Instagram Engagement Guide: Why aren't your followers seeing your content?
Have you ever wondered why your post doesn't get as much engagement as you expected? There are so many different factors that go into people engaging with your posts...
... how your post is designed.
... what time it's posted.
... what's going on in the world.
But don't worry, the algorithm doesn't hate you, the algorithm hasn't changed, and it's not out to get you for some vicious reason. There are a TON of different reasons why your followers aren't seeing your content that you may not have thought of before.
There is so much more competition on the platform, now more than ever. User behavior and the way people use social media has completely changed over the last few years. And there are other factors that we really need to get into!
What You THINK Happens When People Don't See Your Content
When it comes to Instagram, most people believe that when their followers start scrolling, their post will be one of the first things they see. However, many times your post is not the first thing that people come across. And maybe, just maybe you think to yourself that the algorithm hates you and is hiding your post on purpose.
What ACTUALLY Happens When People Don't See Your Content
Everyone uses Instagram, and scrolls through Instagram, differently from one another. Some people love opening the app and consuming as many Stories as they can in their 5 minute break at work. Sometimes people are trying to wind down at the end of the day, so they scroll through the Reels tab for 30 minutes.
The algorithm is here to help you, but user behavior is what impacts your engagement (and how often people see your posts) the most. That's the truth of it. Let's dive into two examples of what ACTUALLY happens when people open the Instagram app to consume content.
Scenario 1
Often, your follower has more content in their feed than the ACTUAL amount of time they have to look at it. So unless you're one of their favorite accounts, they will not see most of your posts. This means your post might be lost in the sea of other posts.
Scenario 2
Another common scenario is your follower doesn't consume content linearly. So even if you're one of your followers favorite accounts and have a certain "priority" in their feed, they will miss your posts because they are navigating sideways. They might click on a different account, go to the Reels tab, DM a friend, and so on. This diverts their attention and they end up missing your post.
Factors That Affect Post Performance
There are several other factors that play a part in the performance of your post, some of which have nothing to do with the quality of your content. These include:
The number of accounts your followers follow
The amount of time they spend on Instagram
Platform growth (more accounts and more content)
Proximity to any holidays or world events that lower engagement
Not having the right audience
The time you post
A bit of luck
Factors Related to the Quality of Your Content
While there are factors beyond your control, there are also factors that are directly related to the quality of your content that can affect post performance. These include:
Enticing hook to stop the scroll
High quality video or design
Content that is valuable to your audience (inform, teach, inspire or entertain)
Easy to read, see, hear
Does not infringe IG’s terms
Dealing with Low Engagement
Regardless of where you fall, low engagement is very common and it has nothing to do with your or your business’s worth. It's crucial to remember not to equate your value with the number of likes or comments on your post. What truly matters is the value you provide to your audience. So, always be kind to yourself and keep improving your content.
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Manu Muraro is the founder of Your Social Team, an Instagram training membership and content shop to help social media managers and Instagram savvy women entrepreneurs to beat the algorithm and grow their organic engagement (yes, even in 2021).
This year she also launched Your Template Club, a Canva Template subscription to provide social media managers and Instagram savvy business owners with content templates designed for engagement in their inbox.
Born and raised in Brazil, Manu moved to the U.S. in 2000 right out of college to work for Cartoon Network, where she made an award winning career in creative and strategy. In 2017, Manu started Your Social Team with the mission of helping women entrepreneurs and social media managers grow engagement and sales through Instagram without the overwhelm.