Mythbusting the Algorithm (& other tips to Instagram and Facebook)

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Hi babes! I was able to be a part of an incredible conference with the Facebook team the past two days. They reached out to some of their content creators in the Salt Lake City area and had us all meet together to talks tips, tricks, and best practices. I had questions about so many theories I have heard, and they were able to provide answers. Here is what I was able to put together from the Frequently Asked Questions. Please note, I am not an authority on this subject, and I have not quoted anything from the team members that I talked to.  I am choosing to share this information with the goal of helping others get the most out of the platforms, and I am sharing it in my own words as I understand it. All of the information I present should be taken for personal use and should not be sold, copied, or redistributed:

Q: Does Instagram know/care how frustrated users and small influencers are with the constant algorithm changes? Are they doing anything to help small businesses/influencers succeed?

A: They do care! Them coming out and meeting with creators today was part of their 2018 initiative to reach out to the people that keep them in business (us) by putting out content! They’re really focusing on connecting with influencers this year to bridge the gap. They have tons of things coming out on their platform to help create! HOWEVER, they truly believe the algorithm is better! More content is actually being seen now. But they ARE aware that people are still learning what works.

Q: What is the deal with the Instagram algorithm?

A: They truly believe that the algorithm is better, and don’t foresee it changing back to chronological. They actually convinced me on it today, and I went in feeling the same as you. Basically, your post has a lifespan of 7 days. People are shown content within that 7 day span based on their relation to you, and on how much engagement it initially gets. It’s actually better! We have more of a chance to be seen, and to be seen multiple times, because the post can still gain traction up to that seven day mark, unlike the old way where posts were only on a feed for about 12 hours.

Q: Why do so little people see my Facebook page posts?

A: FB pages run differently than IG. FB pages require many posts a day to stay relevant. Your post will do best if shared. If no one is engaging with the content, the algorithm doesn’t see a reason to push it out to more people. Questions to ask yourself to evaluate your content: Are you posting to your page multiple times a day? Do you have a call to action? Is there a reason for your followers to engage with the post?

Q: Any truth to business accounts being treated differently by the algorithm?

A: NOPE! They don’t want to hurt anyone’s reach. Our reach is entirely up to how we get others to engage with our content. Business offers analytics, swipe up, branded content tool, the ability to receive a verification badge; it’s worth it for creators and business owners.

Q: Do they really penalize comment pods?

A: They do not punish comment pods. They don’t have time to monitor them. Plus, they also said they want people to engage with each other, so why penalize?

Q: Is there a shadow-ban?

A: There is no such thing as shadow banning. Hashtag feeds have their own algorithm and so your posts may or may not show up in them depending on if your post is deemed relevant, is engaged with enough, or if you used the hashtag spammy (like using too frequently or off topic). Be sure to always use hashtags in static posts and in InstaStories.  

Q: Should I use hashtags?

A:  This was one of my number one questions because I have a couple friends that SWEAR by not using them. The truth is, you should ALWAYS use hashtags. They’ll never hurt you, but they might not always help. You can put them in the caption or the first comment, there is no difference. Be sure to rotate your most used tags or else it’s deemed as spam. You can also add hashtags up to a week after a post. You should use AS MANY HASHTAGS AS POSSIBLE (up to 30). The trick is making sure they are absolutely relevant and they you don’t use the same ones too much, or you’re marked as spam on that tag.

Q: Is there a way for them to determine whether or not your likes or comments are organic vs bought/fake?

A: Instagram and Facebook can tell it’s a bot if it likes too quickly or comments too quickly, or if the comment is the same. If you’re paying for a service where real people are engaging with your followers to build a relationship, you should be fine!  

Q: Does editing a photo’s caption within the first 5 min of posting really hurt it’s engagement?

A: Editing a post NEVER hurts

Q: Does having #ad or #sponsored make IG or Facebook show to less people?

A: Using #ad or #sponsor is not hindering your reach by the app! It’s only dependent on the fact that our followers don’t engage with ad content UNLESS it’s told authentically, tells a story, and is on brand.  

Q: How to increase story reach?

A: Create engaging content, like polls or something that makes the viewer interact rather than passively watch. Always hashtag and always geotag!

Q: 3 years ago I was getting the SAME amount of likes I get now. I have way more followers now. WHY is that!!!!??

A: 1. Because your older followers may be ghosts. 2. You have to create more dynamic posts now. Just like how we can’t throw up an on-the-fly low-quality blogpost, posts should serve a purpose (5 ways to xyz) your Instagram posts must serve a purpose as well. There’s no blacklist, promise. No shadow banning either.

Q: How can I get people to see my posts?

Q: Why do I keep losing followers?

A: I’d assume it’s because of the saturation. People are unfollowing because they’re finding engaging content on so many more accounts now. In order to stay relevant we have to provide something that they can’t find elsewhere

Biggest takeaway from my day with the Facebook team:

Biggest take away today was that FB isn’t against creators and they actually want us and businesses to thrive because we are the ones that are producing content for their business to keep going. Rather, if we are seeing posts not do so well with the algorithm change, it’s because they are not resonating with our audience and we need to become better at catering to their wants and needs. I will also start producing more video content after today.

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