New Instagram News Feed Changes
We recently shared the top social media platforms that real estate agents should master and Instagram is among them.
You’ve likely heard that Facebook bought out Instagram, but perhaps you haven’t read that Instagram has the highest user engagement out of all of the social media platforms and that the popular image-sharing platform announced a news feed algorithm change recently.
On 15 March 2016, Instagram announced that it would be changing the way posts appear in the news feed in an effort to improve the user experience. As with any announcement of change, many users were outraged, urging Instagram to leave the platform alone.
Prior to the announcement, the Instagram news feed showed pictures posted in chronological order. Instagram noted that with this set up, users miss 70% of the photos in their feed that they’re likely interested in.
In similar Facebook fashion, Instagram will begin showing posts in users’ news feeds based on interest, stating, “to improve your experience, your feed will soon be ordered to show the moments we believe you will care about most.” They noted that this new experience will roll out over the next few months.
How does the Instagram algorithm change affect your real estate agent profile?
This change could mean that your posts might not be seen by as many people if you’re not getting engagement on them in the form of likes, comments, or profile visits. Instagram noted that people will see posts from their favorite profiles, even if they’re not the most recent posts, because their algorithm can see that you actively engage with the account.
So, while this change could have a negative impact, it could also have a positive one for your real estate marketing. Users who aren’t necessarily on Instagram near the time you post may still have the chance to see your post if they actively engage with you.
An important strategy will be to continue to remain active on the site and post valuable content and images that people like.
You can check out our post, “5 Easy Steps to Grow Your Instagram Following,” to learn more about growing your following and using the platform to the fullest, despite these changes.
How do you feel? Are you upset that Instagram images will no longer be in chronological order or do you think you’ll benefit from the change? Let us know in the comments.
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