06 Mar Instagram Rumours…
With all the changes made on Instagram, especially with their algorithms, there’s been a lot of confusion and misinformation with users and businesses about what Instagram is showing to their friends and family.
So we have done a bit of research to get to the bottom of some of these rumours so you know what to spend time on when it comes to Instagram and what is just a waste of time.
RUMOUR #1 – Comments need to have more than 3 words to be counted as ‘engagement’
This is FALSE.
Some users were commenting about a new algorithm that only recognises words (not emojis) and that now they must have at least 3 words to improve your engagement rate.
In fact, Instagram has never given reasons to believe this is true and there’s no data nor evidence to support it.
How did it all start? Probably because most accounts who only have comments with emoticons are considered ‘spam’, therefore, users started asking each other to write longer comments to look more genuine.
RUMOUR #2 – Instagram is hiding your posts
This is FALSE too.
Have you seen posts like this in your feed?
According to them, Instagram has started to show the posts to only 7% of their followers and to avoid it, you have to like the post and comment “yes” on the post.
In their official account, Instagram explained that the posts showing up first in your feed are determined by your engagement with their respective accounts. For example, how often you like something from them, write comments, the amount of people you follow and even the time you spend on Instagram.
They reassured they have never hidden posts from the users. If you can’t see them, just keep scrolling!
This is actually the rumour that scared many small businesses the most, but we can assure you that if you have engaging and real content, your followers will see what you’re posting.
RUMOUR #3: – If you like and comment on someone’s posts, you will see more content from them
This is… actually, TRUE.
If you follow influencers, you have most likely noticed many of them were asking their followers to “like sprees” so they could see more of their posts. This means that the influencers will be getting more of their followers seeing their posts, which is of course better for their business!
The more you engage with an account the more Instagram will show you that account in your feed. In the same way, if you visit the account a lot, Instagram will read it as you having a high interest in this profile and will keep putting them at the beginning of your feed for you to enjoy.
RUMOUR #4 – Swiping past Instagram stories has a negative impact in the algorithm
This is a tricky one because no one really knows. 🤷
Stories have a different algorithm to the main Instagram feed but they work similarly as Instagram feed. It does look for engagement and interest, so this could actually be true.
RUMOUR #5 – Switching to a Instagram Business Profile has a negative effect on your account
This is totally FALSE.
Instagram has directly addressed to this question and said that they don’t give extra feed presence to personal or business accounts. Switching won’t help you to get more reach.
It does help you with things like data, insights and automated scheduling, which it’s precisely why we strongly recommend that if you have a company account on Instagram, you should change it into a business profile.
So, how can you use the algorithm to your advantage?
As with anything digital marketing the best option is to stop trying to hack the system, and instead spend more time creating quality content, posting regularly be as real as possible so you can build an active community of followers.
Don’t feel lost! There are still so many things we’re still figuring out with Instagram but you’re not alone. Getting some professional help might give you a better idea on how to improve the numbers for your account, so don’t hesitate to contact us if you need a hand with that.