Blogging

Blog tips: Instagram algorithm change and how to deal with it

Instagram-algorithm-change

Instagram-algorithm-change

Instagram is making some big changes, and we’re all freaking out about it.

Few days a go, Instagram announced that it’s about to make a change- probably the biggest one since the app launched back in 2010. Turns out, Instagram won’t be too “instant” for much longer. You will no longer be able to judge what’s important to you, an algorithm will do that for you by first displaying posts from accounts it *thinks* you like most, rather than displaying them in a chronological order, like it does now. This means that a lot of content will get buried and remain undiscovered.

For some of us, Instagram is just an app that lets us connect with our friends, see what our bestie had for lunch, maybe enter a giveaway, keep up with new product releases, offers and sales; but there are also those of us who are small business owners, artists, designers, creators who use Instagram as a platform to not only showcase a talent, but to also grow an audience, make sales and, essentially, make a living. This is why I’m a little concerned about this change and it’s also why I’m sharing a few tips that will help keep your audience engaged.

POST QUALITY CONTENT

This means no dark, sloppy images, lots of good lighting and no over-filtering. Take your shots in places with lots of natural lighting, and remember to keep your hand steady to avoid blurry images. If you want to know how to take better Instagram pictures, you can find some of my tips here and here.

POST NEW CONTENT ON REGULAR BASIS

This is something that will help you keep your audience engaged. Give them something new and fresh to look at, to talk about. With these changes coming to Instagram, it seems like small blogs/businesses will have to work extra hard at *earning* that engagement from their followers/friends, if they want to be seen. At the same time, keep in mind that you shouldn’t overpost, either.

#HASHTAG

This whole algorithm change is another reason why you should be using hashtags when promoting your content- it’ll help your account get discovered. Remember that you can use up 30 hashtags per post/comment. I actually keep some of my favorite hashtags stored as a note in my phone, so that when I post a picture, I can just easily copy and paste it. Saves a lot of time, too! You can also create you own hashtag and encourage others to use it- this is a great way of connecting with your audience.

DO A LITTLE RESEARCH

Pay attention to which of your posts get more interaction (likes, comments, questions, etc.) figure out what your audience likes the most and try to give them more of…. what they like! :)

ENGAGE

As an audience, we’ll have to make sure to *like* and engage with our favorite brands, artists, bloggers if we want to stay connected. So, if you’re a “lurker” make sure to start *liking* all the posts from all of your favorite accounts and turn on posts notifications- this is a feature I didn’t even know about until G from Nouveau Cheap mentioned it on her IG. And, as bloggers, we need to make sure to engage with our audience. Start a conversation, answer their questions and don’t be afraid to ask them questions- like how their day is going or ask for their opinion about something. Respond to all comments- to the best of your ability, I know that sometimes it’s hard to notice every single comment. Your audience will always appreciate you taking time to connect with them.

CONNECT WITH OTHERS IN YOUR NICHE

One of the reasons why I love Instagram so much, is that I get to connect with so many beautiful and genuine people who share my interests (like photography, makeup or blogging). The Instagram community is pretty awesome and if you support others, chances are they’ll do the same for you.

lifestyle blog

… a few final thoughts 

The truth is, we won’t really know how, and if at all (although I’m suspecting that it will) this change will affect bloggers, small businesses, artists and other creatives, until this change actually happens.

As a blogger, I’m a little concerned.  Sure, sometimes I get busy during the day and I feel like I have to scroll *forever* to make sure that I didn’t miss any posts from my favorite bloggers/people (not that bloggers aren’t people, but you get my point), but I don’t want an algorithm to decide what I want to see first. I don’t need an algorithm to decide which accounts are more important to me or what I like, because this changes daily. I go through phases when one day I’m obsessed with lip art, next day it’s wildlife photography. I have so many interests, so many things that I love and there’s a reason why I follow over 400 people/brands/artists/friends on Instagram, and it’s because I want to connect with them. All of them. If I didn’t want to see their “instagrams” I wouldn’t follow them- it’s as simple as that.

Instagram says that in order to “improve your experience, your feed will soon be ordered to show the moments we believe you will care about the most.” …….. let that simmer for a bit..

…….”your feed will soon be ordered to show the moments we believe you will care about the most”

……”the moments we believe you will care about the most”

…huh?

Also, this kinda takes the “Insta” away from the “gram” don’t ya think? Taking the chronological order out of the equation just doesn’t make sense to me. One thing’s for sure- this change won’t happen overnight and Instagram assures that they’ll take it slow and that “It’s not like people will wake up tomorrow and have a different Instagram.”  My only hope would be that this change will be optional, but I highly doubt that.

