I’ve had a lot of people quite literally running to my DMs lately, and they are hella concerned. People are hearing calls for more video content on IG and changing algorithms, and they are noticing a trend – their Instagram engagement is down. *gasp*
With all the pressure we put on ourselves to curate the Michelangelo of social media feeds and because so many of us rely on Instagram engagement to run our businesses, this can be concerning. Let’s do some myth busting and why your Instagram engagement is down, shall we?
MYTH: AUTO SCHEDULERS DECREASE INSTAGRAM ENGAGEMENT.
Babe, let’s set the record straight once and for all on this one. Auto schedulers are NOT decreasing Instagram engagement. These schedulers, like Planoly, Later, Buffer, etc., actually are contracted with Meta, the owner of FB and IG.
And honestly, think about it for a sec. Why would they punish you for using it? The more you post on IG and engage people on the ‘gram, the longer they stick around on the app. Which puts more cha-ching in their pocket.
Here are a few reasons, why your Instagram engagement seems to be trickling, and why you should calm TF down –
#1 IT’S SALES HEAVY
No shame in the grind, babe. We are entering quarter four, which tends to be a sales heavy time for business owners. Statistically, sales posts do not provide the same engagement on the ‘gram. (You can get more IG engagement stats on this Sprout Social blog.) Even if you are not promoting a physical product, when you are pushing your freebie, website, or blog, you’re still “selling”. During this sales heavy season, focus on your brand voice and personification to make your content more conversational – and a little less salesy.
#2 YOU’RE NOT CREATING SHAREABLE CONTENT
Alright, cowgirl, buckle up for this one. Do you personally use the ‘gram to shop or relax and watch funny videos? Ooof. I know. If we want people to engage in our content more, we need to create shareable, relatable content. Not only does it boost engagement, but people are more likely to share it. This can be a funny meme, something relatable, or a spicy take about your industry.
#3 YOU AREN’T POSTING REELS
You knew this one was coming, didn’t you? I highly reco creating Reels and video content consistently. IG has literally said that people are favoring videos. (You can read TechCrunch’s article about this lovely update here.) If you want to boost your engagement, this is pivotal. Don’t believe me? Reach out on the ‘gram. We need to chat.
#4 YOU NEED A CLEAR FUNNEL
If you are not sure how people are finding you on IG, then it’s time to create a clear funnel. When Instagram engagement is down, one problem may be not including brand awareness in your funnel. For example, you write some ballin’ blogs and emails, but you never direct people towards your Instagram page. Why put in all the work, babe, if you aren’t going to share it?
I know that sometimes, we’re just looking for quick engagement. And I have a quick hack to do that, butI do not reco relying on this hack. But, it works for desperate situations. Host a giveaway for quick engagement.
‘Kay, last thing to keep in mind is that Instagram engagement is down for lots of people. Even accounts that have tons of followers or seem to be doing “well”, I can bet their ER (engagement rate) is also performing below average. Average ER right now is less than 1%.
Here’s how you calculate your ER —> [total engagements per post/total followers] x 100
So take a deep breath, focus on having fun and creating sustainable strategic content and let your ER do its thang.
