Did My Instagram Change?

My average Instagram likes on a good day is 35. My boyfriend’s are close to 100 every time… but that is a whole different issue.

Instagram just launched a new algorithm where the photos with the most likes are going to be the ones to pop up in your news feed rather the what was most recently posted. That means that the boyfriends will be up at the top every time, and mine will be close to a mile down.

Let’s focus on the real issue at hand though, and that is brands. I have seen several articles now where brands are getting pretty nervous about this new algorithm, especially because the “free ride” on Instagram may be over. Brands will most likely have to start paying for their spot now, otherwise they may never actually show up on the newsfeed.

As Kurt Wagner put it in this article, everyone is running around scared thinking that this is a repeat of when Facebook unveiled their algorithm. It’s a game really. Gain some followers, get used to it, and then you need to pay for it.

But let’s be real. Who didn’t see this coming? Everyone I am sure saw this coming and if the brand is smart, they will deal with it just as they did Facebook. Social media is not a tool that can be free anymore for brands. Why? It is WAY too powerful for that.

As for me… I think my boyfriend won this battle, and I will deal with my average of 35 likes on each picture, because unlike brands, there isn’t a whole lot I can do.