What are your thoughts about these changes that Instagram is planning to make?

 

78 Comments

  • Reply
    The Sunday Mode
    March 18, 2016 at 10:27 pm

    I was so annoyed when I heard about this change. Uh Instagram, I think I know what I like better than you do!

    http://www.thesundaymode.blogspot.com.au

  • Reply
    SavBanav
    March 18, 2016 at 11:27 pm

    Ugh… yeah, I was annoyed when I found out about that. Instagram has been making some changes lately that seem annoying and unnecessary recently. Thank you for this post- I’m sure it will really help a lot of people out!

  • Reply
    Becky Hines
    March 19, 2016 at 1:27 am

    When I first heard about this I was extremely disappointed in Instagram. As a content creator it can already be difficult to keep up with the fast pace. I really hope that they stop this change. I don’t understand how they think they know what we want to see! Great post though, and some great tips! I will for sure continue to keep up with your IG posts !

    Becky, xx // http://undertheseabeauty.blogspot.ca/

  • Reply
    Wellwell Girl
    March 19, 2016 at 2:45 am

    my god i do not want insta to change. love the way it is now sigh

  • Reply
    Serein
    March 19, 2016 at 4:45 am

    I am SOOO annoyed about this! It defeats the purpose of Instagram. This “change” is alway why I stopped using FB all together. Yes I have a FB page for my channel and blog, but it’s just there because I have to have it. I rarely use FB because of these changes for them to decide what I should see. This get’s me so upset! Leave Instagram ALONE! Sorry had to vent!
    xoxo
    Serein
    http://sereinwu.com

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      March 25, 2016 at 10:04 am

      I felt the same way! I deleted my personal Facebook page years a go, too. I love Instagram the way it is, but I have a feeling this is their way of bringing in more ad revenue.

  • Reply
    charly
    March 19, 2016 at 5:27 am

    I am afraid it takes my chance of growing as well :( but let’s hope for the best! xx
    http://www.carinajung.com

  • Reply
    Dagmara Klich
    March 19, 2016 at 5:46 am

    This is so annoying! And they clearly state they we’ll show us what THEY think we like, what an absurd! I just hope the change won’t be as bas as it looks like right now. x

    Mummy’s Beauty Corner

  • Reply
    Ambar Syed
    March 19, 2016 at 5:50 am

    This is quite a big change – thank you for sharing you tips on how to stay noticed even with the change! :)
    – Ambar x
    http://www.herlittleloves.blogspot.com

  • Reply
    Jess | The Indigo Hours
    March 19, 2016 at 5:56 am

    I’m super annoyed about this, too! It’s really just another way of letting popular accounts get more popular and the smaller accounts get lost :(
    I hope we’ll be able to opt out of the change!

    Jess xo | The Indigo Hours

  • Reply
    Ananya
    March 19, 2016 at 7:17 am

    Thank you for this post & sharing your tips! you always have such helpful comments! Ana x

    http://www.namastefromananya.com

  • Reply
    JasminCharlotte
    March 19, 2016 at 8:18 am

    Yeah I think this sounds pretty lame. I hated it when they did it on facebook but it seems all the rage – mainly so they can get ads out there first! Hopefully it won’t be too much of a pain!

    Jasmin Charlotte

  • Reply
    Angel Bland
    March 19, 2016 at 8:36 am

    Thank you for sharing this. I had no idea ?
    http://www.allbangel.com

  • Reply
    Aleksandra
    March 19, 2016 at 8:50 am

    I hate this idea. Not because people will miss out on my stuff – but because I will miss out on theirs. Since I follow a very small selection of people I do actually want to see all content from, I usually scroll down my feed to the first like I notice – because it means that chronologically I’ve already been there. But again I am one of those people who still uses Facebook ‘show new posts first’ feature, so…

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      March 25, 2016 at 10:35 am

      Same here! I hate this idea mainly because I don’t want Instagram to decide what I should see first.

  • Reply
    Hannah
    March 19, 2016 at 11:37 am

    Whaaaat?! Why would they do this? The whole concept of an instant photo sharing service has now been taken away! Thanks for sharing xo

    ohhelloitshannah.blogspot.co.uk

  • Reply
    Joanna Joy
    March 19, 2016 at 11:44 am

    Sounds like we will have to scroll a lot more.

    astylishlovestory.blogspot.com

  • Reply
    Danielle Beautyblog
    March 19, 2016 at 12:30 pm

    Not cool Instagram! It’s my favourite social media platform but I think that might change soon!

