In March, Instagram announced controversial plans to change what users see on their feeds. While the photo-sharing app has traditionally shown newer content first, these changes will mean that Instagram will now spotlight posts that it thinks users will most want to see at the top of their feed. According to the New York Times, IG wants to “[make] sure that the 30 percent you see is the best 30 percent possible.” Today, we’ll be going over how you can use Instagrams new algorithm to your advantage.
Post Quality Content
Unlike your Twitter feed, this change could allow certain posts to sit at the top of a user’s feed days after being posted. That means quality trumps quantity – so it may be wiser to post less frequently on Instagram.
Ask Your Followers to Turn on Notifications
You audience simply has to tap the three dots at the top of the post and enable notifications to see more of you. If they love your product/service/business and know that you will be providing quality content without spamming them, they will be up for it.
Cross-Promotion
One way to ensure that consumers see your posts is promoting your Instagram account on other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Tumblr. This can ultimately help drive traffic to your Instagram, but can also be used in reverse. Instagram can be a useful tool for driving traffic to your brand’s website and other networks.
Ultimately, the introduction of the algorithm forces brands to either create engaging and high quality content or pay for placement in the feed. So, is it the end of businesses on Instagram? Certainly not – it’s just the beginning.
