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I operate a larger instagram account (125k followers), and while I would rather die than apply the word "influencer" to it, I can confirm that it's very unlikel

I operate a larger instagram account (125k followers), and while I would rather die than apply the word "influencer" to it, I can confirm that it's very unlikely that this has to do with the content of the feeds. We have extremely regular content: 2 posts per day of artworks currently on view around the world. Sometimes we add thousands of followers a week, and our posts rack up tons of likes. Sometimes it takes weeks to add a thousand followers. There's no change in the number of people mentioning us, no outside source for the influxes. It really feels like we hit some threshold in the algorithm and then everything changes for a while. We've been pinned at 125k for a few weeks now after a period of fast growth. Nothing about our content or our natural audience has changed.

seanwalker08 7y ago
I've got a smaller account(33k) and have noticed similar issues lately. It makes no sense as to why visibility fluctuates when my behavior hasn't changed. I have a feeling it's Instagram trying to push us to use their ad system.
- bigdubs 7y ago
  My sense is at some point Instagram is going to suppress engagement unless you pay them, they may be testing out how that will play out.
- ForrestN 7y ago
  This is my fear too. Instagram’s addictive neuroengineering has crowded out attention to our website, so it’s a platform where we need to be in order to reach our constituency. But we are a tiny non-profit and can’t afford to pay to play.
- sizzle 7y ago
  Sounds like something out of the Yelp playbook I've experienced personally w.r.t. their shady sponsored advertising services and their review filtering and business search sorting algorithms.
- martin_a 7y ago
  I think so, yes. I have encountered this with Facebook pages, too. Either you go straight viral and get a constant stream of followers each day/week/month, or you flat out. For one project 700 likes was the end. I collected those in a few months due to natural growth and then it suddenly stopped. With 700 likes to the page there were only around 150-200 impressions per post (no matter time or day or post content) and Facebook _heavily_ offered me to use their ads to push my views. Tell me what you want, this is about monetization of their platforms, nothing else.

seanwalker08 7y ago

I've got a smaller account(33k) and have noticed similar issues lately. It makes no sense as to why visibility fluctuates when my behavior hasn't changed. I have a feeling it's Instagram trying to push us to use their ad system.

bigdubs 7y ago
My sense is at some point Instagram is going to suppress engagement unless you pay them, they may be testing out how that will play out.
ForrestN 7y ago
This is my fear too. Instagram’s addictive neuroengineering has crowded out attention to our website, so it’s a platform where we need to be in order to reach our constituency. But we are a tiny non-profit and can’t afford to pay to play.
sizzle 7y ago
Sounds like something out of the Yelp playbook I've experienced personally w.r.t. their shady sponsored advertising services and their review filtering and business search sorting algorithms.
martin_a 7y ago
I think so, yes. I have encountered this with Facebook pages, too. Either you go straight viral and get a constant stream of followers each day/week/month, or you flat out. For one project 700 likes was the end. I collected those in a few months due to natural growth and then it suddenly stopped. With 700 likes to the page there were only around 150-200 impressions per post (no matter time or day or post content) and Facebook _heavily_ offered me to use their ads to push my views. Tell me what you want, this is about monetization of their platforms, nothing else.