram’s algorithm will recognize it and push your content so more people will see it. Thus, increasing your reach.
Engagement is vital if you want to grow on Instagram, especially consistent engagement. Unfortunately, this isn’t the easiest thing in the world when you’re an introvert. Since it’s not your forte, it can be easily forgotten. I am an introvert with severe anxiety, so this was a huge challenge for me to overcome. The biggest thing that helped me was creating a schedule with reminders. I would schedule a designated time every day to like, comment, share, and save people’s posts, stories, or reels. For me, it was one hour in the morning and one hour at night. It seems excessive, but if you want results, you must put in the work too. You may be wondering, “What do I do, if I don’t know what to say?” Here are some suggestions:
| “What would I love someone to say about my content?” • They love my creativity. • They think I’m talented. • They acknowledged my hard work. • They’re excited to be following me and see more of my posts. • My posts make them happy | Remark POSITIVELY about the post’s • Aesthetic/Theme • Prop Choice • Colour Scheme • Organisation • Editing Skills |
| Answer their QOTD (question of the day) | Happy Friday! I hope you have a wonderful weekend |
| Share their posts to your Stories and then use Giphy to attach gifs to express what you enjoyed about it. | Happy Monday! I hope you have a wonderful week! |
I included QOTD (question of the day) and ATOD (answer of the day) in my posts, so others would comment their answers. Then, I would respond to their comments. This increases the amount of interactions my posts get and at the same time I’m creating relationships with them, so hopefully they’ll follow me, and like, comment, share, or save my posts in the future.
In Instagram Stories, you can ask questions, polls, link websites, quizzes, etc. These are important because they’ll entice others to engage with your stories. For example, I’ll include a picture of a book and a poll that says, “Have you read this yet?” with options yes or no. It counts towards engagement when people interact with your stories.
- Utilize Instagram Story Highlights more. (The circles under your bio on your Instagram page.) It’s important to make this a unified theme, so it’s aesthetically pretty and eye-catching, so people will want to click on it. You can design them yourself on Canva for free or purchase a set from a seller on Etsy.
Uploading Reels is necessary because it’s a key component to increase your engagement. Instagram & TikTok are competing with one another, so Instagram’s algorithm pushes Reels instead of posts more. Here’s something you may or may not know. Don’t upload a video to Reels if it has the TikTok logo because it will be suppressed. When I would upload Reels with the logo, I had minimal views and likes. However, most recently, I figured out how to remove the logo from my videos without having to remake them and OMG I noticed a drastic difference. My views went from low hundreds to mid-thousands. The other day, my video got over 1,000 likes and 46.5 thousand views!
Join Instagram engagement groups. The majority of the time they’re private, so you’ll have to follow the admin, request to join, direct message them about your interest, and hopefully you’ll be accepted. Once you’re accepted you can tag them in your new posts, so it’ll be directed to the tagged section of the page. There, others will be able to engage with your posts and vice versa. Please keep in the mind that these groups have rules, so please respect and follow them.
I have a few methods to maintain an upload schedule. First, if you have Canva Pro, you can access their social media planning and scheduling tool. You can set your posts to upload on certain days and times. If Canva Pro isn’t an option for you, create a Google Calendar dedicated as a social media upload schedule. While this isn’t an automated upload tool, it’s still an alternative so you can maintain consistency. Create events (postings) on certain days and times, then click the option for alarm reminders, so you don’t forget to upload. This is the chart I use, when I’m trying to figure out the best time to upload my post. I try to upload 2-3 stories a day and a post every other day. I try to photograph several photos at the same time, then edit them, and store them in a to-be-uploaded album in my phone. Then, I schedule these posts ahead of time. This has been extremely helpful because it alleviates the “fear of falling behind.”
My rule is to make captions as engaging & relatable as possible. I don’t take length much into consideration. I like to include emojis too to enhance its aesthetic. I try to keep in the back of my mind, “Would I want to read this?”
I use hashtags that coincide with my post. For example, I include the title, genre, author, audience, edition, etc. Then, I’ll use basic Bookstagram hashtags as well to stay within the bookish community. Whenever, my brain goes blank and I have trouble thinking of which hashtags to use I refer to this article: 400+ Bookstagram Hashtags to Grow Fast. Then, depending on my type of post, I would choose the appropriate hashtags. I don’t copy and paste the entire thing, I pick and choose which ones would be best for my post.
If you’re just starting off then editing on your phone is fine because it’s important to learn the basics. But when you get to the point where you want to learn more and upgrade your photos these are the apps I’d recommend. Adobe Lightroom and presets were a game-changer for me. I wanted a quicker way to edit my photos and make them look more aesthetically pleasing on my profile grid page. I purchased the Bookstagram Bundle w/ 130 Lightroom Presets from Windsor Presets on Etsy. The seller included download directions too, so the accessibility and useability was easy and functional. These are some of my favourite presets to use for my Bookstagram photos. Next, I like to use Motionleap (the free version) by Lighttricks because it allows me to animate objects, add 3D effects, add motion and more. If you buy the subscription, you’ll have access to more fun options. To make collages, I use the Layout app. Another amazing editing app is VCSO. There’s a one-month free trial and then it’s $29.99 for the year. This is a much more affordable option than Adobe Lightroom. Plus, you can purchase VSCO presets on Etsy too.
The Instagram Algorithm is frustrating and can easily deter you away from doing something you love. Try to make small goals, so they’re easier to achieve. That way, when the algorithm is being annoying, it won’t bother you so much because you’re focusing on what you accomplished instead. Please don’t do this as a way of making an income, because I can tell you right now, it can take YEARS before you’re at that level. You can become easily bitter and jealous when you see others around you succeeding at a faster rate. You’re thinking, “I’m putting in the same effort, why aren’t I doing as well?” I’m sorry, I don’t have answer for that. Sometimes it’s just luck. The main goal of social media is to be a marketing tool. I’m a Bookstagrammer, so I market my passion for books, and it’s introduced me to a lot of amazing friends and companies. Instagram is about the journey, not the destination.
Dovey Reads 
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