When Instagram's algorithm adjusted from chronological to algorithmic, you may have noticed a drop in your engagement. Instagram’s algorithm is now designed to show the posts you will be most interested in at the top of your feed, rather than the latest posts. This caused a lot of concern for businesses using social media for promotion purposes - how would they ensure their posts are being seen without the use of ads?
Luckily, there are ways you can trick the algorithm and ensure your posts are still popping up on people’s feeds! Below are 5 ways you can beat the algorithm and keep your engagement high!
1. Use Instagram stories!
Frequently posting on your Instagram story will increase your chances of gaining more engagement. When you post on your story, people often reply or vote (for the poll feature). Instagrams algorithm takes all these actions of engagement into consideration and the more engagement you have, the more likely your posts will show up on people’s feeds. Live videos also work in this way, the live story will bump straight to the front of your followers stories which may entice them to watch or even check out your page!
2. Post during optimal hours
Posting on the hours where your following is most active is a great way to boost your likes and overall engagement. But how do you know when your audience are most active? Peak times will differ for everyone depending on where you are and your audience! So, to determine the best time to post, try experimenting with different times throughout the day and see which times bring the most engagement. If you have a business account on Instagram, another great way to discover your perfect posting time is to frequently look at your analytics which will tell you what days and times have the most engagement.
3. Write engaging captions
Although they might not be as important as the photo itself, captions are still of great significance and if done right, can seriously boost your engagement! Composing engaging captions that provide questions or a call to action means people are much more likely to comment/reply in the comments! This all works towards tricking the algorithm - the more engagement, the more popular your page seems, the higher it appears on peoples feeds. Just make sure you reply to the comments and keep engaging with your audience as if they don’t get anything back, it may put them off engaging with you in the future!
4. Make the most out of trends
Keeping on top of the latest trends will ensure you are keeping up with the times and constantly attracting new people to your profile! This doesn't mean jumping on every single viral trend but, whether it’s a trending hashtag or a seasonal trend, picking the ones that are most applicable to your brand and incorporating them into your posts will be sure to boost your engagement!
For example, at Christmas time, rather than just using the #christmas hashtag, think about more specific hashtags that are relatable to you and your brand. For example, if you were a nails salon #christmasnails or #christmasnailart is much more likely to attract those who will actually be interested in you and your product as opposed to broad, overused hashtags. Whatever your company is, just make sure you are tailoring your hashtags to you to reap the benefits!
5. Engage with others
Our final tip for beating Instagram’s algorithm is to engage with other accounts! No matter how big or small their following, try turning on your post notifications for the accounts you are interested in or are similar to yourself so you are notified and can engage with their post as soon as it is published! If you comment on/like their photos as soon as they post, these accounts will appreciate the support and will be much more likely to return the favour.
Posts that receive a short burst of engagement soon after they're posted also help in tricking the algorithm into promoting the post to the top of feeds! So, to boost engagement be supportive to as many other pages as you can and they should reciprocate the favour! It's also worth while encouraging your followers to turn on their post notifications for you so they are notified as soon as you post to encourage that short bust of immediate engagement! Give it a try!
Instagram's algorithm is constantly changing so getting used to the changes can take some time. Try experimenting with different techniques and times and pay close attention to your analytics and your engagement will soon be sky high!
As always, if you need any guidance or have a question, don’t hesitate to DM me! @lucyhitchcock_ @sassydigital