    Danielle’s Beauty Blog

  • Reply
    Ela BellaWorld
    March 19, 2016 at 1:24 pm

    I knew there’s gonna be some changes on Instagram but I didn’t really know what’s gonna happen until I read your post. It is kinda annoying that how they can decide on what I’d like to see first. Doesn’t insta come from instant, then when they change the way things are then it is not insta-gram anymore! Let’s wait and see what happens.

    Ela BellaWorld

  • Reply
    megsiobhan
    March 19, 2016 at 4:38 pm

    I never knew there was a limit for hashtags! It’s a pain they’re implementing the algorithm but hopefully we’ll all find a way to get around it!

    Meg | A Little Twist Of…

  • Reply
    Jennifer
    March 19, 2016 at 5:17 pm

    God how annoying, I liked things how they were! We’ll have to see how things go, I might have to be a bit more organised in trying to remember the growing list of favourite accounts so I can go check out their photos!

    http://www.barelytherebeauty.com

    xx

  • Reply
    Sophie Sierra
    March 19, 2016 at 6:26 pm

    Absolutely loved this post Paula, such an interesting and thought-provoking read with so much helpful insight about the change. I didn’t really know much about what the algorithm change was, so it was so interesting to learn much more. Really not looking forward to this change, damn you IG! Let’s hope it’s not as bad as we think, I really hope not :)

    Sophie | soinspo xo

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      March 25, 2016 at 10:53 am

      Thanks so much Soph! I hope that the change won’t be too drastic, I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

  • Reply
    A Little Dose of Makeup
    March 19, 2016 at 9:58 pm

    Thank you for the tips! The changes to Instagram are super annoying, I hope they realize users won’t be happy!

    xx, A Little Dose of Makeup

  • Reply
    Jasmine Talks Beauty
    March 20, 2016 at 3:53 pm

    This really sucks – I don’t want to be shown what they *think* I want to see, I want to be able to see my entire feed and know when I’ve seen everything. I really hope this is just an option like on Facebook but this is honestly the worst idea ever! At least there are these tips to bear in mind when the changes come in though so thank you :) xx

    Jasmine Talks Beauty

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      March 25, 2016 at 10:58 am

      Right? It’s so ridiculous, my only hope is this change will be optional, too. But I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

  • Reply
    itsjessiejane
    March 20, 2016 at 4:37 pm

    How annoying :(:( stupid Instagram! Great tips though! Xx

    http://www.itsjessiejane.com/

  • Reply
    Alina
    March 20, 2016 at 5:12 pm

    I heard about this new change but had no idea what it actually meant, so THANK YOU so much for explaining it all so well :)! Such a bummer that small bloggers will suffer from this change (no doubt about it), why can’t they just keep things as they are!? x

    Beauty with charm

  • Reply
    Hannah
    March 20, 2016 at 6:03 pm

    Say what?! I never heard about this change! Great, now Instagram is just going to be like Facebook in that sense! I love seeing my friends’ latest updates, and I feel like I would be missing out with the new Instagram change. That is just a horrible idea, and you’re right, it would definitely hurt businesses in the long run!

    Hannah
    http://floraful.blogspot.com

  • Reply
    MARGARITACHI.CO
    March 20, 2016 at 6:37 pm

    I hope the Instagram algorithm is clever enough to know what I want to see – and what others want to see. Thanks for all the tips – I am definitely going to focus a lot more on creating quality content and keeping an eye out for the update! xx

    Margarita Chi | MARGARITACHI.CO

  • Reply
    Sophie Hill
    March 20, 2016 at 6:38 pm

    Normally I’m not one to comment on changes to social media, since everyone seems to blow up every time a minor change is made – but this is annoying! It’ll become just like Facebook and their ‘curated content’, hardly surprising since Instagram is owned by them. How long until all we see is ads…

    Sophie | Dreams and Colour Schemes

  • Reply
    Samantha Frances
    March 20, 2016 at 6:39 pm

    This sounds awful! I have no idea how they would think this would be a good idea! xxx
    http://www.samanthafrances.co.uk

  • Reply
    Danielle
    March 21, 2016 at 8:23 am

    I’m pretty disappointed in the change, mostly because I hate the way Facebook is set up and it sounds like it’s going to be the same way. Silly, silly Instagram. Soon it’ll be time to find the next big thing in social media photosharing!
    http://www.afloatonafullsea.com

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      March 25, 2016 at 11:08 am

      I deleted my personal Facebook years a go and last thing I want is Instagram to be anything like Facebook..

