The drop in Instagram reach has been a burning topic recently.Β Accounts that previously received thousands of likes are now in the hundreds, follower numbers are falling. And although it’s by no means happening across the board, it’s clearly affecting many people.
Forget about the numbers, you hear everyone say, but let’s be honest here.Β If you’ve been used to a certain level of engagement in any aspect of your social life, a reduction in response is bound to make you question yourself.Β When our likes began to dip and we weren’t getting the spikes we used to see, I wondered about the quality of our posts. But then I started to realise that there were clear positives from the drop in Instagram reach and I wanted to share these with you here.
It’s NOT You
Before I launch into anything though, I want to tell you still rock on Instagram. Seriously believe this! I follow people who post incredible content – images, book reviews, captions – and they’re not getting seen whereas similar accounts are having meteoric rises. And I CANNOT see the difference! As an analytics-freak, I’m really interested in how things work so I’ve done various experiments with hashtags, timings, imagery and none of them offer that magic bullet. Yes you can increase your visibility to a certain extent, but not in any great capacity.
My belief is that the algorithm is unfathomable and untameable. Sometimes you’re in favour, sometimes you’re not. This can be as much to do with wider society and subconscious trends as much as anything else. You’re essentially playing a brilliant, complicated game that’s designed to keep you hooked. There’s a rumour that organic reach will eventually be zeroed so people have to pay to grow. Better to be aware of this now than later down the line.
Embrace Your Individuality on Instagram
The target-driven structure of Instagram encourages us to compare ourselves with others. Let’s accept this for the moment. But let’s not allow comparison to determine our self-worth. Other accounts may be rocketing, but there could be other factors at work. They may be posting more regularly or sharing more populist content. They may have the support of a powerful collective behind the scenes.
Your high-quality niche book reviews may not garner as much attention as the user who focuses on bestselling YA or classic literature, but it doesn’t mean your posts are of a lesser value. Think about the celebrities and artists you admire. People are drawn to big names, but are these the only ones you want to follow? Our feed is a weird mix of creative, bookish, nature, lifestyle and it definitely doesn’t appeal to everyone. Am I going to change my style for the sake of a few more followers? No flipping way!
Be proud of your unique voice. Being true to yourself is more important than the stats.
Time to Release the Insta Pressure
It’s easy to get sucked into the Instagram machine when it’s going well. The numbers dazzle you and there can immense pressure to create exciting content day after day.
A drop in Instagram reach has had positives for me because it’s released some of this intensity. I love making the creative photos that led to our feature on Instagram, but I wanted to add in more simple book posts too. Similarly I was eager to join more buddy reads because I missed the discussion.
So if the algorithm is bugging you, maybe it’s time to really think about how to make Instagram fit your needs. Here are some questions I’ve considered recently:
- Do I want to make simpler pictures?
- Or do I want to experiment more?
- How often do I want to post?
- Do I want to try another style or channel (lifestyle/travel/fashion/creative/bookstagram)
- Is the platform serving me or am serving it?
- Why am I on Instagram?
- Am I promoting other accounts enough?
- How much time am I spending on the platform? Here’s how you can check the reality if you’re brave enough!
A Chance to Work on other Projects
Have you been putting other projects on hold? I’ve neglected my fiction writing recently.Β There are 3 finished manuscripts on my laptop and until last month I hadn’t looked at them for ages.Β Now I’m excited to review them again and send them out to agents.Β I’d like to think I would have done this regardless but the drop in Instagram reach has definitely accelerated my enthusiasm.
The motto ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket‘ is key here. If you enjoy book reviewing and photography then why not look at other ways of integrating them into your life? Perhaps go on a photography course, or update your Goodreads account. You may want to take a break to recalibrate and generate new ideas away from social media. This is something I’m planning for the Spring and I really hope I follow through with it.
Blog Building
I registered this website in March 2018 but I was fairly lazy with it until October when it became clear that my Insta account was losing momentum. At this point, I decided to transfer more energy into posting more content and my traffic has almost tripled since then. What I like about blogging is the flexibility. You can do so much more – add widgets, multiple images, categories. And Instagrammers are already equipped for the swap to blogging because they can take great photos and write effectively. Podcasts are another option for content creators – not one I know a lot about at the moment but you can easily find information online.
Blogging isn’t for everyone, but I’ve found that having a website has given me another outlet to share bookish stuff and widen my community. Refreshingly, a blog also isn’t reliant on one source of traffic. There’s another world out there beyond the confines of Instagram and sometimes changing patterns can push you into new exciting territories. You can read more about my first year of book blogging here.
Social Media Exploration
Linked to the above, I’ve been more active on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest over the last six months. It’s been lovely to meet fellow IGers on other platforms as well as new bookish friends. Nothing can replace the Instagram community – it’s still my number one reason for spending time on Bookstagram, but it’s great to see that book love is alive in other places. You also get a different type of interaction that’s not Insta-centric.
I’m not suggesting that you spend all your time online – maybe just make a switch here and there for perspective.
Real Life Instagram Friends
It’s great to hang out online, but even better to meet in reality.Β A drop in Instagram engagement really makes you appreciate the friends you’ve made already. If you’ve been on Instagram for a while then it’s likely you’ve made some good friends. Instead of chatting virtually, why not try to meet up in real life? When I started to mull on what I liked most about Instagram it was the community so I really wanted to focus on this aspect this year.
Obviously this comes with the usual warnings about being safe, but taking yourself out of an digital environment into a real one could be the tonic you need. I’ve loved meeting Vanessa from The Simpson Sisters and Laura from The Barrister’s Book Chamber this year and am excited to see @contraryreader and Meg at The Ironbridge Bookshop next month.
Control Your Own Mindset
The crux of what I’m saying is that you are in control of your own mindset when it comes to Instagram. This isn’t about trying to beat the algorithm, it’s about accepting it and diversifying. The platform still continues to beguile, challenge and entertain, but I don’t want it to overwhelm my life. Now that I’ve seen the positives of a drop in Instagram reach, I’m keen to make sure that I concentrate on multiple channels, not just this one.
I’ll leave you with one question. ‘If the numbers weren’t there, why would you spend time on Instagram?‘
Let your answers lead you.
You can read our other bookstagram posts here.
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. π
Author
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!
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.
Author
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 π
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!
Author
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.
Iβm glad you mentioned the bot purge because my followers suddenly dropped by 30 π± now I wonβt take it personally!
Author
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!
“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 π x
Author
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
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
Author
For sure! The platform can steal all of our time without realising if we let it. It’s good to have other focuses! x
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
Author
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!
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!
Author
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!
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 π 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.
Author
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 π
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.
Author
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!
Where do you think? Ads π
Author
Yep. They will undermine the platform if they overplay the commercial arm though. Everyone’s wise to it.
Author
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.