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I’m an artist on IG who’s engagement has dwindled down from hundreds of likes per post to almost nothing. Advice??
I’m an artist on IG who’s engagement has dwindled from hundreds of likes per picture to almost nothing
Hi! I’ve been using IG for years in an attempt to grow my career as an artist. Currently I have about 1.5k followers. When I learned how to use hashtags properly, I was getting lots of engagement—hundreds of likes per pic, comments, new followers, etc. For the past couple of years I have had almost no account growth, and my latest post currently has less than 20 likes. TWENTY.
Things I’ve tried: posting more frequently, mixing up hashtags, using more hashtags, using less hashtags, commenting/liking on relevant content, taking a break from IG, switching to a business account, mixing up the time of day/days of the week I post, etc.
The only thing I don’t do is stories/reels, as I don’t really like them or understand why they exist.
I don’t pay for followers, use 3rd party software or do anything “shady.”
Still the algorithm hates me.
A couple years ago, I believe I was shadowbanned because the work IG account I helped manage would interact with my personal account when others would use it. I eventually blocked it, and eventually started getting decent engagement again, but never as good as before.
My IG handle is the same as my username (if this is allowed). Can anyone give me some insight? It feels pointless to even post at this juncture.
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15 Replies
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byu/JonODonovan insocialmedia -
I understand, I feel like my posts have been getting drowned out as well. IG is simply flooded, literally everyone is on there and of course the algorithm only favors popular accounts with lots of follows and likes. It’s BS.
I literally think they want you to spend money on ads to be even seen at this point. That’s the only useful advice I can offer: have a FB page so you can play with Facebook to IG ads.
I do think people see your stories / reels to a point so maybe try that also. It’s getting harder out there in social media land. Good luck.
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Hey! I checked it out and here’s a few things I would try personally:
1) optimize your bio. Tell people you’re an artist there first
2) put more context in your captions (and use keywords here too – remember, Instagram is basically a search engine now). I get what you’re going for with the mysterious edgy vibes, but they unfortunately just don’t jive with how IG operates now.
3) use hashtags. Lots of them. Relevant ones only. Some large, some medium, some small.
4) show more behind the scenes stuff. Make videos/reels about your process, timelapses, etc. Tell a story with your account instead of just showing off the product.
Good luck!
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I had a quick look as well. I get the mysterious vibe, but without a steady stream of new followers it would get old pretty quick to most people. Looking back at your content it looks to have stayed mostly the same, with least content that features people. I’d mix in some behind the scenes content like the other replies suggest, as well as make your content easier to find using more descriptive text and hashtags.
Reels will likely be a good way to get the algorithm to notice you as well; all platforms reward the use of new features. You may not like them but may grow to if you get engagement. Lastly… don’t get discouraged! Ebbs and flows are common for almost every independent content producer.
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If you look back over your profile, you’ve always had a huge range of engagement.
You say you had hundreds of likes. But in between them there’s posts with 30-50 likes.You have highs and lows like everyone else.
Some of your work is just not as popular as other pieces.
Go back through your feed, see the stuff with more likes. Compare it to the pieces around it in style, presentation and hashtags.Overall it just looks like some of your more recent stuff isn’t as well received. There’s no algorithm issue here.
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I used to run an influencer agency. I checked your Instagram. I like your art, but you should really mix up the photos. Do lifestyle shots of your studio, you painting, you getting inspiration, etc. WRITE BACK TO EVERY COMMENT! That what’s going to get people to engage with your art. Ask them questions, thank them, get to know them.
The Instagram algorithm has changed and heavily favors accounts that publish stories (10-15 per day regularly) and Reels. If you can’t keep up with that, you won’t gain significant engagement. Pay for a (new) course on driving engagement with Instagram, taking great photos with an iPhone (there’s tons of free videos on this on TikTok) and how to make good Reels videos and get to work!
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I would definitely start using stories, and in turn use reels as well. You’re missing out on a lot of views that could lead to more followers! You could even post a story, then have a link back to your normal page, saying there’s new content for your followers to check out. It could bring you more engagement.
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Sadly reels are hella promoted rn. You should try them out: maybe do a process video and also artfol is a cool app for artists and art lovers which has a much better algorithm
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Stories are important for allowing your viewers to feel personally connected. They provide an unfiltered look at things. Also, I’m experiencing the same, went from about 100 likes per post to 20 but I posted one photo that was different from my recent content and it shot back up to 100.
My username is also my IG handle. I’ve followed you.
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Man you answered your own question, START USING REELS AND STORIES, sorry for writing in caps but I’ve recently started posting reels and they are getting thousands of views when i only have 300 followers, ride the wave before it gets saturated again
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I have had a similiar experience. Let me ask, did you at some point start getting offers from IG to promote your posts where they offered you something like $20 free to do this? Did you turn it down? Have you ever “promoted” your posts? I ignored those offers and when I did, the effect was almost immediate in a loss of likes, engagement, etc.
Bottom line is their bottom line.
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Join TikTok. I was on Instagram for 6 months and gained a couple hundred followers. Joined TikTok in December 2020 and I’m at 38K.
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Are you from Columbus, OH? I don’t have advice on your page but I followed you. @bankpaper
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Facebook wants you to pay for ads. Get on Clubhouse and join rooms to help you increase your engagement.
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Man your stuff is incredible, just gave you a follow as well!
