Why the Instagram Algorithm Update is the Birth of the Platform
Instagram recently delayed the implementation of their new Facebook like algorithm, but it will be here soon whether you want it to or not.
We all remember when Facebook decided to do the same to that platform and everyone kicked and screamed and said it would be the death of the platform. Was it? Not by a long shot.
Since the implementation of the Facebook algorithm, the number of monthly active users in the US alone has risen by 21 million while user retention shows 65% of its total monthly active user base returns DAILY. Not only based on user numbers, Facebook also generated more advertising revenue than any of its social media peers and by 2017, marketers plan on spending over $35 billion on social advertising. Dead? Far from it.
People will always gripe about change, but change is inevitable, and I for one, am excited for the change. The new algorithm will not only be great for users of the platform, but it will be equally great for marketers. When Facebook switched over to the new algorithm that created an algorithmic feed, they started to really focus on their advertising side, which ultimately made advertising a much more scientific approach on social media. This allowed marketers to hone in on their audiences like never before and provide users with ads that they would actually want to click on and purchase from.
It’s no secret that Instagram is a little off sometimes on their ads. The other day, I was fed an ad for baby clothes. I admit, this could have been the marketer just blindly throwing out a net and hoping for some big fish, but if this were Facebook and the marketer would do that, it would never be fed to me due to the algorithm being so efficient and learning quickly enough to stop the ads in their tracks. Instagram still has some growing to do on their end, but I believe that this new algorithm will fix those growing pains.
The nature of social media is it is extremely fast paced and chaotic. Change puts off traditional marketers and anyone unable to learn from their failures. The more brands to abandon Instagram, the better in my opinion. It leaves more room for the adaptive and hard-working.
In the first few months of Instagram’s algorithmic feed, those who adapt quickest will see the greatest returns. Apply your knowledge of Facebook marketing to Instagram, experiment and, iterate.
Yes, organic reach will reach a standstill like it did on Facebook, but that’s the nature of a social network that is ran by a handful of people needing to turn a buck. Those that can’t adapt their strategy or implement new ones are destined to fail at one point or another. This update just makes to sooner rather than later.
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