The FSC Interactive office is buzzing…Instagram is CHANGING! Instead of displaying the most recent images posted, Instagram will now show the photos most relevant to users based on an algorithm. Facebook made the same change seven years ago in how it shares posts on the Newsfeed. Before completely freaking out, I checked in with our Instagram aficionado, Elizabeth Piper, who assured me not to panic.

I truly believe if we continue to create innovative, relevant and engaging content that our audience wants and needs, the algorithm (hopefully) won’t hurt our chances of reaching our fans. -Elizabeth Piper

Here are three key takeaways about the Instagram changes:

 

Kevin Systrom, Instagram CEO

Kevin Systrom, Instagram CEO

1. Cut through the Clutter.

According to Instagram CEO, Kevin Systrom, most people only see about 30% of the content posted as the channel grows. They are making sure that 30% is the best possible content. To stand out from the spam, make sure your photos and videos are extraordinary. Focus on quality over quantity and create truly beautiful, captivating creative. This is the time to go beyond the banner ad and take advantage of the platform’s potential.

 

2. Understand Your Audience.

The order of photos and videos in your feed will be based on the likelihood that your users will be interested in the content, your relationship with the person posting and the timeliness of the post, says Instagram. This means that developing strong community bonds with your audience and understanding what they want is more important than ever. Do this by seeking out their content and sharing it. Look for hashtags that your community is using and get involved in the conversations happening around that content.

 

3. Be Prepared to Pay to Play.

In order to make sure that your content reaches the right people at the right time, you might have to invest some budget. Luckily, the better your targeting, the more successful and cost-efficient your ad will be. And, since you know your audience (remember #2), a small investment can have powerful results.

In the digital marketing world, change is the only constant. We’re here to help navigate that change to create innovative strategies with business impact. Give us a call if you have any questions. We’ll get through this together!