If you feel like your Instagram account is dead, you’re not alone. There have been so many changes in Instagram’s algorithms lately and every blogger or business has experienced fluctuations in reach and engagement. Here are six simple tips for adapting to the changes on Instagram and making the most out of it.
Before I start, if you speak Persian you can go ahead and watch my YouTube video below. If not, please keep reading.
1. Know the new algorithms
It is important to understand changes in Instagram’s algorithms, so you can adapt yourself to them. The main change right now is the home page algorithm that has started to show you suggested posts besides posts from your following list. This has both raised the chances of seeing new people even if you never go to the explore page, and decreased the chances of being seen by people who know you. Because every user on Instagram has a capacity of paying attention to posts each day and when they start to see new people more, chances are they see their friends less to some degree!
There are pros and cons to this new change. Cons: you could get less engagement because your friends were more likely to engage with you. Now that new people see you more, you are likely to get less engagement. Pros: you have a better chance to grow followers because probably more non-follower people are seeing you! Therefore, you need to make sure that your content would be interesting to new people who see you for the first time.
2. Change your engagement methods
It used to be easier; you would post something cute or colorful and Instagram users would like it. But gone are those days! Engagement is in the next level where you need to be more active to bring change to people’s lives, create discussions, make something meaningful, amaze your followers, help them in some way or even simply entertain them! Whatever it is that you’re doing, give them a reason to engage. I have written a whole article on captions that are more engaging here.
This is true for Instagram stories too. You used to see about the same number of views every day, but now it depends. If you get no replies, no engagement on stories, and no interaction with engagement stickers, it’s likely that your views will drop way lower than the number you would see before. However, if you get more replies and engagement on stories, you can reach way higher than you used to. See? The glass is always half full! The hardest part is if you increase views on your stories one day, it’s only working for that day. You need a new engaging strategy every single day! See more tips about increasing story views here.
3. Make changes in your content
The reason for your dead account could be “repeating yourself”. You might need a change in your topics or even the post types that you use. Try touching new topics in your niche. You might have started your account when no one was talking about the things you bring up. But things change and you may need to refresh your content. Also, try a style that you never did before. You never post carrousels? Do that! You never go live? Try it! Do something new and make a change that people will notice. See this article for a few quick and helpful ideas.
4. Create more videos
You might see pages that are doing very well just at the same time that everybody is upset about the new algorithms. Go look at those pages again. I bet they are posting lots of videos! Videos, especially short vertical ones, are the most trending type of content on every platform right now. When TikTok took off, Instagram added Reels to compete with it, then short videos came to YouTube and even to Pinterest! Short vertical videos are most pushed and promoted by algorithms right now and you need to add them to your content if you haven’t already.
5. Talk to the camera
This might not be for everyone! But many successful people make a close relationship with their followers by talking directly to them on stories and videos. You can try talking to your audience directly and building trust by showing your authentic self. If you don’t feel comfortable doing so or if this doesn’t fit your content and style, please ignore this tip!
6. Run ads or arrange shout outs
Shout outs are a great way to make yourself visible to new people. Especially for bloggers and influencers, this is a free way to get your page in front of more eyes. If you know people who your audiences might like, get in touch and ask if they would like to introduce you to their followers and do the same for them on your page. For businesses, this is more likely to work as paid or gifted partnerships.
Arranging extra visibility using these solutions can bring some fresh energy to your page and help you get things running again. To make sure this works, you will need to review your page before running ads or arranging shout outs. Make sure your page description is clear and new people would easily understand what you do on your page. Also, check if your profile picture is interesting and catchy enough. A little page audit can help you get better results.
I hope you found these tips helpful! Even if you don’t follow all of them, you can try one or two that suit your account best. If you need more personalized suggestions for your page, get in touch from the contact form on the home page and I’ll be happy to hop on a 1:1 meeting with you.
