23 Comments

  1. February 13, 2019 / 11:37 am

    Awesome post! I know I’m still on my way to increase my followers number on IG, but surely I’ve already felt many of the crazy algorithms effects. There was a time my numbers just would rise, no matter what I did. Now it’s increasing slowly day by day,but I know it won’t be like this much too long. Just like you, I fancy the idea of shifting from one platform to another. I usually recommend my IG friends who feel somehow unmotivated with their numbers to invest more time in blogs, because the public there is different and it’s good to renew.
    Well, if the numbers weren’t there, though, I’d probably be on Instagram anyway, as in the beginning of times, I was already there and wasn’t really aware of them. 😘

    • thebookfamilyrogerson
      Author
      February 13, 2019 / 11:46 am

      That’s a good recommendation Isa. Instagram still has lots of great points & it’s working brilliantly for some people, but diversification is definitely the healthy way forwards. For the sake of mental stability if nothing else!

  2. February 13, 2019 / 1:03 pm

    Thank you for your post, I wouldn’t write it better!
    I haven’t realised any followers drop until I watched your stories and yes I’ve noticed big drop of 50 (wish it was other way around) but I try not to check and think on numbers as Instagram is like a rollecoaster game and you never know what the next day will bring you there.
    So instead of getting crazy, the same like you I asked myself question and do anything what gives me joy.

    • thebookfamilyrogerson
      Author
      February 13, 2019 / 1:25 pm

      I’m glad it helped. I didn’t notice the fall until I went on Twitter! Instagram is just a tool so if it’s making you happy then that’s the only thing that matters πŸ™‚

  3. February 13, 2019 / 1:28 pm

    I really appreciate this post, it’s definitely a bit disheartening to see the drop in followers but I suppose I am glad I’m no longer followed by as many robot accounts!

    • thebookfamilyrogerson
      Author
      February 13, 2019 / 1:35 pm

      For sure! The bot cull is a good thing because it’s likely that those sleepers will have been curbing your reach. It’s still a shock though & further underlines the irritating randomness of IG.

  4. Carol
    February 13, 2019 / 6:21 pm

    I’m glad you mentioned the bot purge because my followers suddenly dropped by 30 😱 now I won’t take it personally!

    • thebookfamilyrogerson
      Author
      February 14, 2019 / 5:58 pm

      Definitely don’t take it personally! It seems as if it was a glitch rather than a bot purge today. It’s hard to keep up!

  5. simpsonsisters
    February 14, 2019 / 10:25 am

    “Is the platform serving me or am serving it?” This is the question I ask myself increasingly often…. This is a really thoughtful, well balanced post Mel and while I’m not part of the bookstagrammer community my greatest pleasure from the platform has been meeting those in my corner of the platform in real life. This alone justifies my loyalty to the platform for now πŸ™‚ x

    • thebookfamilyrogerson
      Author
      February 14, 2019 / 6:02 pm

      I absolutely agree Vanessa! The friendships are the best thing about being on IG. Likes and follows are all very well but pretty empty without interaction with the community x

  6. February 14, 2019 / 3:40 pm

    Such a great post. I think it is easy to get disheartened, but sometimes it’s for positive reasons and it’s good to get back to the real world xx

    • thebookfamilyrogerson
      Author
      February 14, 2019 / 6:04 pm

      For sure! The platform can steal all of our time without realising if we let it. It’s good to have other focuses! x

  7. February 15, 2019 / 10:27 pm

    Marvellous post Mel. You’ve hit it on the head! I find interaction so frustrating but still enjoy posting content so try and take it with a pinch of salt. And I’m really enjoying my blog

    • thebookfamilyrogerson
      Author
      February 21, 2019 / 11:17 am

      I’m really pleased that I’m not alone on this one. I truly do think the drop in IG is a blessing rather than a curse. Time to cut those apron strings!

  8. February 17, 2019 / 9:27 pm

    Wow, this is a great time to put this post out. I’ve been stressing over my blog’s Insta account recently and I don’t even *use* it that much. It feels like if I just put a little more time in, the numbers will go up. But that’s really not how Insta works, is it? Also, I love blogging, not Insta. Your post reminded me of that!

    This is all really well written and put together. Thanks for the tips and encouragement!

    • thebookfamilyrogerson
      Author
      February 21, 2019 / 11:22 am

      Oh I’m really happy that you found it reassuring. Sometimes we get so caught up in the numbers but often they’re pretty empty. Definitely better to have a few different channels out there!

  9. February 21, 2019 / 10:19 am

    These are great tips.. My IG has been growing at a snail’s pace, and I’ve decided to just stop caring about the numbers because it wasn’t making a difference anyways πŸ˜€ Lots of marketing podcasts later, I’ve also realised IG won’t be around forever and that it’s better to focus on your own platforms – like your blog and email list – which are fully yours and can’t be swept away from under your feet. I’ve been spending a lot of time on Pinterest as well, and I’ve got the app now which has made it a lot more fun.

    • thebookfamilyrogerson
      Author
      February 21, 2019 / 11:31 am

      So true! IG has been brilliant for lots of people but I suspect that the free ride is coming to an end. Better to branch out now than keep on playing the algorithm game! And agree that Pinterest is an app that’s worth exploring – it’s loads of fun plus it can be a good traffic source too πŸ™‚

  10. February 21, 2019 / 8:03 pm

    That’s so cool you got featured!
    For me though, the algorithm is tragic purely from a user’s point of view (I don’t post enough to care about my own reach). It’s actually dangerous to like something on Instagram now – if I like ONE mediocre photo because I want to support someone or, say, congratulate them on receiving a nice review copy, now my whole feed is going to be dominated by their (often terrible) photos, because if you put down ONE like, Instagram now somehow thinks you don’t want to see anyone else. It’s seriously making me scroll and not like anything now, because I don’t get to see my friends anymore, or the accounts I actually like. The algorithm is really bad right now, even from just the point of view of the consumer.

    • thebookfamilyrogerson
      Author
      February 24, 2019 / 11:57 am

      That’s a very good point. I really dislike that I don’t get to see all my friends’ posts now as well. I have to consciously go through my list and engage. I wonder where the whole thing is going if it’s not allowing reach or connection – time will tell!

  11. thebookfamilyrogerson
    Author
    February 24, 2019 / 7:05 pm

    Yep. They will undermine the platform if they overplay the commercial arm though. Everyone’s wise to it.

    • thebookfamilyrogerson
      Author
      February 24, 2019 / 7:09 pm

      On the other side of the coin, IG is a business so they need some form of income. It’s whether they can get the balance right.

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