Instagram – I think I’m done

[abtabt]

I’m seriously just about done with Instagram. My engagement has taken another hit this week and I don’t know why. I haven’t posted much in September and now I’m back and I’m down another 50% on my already low engagement.

Here’s the results of a resent post - 37k followers. 3355 reach. 139 engagement. Stories not much better.

I used to get three to four time that engagement just in the first hour.

My thoughts on Instagram and its general direction is that it rewards quantity over quality. The result is easy to see. Take a look at what rises to the top. There’s no quality there. Memes, tits, junk. Nothing I do changes the junk I see on the explorer page. I’ve tried everything and all I see is a bunch of crap that’s about 70% irrelevant to me.

I understand the algorithm is designed to reduce the number of posts people see, but IMO it’s not working. The writing is on the wall. If it’s not fun and no one no matter how big or small can get results then they’ll stop using it.



Question:

So, I need advice on how to revive/survive or I’m out.

I’m not sure if I have a lot of ghost followers or Instagram is just not letting me get to my followers, should I remove ghosts? What’s the best way to do that? Am I just asking for more trouble from insta?

 

[EnhancedHuman]

My account has the same problem. My posts don't reach my own followers. Someone suggested having a bot engage with your followers but that didn't seem to help much

 

[Smmpanelx]

did u buy followers ? or did u buy that account ?

 

[Deleted member 657006]

I just buy accounts with proxies know.

that it don't make accounts just add them to the bot

 

[Good42]

There are lots of other businesses, if you don't leave this, new things will not come into your life. So don't worry, move on.

 

[kylier13]

yes, I also have the same problem

 

[MissLucky]

Try your best and move on...Search for new ways to deal with this and I and sure you would find it

 

[iansanity]

I totally agree with you, well about the frustration with limited exposure and severely reduced engagement. It's just fucked up that a social media platform would be turned into pay2play system. It made sense to some degree for Facebook BUSINESS pages, but not for "personal" social media accounts, which aren't screwed the same way. They really need to alter that distinction with business IG accounts vs personal, but it seems like they've just tested this as a broad sweeping measure against all accounts. If it's permanent, which seems likely, then IG is dead for organic engagement. Seeing old or irrelevant stuff is what will turn legitimate users away from using it.

If Sarah can't see her friends latest photos by default, or if when she posts her food pictures and nobody likes them, she'll think her friends don't care about her, and then both her and her friends stop using IG because nobody ever sees their photos. This is how the fucked algorithm appears to be working now, and regulars are going to give up, they're shooting themselves in the foot.

You may be struggling now with a 37k account, but trying being in this system with a <10k account and see how bad it feels. It's like you don't exist, literally, because nobody sees you if you're that small now. It was totally different before. Engagement is SO bad it's embarrassing, comparatively. There's almost zero chance for organic growth that low.

 

[abtabt]

did u buy followers ? or did u buy that account ?

No, I have used FL a long time ago for a little while. Actually when I switch to MP the trouble really started. That was two weeks in about January.

 

[MightySlav]

Maybe it's because you haven’t posted much in September? Instagram "rewards" accounts that are active and post regularly, so maybe your account took some damage because you posted only like maybe couple pics in september.

 

[abtabt]

I totally agree with you, well about the frustration with limited exposure and severely reduced engagement. It's just fucked up that a social media platform would be turned into pay2play system. It made sense to some degree for Facebook BUSINESS pages, but not for "personal" social media accounts, which aren't screwed the same way. They really need to alter that distinction with business IG accounts vs personal, but it seems like they've just tested this as a broad sweeping measure against all accounts. If it's permanent, which seems likely, then IG is dead for organic engagement. Seeing old or irrelevant stuff is what will turn legitimate users away from using it.

If Sarah can't see her friends latest photos by default, or if when she posts her food pictures and nobody likes them, she'll think her friends don't care about her, and then both her and her friends stop using IG because nobody ever sees their photos. This is how the fucked algorithm appears to be working now, and regulars are going to give up, they're shooting themselves in the foot.

You may be struggling now with a 37k account, but trying being in this system with a <10k account and see how bad it feels. It's like you don't exist, literally, because nobody sees you if you're that small now. It was totally different before. Engagement is SO bad it's embarrassing, comparatively. There's almost zero chance for organic growth that low.

Yes. Exactly this.

 

[abtabt]

Maybe it's because you haven’t posted much in September? Instagram "rewards" accounts that are active and post regularly, so maybe your account took some damage because you posted only like maybe couple pics in september.

