What Really Counts - 4 Ways to Deal With the Instagram Algorithm

Sep 18

Can we chat for a moment?

Grab your morning coffee because this one is all about getting real.

The past couple of days, I've been getting my frustrations out about Instagram's changes on Twitter. A lot of you may have noticed, which is usually not my intent because I like to have a conversation with myself on Twitter. Feel free to join in sometime haha.

Lately, all my hard work seems to not be reaching people, nor do I even see my content on everyone else's feeds. It's FRUSTRATING. It's tough for us influencers who share our content daily on Instagram in hopes of inspiring and reaching others. Which brings me to this.

So what?

Our "likes" are diminishing, our follower counts aren't growing... so what?

And days where we spent happily scrolling through our feeds because of all the comments and interaction on our posts become days we dread even attempting to open the Instagram app because we know they won't "do well?" So what.

Are numbers really that important that we lose sight in what we even started blogging for?

Did we forget that we started because we had a passion, a drive for what we loved:

Fashion. Creating content. Inspiring others.

And now? This number game seems to be the only thing that people care about. I too, am guilty of this, which is why I'm changing my perspective on how I deal with Instagram.

Today, I want to share 4 WAYS TO DEAL WITH THE INSTAGRAM ALGORITHM:

Sidenote: I can't help you fully get over the frustrations of Instagram, but I can help you cope with it (just like I am) and understand that there will always be changes we cannot control. But we can most certainly change our perspective and mindset on how we look at it.

Scroll down for more.

1. BREATHE.

Quit thinking your content isn't good enough, because it is.

Numbers don't define your worth. Your quality does. And companies and brands see that. They see your passion for what you love, your content that you create, and your individuality that makes you stand out from the rest. Understand that your content may not be seen by others on Instagram, but also appreciate the ones that still do. Thank them, and show them that their support does not go unappreciated.

2. EXPERIMENT.

Instagram is now a guessing game. So experiment away. I usually have a set posting time, but I don't get freaked out anymore when I don't post "on time." I've tried experimenting with different times to see the average time where my audience would be seeing my posts. Now given, it's never been accurate, but no harm done in playing around with different times. Maybe there is a system that Instagram is trying to play out. Or maybe not, and Instagram just really wants to screw us over.

Who knows. All I'm saying is, it doesn't hurt to try.

3. INSTAGRAM STORIES.

Use it. It's your best friend. I realized that a lot of my followers are watching my Instagram Stories. I use this option to share that I have a new post up, and then most of you go to my photo to "like" it. (Thank you! I do see that). It's a system that works, and I love being able to share "story" content on Instagram.

4. FRIENDS.

I probably emphasize the necessity of a true friendship more times than I can care to remember, but that's because it's true. My best friend Natalie actually sent me a text one night when I was having a bad day, and it reminded me how blessed I am to even have someone who understands my frustrations...without even telling her about it. Find someone who cares. They're probably going through the same thing, and you can deal with the situation together.

I really hope you guys enjoyed this post.

Don't forget that what really counts... is content quality.

Pun intended.

What are some ways you deal with the Instagram algorithm?

I would love to hear your ideas or tips in the comments below :)