In case you missed the most recent memo from Instagram- " they'll be removing LIKES in US starting this week." Your followers or no other person for that matter will be able to see your likes, only you shall be able to see it. It will be quite a bit of a psychological jolt, trust me there are people out there for whom the number of likes is everything, they suffer from something that my VA likes to call "number of likes compulsive disorder", but I am happy this is happening. Which means going forward the brands will use your reach and impressions versus likes as the new parameters to gauge the possibility of a partnership with you. In a way this is good as the mental pressure of attaining a certain no. of likes just for the visual sake would be alleviated, not completely eliminated though. The pressure would now be on being more consistent, more engaging and creating killer content. I would like to revisit this once the change has been implemented and tested for some time. I am pretty curious to see how effective it will be at revolutionizing the way your account is perceived with LIKES.
Changing gears back to MYTHS, let's talk about some of those that have been holding you back from growing.
Myth #1: Instagram shadowbanned my account.
Shadowbanning is one of Instagram's practice of banning accounts that they deem unsuitable. Every time my likes count tanked I would blame it on Instagram shadowbanning my account. But the truth is that there is no such thing as shadowban. It is just a rumor that became a myth which is now busted. Your account will not be shadowbanned for using multiple hashtags or for any other minor infraction. Your exposure depends entirely on your content quality and marketing skills. You post compelling content, you get GOLD. So it is you who has the remote control when it comes to reach and exposure.
H&M black mesh dress // DIANE VON FURSTENBURG printed dress worn as slip // CHARLES AND KEITH heels // KATE SPADE feather earrings
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MYTH #2: Instagram is hiding my posts.
There was a time when I would constantly sulk about ' Instagram deliberately hiding my posts as if it was holding some kind of grudge against me." It is true that Instagram doesn't show your posts on your or other's timeline in a chronological order, instead it shows posts first that it believes is more likely to strike a strong chord with your audience. Instagram uses its own algorithm and a previous history of your user engagement to determine which posts will be more engaging, of value to your readers and sends them out based on that.
MYTH #3: Having a business account decreases your popularity.
In case you weren't aware your account could be a Business, a Creator or a Personal account depending on your preference and the kind of services you offer. Rumor has it that having a business or creator account impacts your engagement in a negative way. The truth is that there is no difference per se in the way Instagram treats each account classification. On the contrary Business and Creator accounts have access to better Instagram analytics and swipe up feature in Instagram stories. With a business account you are armed with more information and features, which can help you be more smart and strategic about your personal growth.
MYTH #4: Instagram is penalizing my story views.
Last few weeks were a nightmare in the lives of bloggers as their story views slumped and if that wasn't enough, the 'Instagram removing likes' news created a havoc further. The accounts that normally got 1200-1300 daily views on their stories reported merely 200-300 views. It was the worst few weeks for bloggers in particular. Well, the reality is that Instagram does a major purging of bots and inactive accounts before every big change and this time around was no exclusion. Apparently, there are accounts who in order to save time and effort hire bots to view stories and engage on their behalf. This is unethical and jeopardizing other accounts that work their asses off to engage organically. It is good that Instagram has cracked down on these deceptive bots- causing the daily story views to decline drastically. So the story views you get now is a reflection of your audience engagement from your genuine followers, ones who are there for you and your services.
MYTH #5: Instagram penalizes an account for using hashtags repeatedly.
There is no denying that Instagram is one smart cookie- it can flag any spammy behavior and even crack down on accounts trying to hack the system to get more likes. Hashtags are an important tool to getting your account in front of your niche audience, or just getting discovered by other accounts with similar interests. While Instagram will not ban you for repeated use of hashtags, being genuine with their use is key. Excess of anything is bad- same rule of thumb applies here. Use hashtags that are more relevant to your field. Try to switch between a few sets of hashtags depending on the type of post under consideration to minimize the odds of getting flagged. You can use up to 30 hashtags on your main feed posts and a maximum of 9 in your stories. Try to keep a balanced mix of very popular to medium popular hashtags.
These are some of the common myths that I tried to debunk in the best, most helpful possible way. Remember, Instagram is just an app which provides you a social platform to connect with people who share similar interests. I know it is easier said than done but Instagram algorithm is just a number game which you play- it doesn't play you! You play fair you WIN! But if there is any kind of malpractice you are the one to LOSE. So, be authentic, be genuine, be consistent, be respectful, be engaging, speak your heart and your audience will connect as well.
Congratulations to Cheryl of Cheryl Shops, she is the featured blogger of the week.
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