Having a social media presence helps brands get their name out, and business owners market their products and services. Since it’s been purchased by Facebook, Instagram has begun limiting organic reach by rearranging users’ feeds, and engagement rates have suffered for both brands and influencers.
If it looks like the engagement rate of your brand’s Instagram account is down as well, you’re not imagining it, and you’re not alone! Here are three reasons why your engagement might be down on Instagram.
Your Posts Aren’t Consistent in Frequency
Instagram won’t punish you for posting frequently, but they will punish a dip in frequency. Say you posted new content three times in the first week of the month and only followed up that effort with one post a few weeks later. You will be punished with limited reach for not maintaining consistency, even though you’re technically posting as often as you can.
To mitigate the negative effects of posting inconsistently, a brand needs to develop a social media strategy and stick to it. This was good advice back when Instagram displayed content chronologically, and it’s even more useful now that they let the algorithm decide what your audience sees based on engagement rates.
You Don’t Post Enough Stories
Instagram Stories are a relatively new feature that brands still aren’t utilizing to its full potential, because, at first glance, Stories don’t seem to influence how often your posts will be seen on your audience’s feeds. However, they have a massive influence.
Stories increase your engagement, both directly and indirectly. They have several features that allow users to interact with your profile, and they also allow users to reply to the story via Instagram Direct Messages. When two profiles engage through DMs, Instagram assumes the accounts are important to each other, and next time your brand posts content, it will be on the top of the follower’s feed. It’s a beautiful feedback loop of increasing reach and engagement.
Your Content Isn’t Strong Enough
One of the reasons why engagement might be down across the board is frequently glossed over. Over a period of just four months in 2017, the number of business accounts has grown from 15 million to 25 million. It can be assumed that the number has risen even more since then. That’s a lot of accounts vying for attention, and the average user will prioritize content they want to engage with.
In 2019, a post on Instagram must be of very high quality to get those important likes, comments, shares, and saves. A crystal clear photo or graphic and a well-written caption that incites engagement will work, but anything less than that will not. Following common-sense rules for adding hashtags will amplify your business content – but the basics have to be in place first.
Beating the Instagram algorithm and increasing your engagement may seem like a daunting task, but it is rewarding for any business or entrepreneur that takes it seriously.If you require help with your Instagram strategy, make sure to contact us!