Instagram Algorithm 2020- What Is In Store For You
Instagram just rolled out a new update modifying their algorithm that has gotten all the aesthetes on the platform second guess their outreach. Apps update and change their algorithms every now and then to improve user experience and experiment with new strategies. Likewise, Instagram too has updated its algorithm multiple times but the latest one seems like a hard nut to crack.
If you still have not figured out how the app’s algorithm has changed and the ways it can affect the overall engagement on your posts, give this article a thorough read.
How is it different from the previous one?
One of the most obvious changes in the app’s latest update is the reduced engagement on the posts. If you post frequently on Instagram, you must have noticed a sudden decrease in the overall engagement on that post. Well, we all have that pool of followers who like our posts religiously (pun intended) but some of them might have not liked your last couple of posts. You know that content is not the problem, right (or is it? kidding)?
Surveys have it, posts now reach only a part of your followers (yes, not all of them). It got most of us thinking why would a platform that capitalizes on the post engagement do such a thing? The question answers itself; Instagram ‘capitalizes’ on the engagement. So, the platform is testing a system where organic engagement is less. This encourages its users to ‘spend’ in order to increase engagement on their posts.
Some time ago, Instagram tested a feature that made the likes on a particular post visible only to the owner of the post and not the audience. Although the audience would like the posts, they were unable to see the likes on the post they liked. This was an attempt at reducing online bullying on the platform. That tactic was very smart and got applauded by the users as well. But this new strategy reflects a strict profit-oriented mindset of the app managers.
From the past couple of years, a lot of bloggers have turned to Instagram and the amount of business done through Instagram is gigantic. Be it lifestyle bloggers or the tech community, everyone is benefitting from one of the most excessively used platforms when it comes to marketing and business. And it seems like the platform wants to have a fair share of that. The new feature is especially crucial for bloggers and online businesses earning through Instagram.
Tracking your behaviour:
Moreover, the other feature of the new 2020 update is that the app has started to keep tabs on time. When you like someone’s post, it is very likely that you see more of their posts on their feed. This increases your chances of liking more of their posts and if it is what actually happens then they will eventually be favoured over other people you are following. The thought process behind it is simple; the more a person keeps a person hooked to the app, the more will be they favoured on people’s feed. You are giving more screen-time to the app, the app has to favour you (exactly what goes in real life, no?).
Final thoughts:
All in all, these few changes that we have managed to crack open so far are meant to target engagement on your posts. Just as before, you used to post when most of your followers were online, you’ll have to make that a thumb rule now. Remember, not all of your followers will get to see your post. Whenever someone uses the app after a while (some of us are not hooked to the app, just saying), they are only shown the highlights of what happened in their absence and that does not necessarily mean that your latest post will be included. You have got to make it worth being included in that’ highlights reel’ by making sure that it receives a good number of likes when you upload it. So, time seals the deal here.
There are numerous other ways to beat this not-so-engaging 2020 update a few of which will be explained in our next post.
So, until next week, this is The Digital Cauldron signing off!
P.S: If you need help with taking your Instagram marketing to the next level, book a free call with us by clicking here.
P.S: If you need help with taking your Instagram marketing to the next level, book a free call with us by clicking here.