  • Reply
    Nikola Hessová
    March 21, 2016 at 8:26 am

    This sucks…really..I personally think that this change will cause that famous IG profiles will be more and more famous and seen / they are famous and that means that Instagram believe that is a content you need to see/, and little artists /IG profiles/ will be more and more hidden…Also I’m afraid of more sponsored posts on top of my timeline…that is exactly what happened on Facebook.

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      March 25, 2016 at 11:09 am

      Unfortunately, I think so too! Oh I’m sure that this is the reason behind this- Instagram wants to bring in more ad revenue.

  • Reply
    Elizabeth Hisle
    March 21, 2016 at 8:49 am

    Honestly, I was pissed to hear about the change. I’m not usually one to complain about changes, but other people telling me what I should like or do is one of my pet peeves. I think I can decide for myself who I want to see! Just like you said, if I didn’t want to see their posts, I wouldn’t be following them. I don’t do follow for follow and I don’t follow anyone I don’t like.

    aroseisinbloom.blogspot.com

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      March 25, 2016 at 11:12 am

      I’m the same way, I just don’t get it. There’s a reason why I follow people, and it’s to see their posts haha. Without chronological order, Instagram just won’t be the same.

  • Reply
    Linda
    March 21, 2016 at 1:04 pm

    Honestly, I’m not really happy with this change. I like seeing things in chronological order and I always end up searching my favorite instagram accounts to see if I miss it since I follow over 300+ people. I didn’t really like the feature on twitter so I’m not sure how to react about this new change.

    http://www.llindatt.com

  • Reply
    Mikéla Davelyn
    March 21, 2016 at 6:19 pm

    I’m not sure I like this change either. I didn’t like it when Facebook did this because it is always rearranging things on the homepage and if you want to see a recent post again, but forgot who posted it, you can’t just scroll down to where you saw it last. I wish they weren’t doing this to instagram.

    xo, mikéla / simplydavelyn.com

  • Reply
    Girl Interested
    March 22, 2016 at 11:52 am

    I’m a big girl – if I can register myself for an instagram account, I can curate my own instagram feed.

    I’m fed up with being told off by PM by sisters and brothers for not liking my nieces and nephews high jinks on Facebook after Facebook curates my feed (and yes, I know about ‘recent posts’) – I don’t need the same drama on Instagram.

    • Reply
      Paula @ thirteenthoughts.com
      March 25, 2016 at 11:21 am

      Yeah, I said goodbye to my personal Facebook account years a go haha :) I really hope that this change won’t be as bad as we think!

  • Reply
    Samantha
    March 22, 2016 at 2:50 pm

    Wow I didn’t even know they were changing things up. That’s kind of annoying but thanks to your post now I will know a little bit more about the up coming changes!

    https://lavendernhoney.blogspot.com

  • Reply
    Nereyda Gonzalez
    March 22, 2016 at 8:43 pm

    I’m super annoyed by this. Of course it had to happen when I finally start using it :(
    Thanks for the tips!

    Nereyda│ This Girl Is Obsessed

  • Reply
    alicekatex
    March 23, 2016 at 2:32 pm

    Thats a silly update! xx
    alicekatex

  • Reply
    Filippa Bernhardsson
    March 25, 2016 at 3:35 pm

    Just heard about this change and uh I don’t understand why, but these were some great tips – thank you I will be trying these for sure, Instagram addicted as I am! xx

    Filippa ⎮ Always a Dot

  • Reply
    Deanna
    March 28, 2016 at 2:30 pm

    Hopefully this isn’t something they keep for long. I am going to miss the chronological style but I really don’t think the update will be as big of a deal as so many people are making it. people are acting as if Instagram is going to delete their accounts and telling people to turn notifications on like, that will get SO annoying for people eventually! Some of my favorite accounts post three or four times a day and if I turned notifications on for so many people it will just be an annoyance. I think we’ll all survive. I like your idea of saving your hashtags as a note on your phone so you keep your content and hashtags relevant, I’ll be using that!

    http://www.rosegoldfox.com/

  • Reply
    Jessica Jade
    April 20, 2016 at 3:21 pm

    I honestly love your blog! everything’s so helpful, so thank you! <3

  • Reply
    Maria Marques
    May 8, 2016 at 12:10 pm

    I honestly hate the way Instagram shows up our content. I just have to type the name of the people I like to see if I didn’t miss any post! It trully sucks… And yes, it takes the “insta” out of the “gram”. No more insta!

    Love, Marie Roget | Marie Roget Shop

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