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Instagram was off to a great start late last month with their latest update allowing users to add multiple accounts on a single device. The Facebook owned company announced shortly after, that they were going to be making a similar change to Instagram like they did with Facebook.  Now, posts show on your timeline based on engagement and relationship value instead of in chronological order. Not only did this future update send most Instagram users into a panicked state, it currently has over 330,000 people signing a “Keep Instagram Chronological” petition. Instagram may have had good intentions, but many users have been left irate.

Why Instagram Users Are in Panic Mode

Bloggers, businesses, brands, and “Instagram celebrities” are desperately begging their followers to turn on notifications before this update is launched. Turning notifications on for a specific person/account that you follow will send pin notifications each time the account is updated. As an avid Instagram user, I follow 700 people because I want to follow all 700 people – but I do not want to be getting push notifications from 700 people daily. For “Instagram celebrities” and “fitness gurus” who get paid-per-like on promoted posts and count on Instagram as a main source of income, this update is troublesome.

Keep Calm and Algorithm On

Take a deep breath! This Instagram update has not officially rolled out yet. Instagram also tweeted, “We’re listening and we assure you nothing is changing with your feed right now. We promise to let you know when changes roll-out broadly.” Although nothing has changed yet, the backlash and hate tweets continue to grow.

On a More Positive Note

Instagram has teased that they will be adding a discover tab to the app’s web version which will make it easier to find new people to follow. Instagram reps  have also said that videos will grow from 15 seconds to 60 seconds. As excited as I am to be able to upload a 60 second video, what is the point if only some of my followers can see it?

Stay Visible

If the day comes when Instagram does make the mistake of going through with this update, there are a few things you can do to help keep your Instagram account visible.

  • Make sure that you post up-to-date content that is relevant, eye-catching, and fresh.
  • Stay connected with followers. This includes returning a favor of a like, re-posting photos of other follower’s photos (with permission), and engaging with users who have commented on your photo by returning a comment.
  • Make sure you are using trending keywords and optimize as much as you can! (Having trouble with that? We can help you with our Think Reputation Management Software Pricing)

Instead of asking your followers to receive push notifications every time you post, stay visible organically and ask your followers to stay engaged. Connect with your followers- like, follow, comment, and share.

So what do you think? Are you happy with the possible Instagram updates? Does your business need help optimizing its social media posts to stay noticed? Get a better understanding of our Think Reputation Management Program or contact us if you’d like to discuss more concrete ways to streamline and grow your business this year.