It could be, but my engagement was already pretty low.

 

[iansanity]

Yes. Exactly this.

Adding to my rant... you can't organically rank hashtags with small accounts, which is how bigger accounts have grown and gained even bigger exposure. You can't do it without engagement groups at least, bigger accounts have trouble too, but smaller accounts are screwed even more now that they've been preventing it from working through like blocking.

So ultimately, the only exposure anybody will be able to get, is through paid reach. And that's how it looks to be going, which is just dumb. If you're following someone, you should see what they post. Period. You shouldn't need to PAY for the people following you to see it, they're already fucking following you, why would they follow you if they couldn't see what you post when you post it. Sharing photos is not posting advertisements, not necessarily anyway. And yes, I'm mad. So mad.

 

[tux]

you should have just read the first page of instagram section or used the search bar, i have a long detailed thread about recovering engagement- https://www.blackhatworld.com/seo/method-recover-your-engagement-on-instagram.959849/

 

[honestIM]

I do not understand the obsession on IG when there are so many other social network that you can profit without incurring high overheads. For IG, even with large audiences, there is no profitability if you cannot get engagement. And to be honest, looking at what facebook is doing, it is only a matter of time whereby paid advertising is the only way to engage your followers.

 

[SlickSocials]

I’m seriously just about done with Instagram. My engagement has taken another hit this week and I don’t know why. I haven’t posted much in September and now I’m back and I’m down another 50% on my already low engagement.

Here’s the results of a resent post - 37k followers. 3355 reach. 139 engagement. Stories not much better.

I used to get three to four time that engagement just in the first hour.

My thoughts on Instagram and its general direction is that it rewards quantity over quality. The result is easy to see. Take a look at what rises to the top. There’s no quality there. Memes, tits, junk. Nothing I do changes the junk I see on the explorer page. I’ve tried everything and all I see is a bunch of crap that’s about 70% irrelevant to me.

I understand the algorithm is designed to reduce the number of posts people see, but IMO it’s not working. The writing is on the wall. If it’s not fun and no one no matter how big or small can get results then they’ll stop using it.



Question:

So, I need advice on how to revive/survive or I’m out.

I’m not sure if I have a lot of ghost followers or Instagram is just not letting me get to my followers, should I remove ghosts? What’s the best way to do that? Am I just asking for more trouble from insta?

There is no way, you have to bare with those changes, they are doing the same as facebook did at the beginning, they basically don't want you to earn from their product!
and if you want to earn pay them first, that's the idea, Google Marketing Model & Facebook, in 2/3 years i think it would be pretty much dead, just dropping my opinion about that situation
its blumer but don't stop!, you still have engagements but not that big that they used to be! breathe and continue!

 

[honestIM]

There is no way, you have to bare with those changes, they are doing the same as facebook did at the beginning, they basically don't want you to earn from their product!
and if you want to earn pay them first, that's the idea, Google Marketing Model & Facebook, in 2/3 years i think it would be pretty much dead, just dropping my opinion about that situation
its blumer but don't stop!, you still have engagements but not that big that they used to be! breathe and continue!

I think it is time to move on from IG unless one is planning to pay for ads. For paid ads, I am sure the traffic are high quality but you need the right offer to be profitable as the ad cost can be rather expensive.

 

[SlickSocials]

I think it is time to move on from IG unless one is planning to pay for ads. For paid ads, I am sure the traffic are high quality but you need the right offer to be profitable as the ad cost can be rather expensive.

where exactly? that's the point everything going to the same direction! domination its like human world rules, you need to fight to survive so this is how they fight it~!
look at myspace, they didn't did that look where they are today, take a look at soundcloud last month went almost bankrupt, this is a war zone, nothing less
we just need to adapt to that, and first of accept it! if we don't accept those changes it will hold us far behind! looking forward for new methods exploits ,
researching, learning investing, losing, gaining,losing again until you find it working for you, in my opinion there are no alternative

 

[artyv14]

In short I agree with slicksocial but also with the other companions instagram is nothing more than a reflection of what people want, luxuries, sex, ultimately pretend many times what we are not, if that sucks and now enter my affirmation to the comment of slick and it is or you adapt or you die, although personally do not you like, is that or nothing, although also you can accept that situation and be happy with your engagement

 

[Snoopp]

I think it is time to move on from IG unless one is planning to pay for ads.

where?