Have you noticed a drop in Instagram likes and comments? As a social media agency managing multiple accounts, we noticed this trend across all of our client business pages. This led us to believe that a change in Instagram’s algorithm was to blame. Is your Instagram engagement down? If so, continue reading.
Is Instagram Engagement Down Due to Algorithm Adjustments?
A new report from Trust Insights found that Instagram engagement rates are in decline. The average Instagram engagement rate for business profiles has dropped from 1.54% in April 2019 to only 0.8% in late June.
And it isn’t just brands affected by this decline; influencers noticed a 44% drop in engagement on the popular image sharing platform.
Why is Instagram Engagement Down?
Facebook owns Instagram. What Facebook did, Instagram will ultimately also do. That is one explanation for the decline in Instagram engagement. When Facebook business pages saw a drop in their page post engagement, it was because Facebook:
- wanted to give users a more balanced experience
- chose to show users more posts from friends/family (personal accounts)
- desired to force business pages to purchase ads to get their posts delivered in the newsfeed
By reducing reach of business profiles, Facebook increased ad revenue.
It’s likely the same route they have chosen for Instagram.
How Can You Increase Your Instagram Engagement?
If you have noticed a drop in Instagram engagement for your business account, there are a few steps you can take:
- Instagram Stories: Posting frequently to Stories will put your brand front and center at the top of the Instagram app. This leads to more visits to your page, which improves post likes and comments. Pin the best stories at the top of your brand page.
- IGTV & Video Posts: Videos do better on Instagram than images do. Post more videos, and use IGTV to increase reach. IGTV videos are announced to your followers, and IG stories makes it easy to post a link to your IGTV videos for maximum reach and engagement. Be sure to have IGTV autopost to your page for additional exposure and engagement.
- Reduce Post Frequency: You no longer need to post on your Instagram page every day. Pick your best posts and add them up to 3 times per week. Focus your other efforts on Instagram stories and engaging on other Instagram accounts. When you reduce your post frequency, the engagement on those few posts will go up. It also ensures you have better content, not just noise (quality over quantity).
- Promote Your Posts in Stories: When you have a new post, share it in Stories. Instagram makes it really easy to accomplish this. Plus there are a lot of fun gifs you can use to get attention. Try searching for “New Post” gifs to let people know you published something new.
- Develop an Engagement Strategy: Engaging with other brands and users can improve your own engagement and following. Following other Instagram users and liking their posts is good, but comments are even better. Strategically connect with other Instagram users and brands to increase your reach.
- Paid Advertising: While your organically improve your Instagram engagement, throw a few dollars at your posts. This will improve engagement, maintain brand awareness, and help you reach new users.
Will Instagram Engagement Go Back Up?
It’s possible this change is temporary and Instagram users will see an upswing in engagement in the future. After all, Facebook business pages see shifts in post engagement seemingly at random. But it is safe to assume that this will require, in the long term, a more strategic approach to brand marketing on Instagram.
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