Start Prepping for the Instagram Algorithm
In March, Instagram announced they would be launching a new algorithm that will revolutionize your feed. Revolutionize may not be the right word since this is the same thing Facebook launched in 2009 and Twitter pushed out earlier this year. The new algorithm will order your photos based on your engagement history and relationship with the user. Take a look at what Instagram had to say about the change:
You may be surprised to learn that people miss on average 70 percent of their feeds. As Instagram has grown, it’s become harder to keep up with all the photos and videos people share. This means you often don’t see the posts you might care about the most.
To improve your experience, your feed will soon be ordered to show the moments we believe you will care about the most.
For brands, this is terrible news. All the hard work you’ve put into building an organic audience through engaging photos and witty hashtags may go up in flames. There’s a few things you can do to prepare for launch though.
1. Get Busy
If you’re saving some awesome pics in a selects folder it’s time to get them out. It’s likely the Instagram machine is data mining now to launch the test. Prove to them how much your audience wants to see your content.
2. Don’t Forget to Hashtag
Hashtags are low hanging fruit for Instagram to match your posts with the interests of users. Max them out and make them relevant while it counts.
3. Start Budgeting
It’s unlikely users will start boycotting this beloved medium so you may have to get you checkbook out to reach them. When Instagram ads are done right they can be engaging and effective. Start preparing your campaign now so you’ll be ready to launch when the time comes.
