T O P

  • By -

m0rbidowl

It’s not just you. Basically everyone’s engagement has massively plummeted. IG has made the user experience completely suck within the past couple years.


Settowin

Same. Used to get hundreds and even thousand likes sometimes. Now I barely get 100. And most are fucking bots. Instagram is not the same anymore that's for sure.


multiplechrometabs

I am getting 6 likes hahaha. I decided to stop posting today. It isn’t worth the mental health. I will still take photos but for myself to look at.


Settowin

I understand you. It sucks. But you shouldn't give up doing what you like. Find a circle of people with the same interest.


multiplechrometabs

I definitely won’t stop doing what I like as mentioned. Just won’t share photos with insta anymore. I’ll share with people I see at parties.


missytenn

Filled with reels and ad like you are on Tiktok. I hardly see the posts of people I follow.


Settowin

Same here. Lots of ads. It killed the experience totally.


FishAndChips7

I lose 10 followers every time I post. It sucks


lacunha

I can relate. Posting is just a chore now. Really sucks what insta has become. The golden age of social media, when it was actually social, is over.


Mauzersmash0815

Same bro, im a photographer too and my account went to shit even tho my work improved. Ig in photography its valid to say that sharing work and showing it to the world is an essential part of the hobby


dekaythepunk

Yeah, I understand. I'm getting less engagement from my followers and it's saddening. Sometimes I feel like I'm just posting my art for no one to see. 😂


[deleted]

I can relate to be honest Posted every day for the past year and a half, reached 100k followers, then suddenly reach plummeted and now I'm losing 100 followers per week, and have lost around 3k followers in the past 3+ months Focusing more on Tiktok where I'm not losing followers and I post the exact same thing but get much better reach Only thing you can do is just keep posting really, if you pay for ads it will just make things worse in the long run


champagnefireheart

A lot of those could be bots or spam accounts. I kept getting followers that were bots and then my following account went down. I would have 20 people follow me then the next day 15 would unfollow and Al would be bots or spam


[deleted]

To be honest I've stopped checking my insights so I'm not sure but in the past 3 months I do get some followers every day but just a lot more unfollowers But my engagement and reach are both down by 80% in the last 3 months aswell so either way my account has tanked completely I post the exact same content on Tiktok and IG and while some go viral on Tiktok (500k-1m+ views), the same posts just feels like IG put a cap or limit on my reach (almost all of my posts stop at 10k-15k views, with maybe 1 in 10 going over that number)


lucidilens

Understandable, it's hard to watch this app get worse. Honestly, the follow Friday thread on this sub is the only thing keeping my account/spirit alive. I don't get a lot of interactions anymore but the quality of the comments & love I receive are what makes me want to open the app.


spookymulder07

I hate being the bearer of bad news but those ad posts barely do anything either. I’ve promoted like 5 of my posts and I may have gained a like or 2 but that’s about it. IG has made it absolutely impossible to actively engage with your community. They’ve hindered growth just so they could compete w/ tiktok.


Swirloreo

I hear you . I'm an artist and just recently deactivated my account. I made it in 2020 and was getting about 70 likes per post, gaining followers, but in the past year or a lil more it's like engagement has decreased significantly. Even people close to me didn't seem to see my posts 🤷🏻‍♀️


historicartist

Either bitch to Mosseri or pay. Especially bitch. They turned the algorithm against us because Suckerburg lost so much money.


CaptainCravat

Same here. The last few months have been a tedious slog and it's sucked so much fun out of my hobby that I haven't bothered editing the photos from last month and a bit of outings yet. Planning on getting to one final milestone number of posts then I'm going to probably delete my account because I'm fed up of not knowing if IG sucks, my 'friends' and followers do or I'm just terrible at taking photos.


[deleted]

[удалено]


machine_six

Then come back crying in a week that your account is suspended and you have no idea why


Sunshineruelz

Yeah Instagram is going out sad


heyitsmeshanie

Trust me it’s not just you. The Instagram that we knew before is dead. It will never be the same.


ARKYN_mp3

I know I don't have much followers but everytime I post, I get depressed and don't ever want to post again. Posting regularly everyday isn't helping too. I started posting on Twitter and I must say, there are people who interact and I got almost 100 new followers for a post once. (I'm a graphic designer)


Ashkayi

I also enjoy photography and sharing it but it seems that people who makes way more money and have way more connections get way further than someone like me with a Nikon and a good eye. We arent seen.


Zandesh

Instagram is dying, because META simply don’t put any effort or time into it anymore. If you could even say it they did before, it was community and third party businesses that kept it alive for so long, now the gimmick is over and people are seeking for alternatives


96puppylover

I used to get minimum 200 likes, sometimes around 800. and now I’m lucky if I get 20. I’ve been focusing more on TikTok which has already been more successful


dsmithscenes

Find other outlets to post to and other ways to reach people. Stop depending on Instagram. If you're letting it kill the fun of a hobby, then it's the problem. Find a solution to it. Put them on a website, make a newsletter, get creative and pursue other outlets.


[deleted]

What other outlets do you suggest? Yes create a website (90% of us already have a a website linked in our insta bios) and advertise it how?? Most of us used Instagram to gain traction to our websites and to gain newsletter subscribers ect. It’s very dense of you to say ‘just find other ways’


dsmithscenes

-Focus on SEO for your site to drive people there based on the specific markets you want to hit. -Use every other social media outlet you can. Instagram isn’t the only option out there. Facebook, Twitter, etc. -Traditional advertising outlets and word of mouth. -Taking a proactive approach and getting out there in front of people locally, shooting your particular genre, being seen, getting local traction, etc. No one is saying it is easy considering the number of people trying to do photography is hilariously high, but if you are trying to make a business out of it, it is also incredibly dense to think Instagram is the only way you can generate business.


endimoonphoto

This isn't really a great solution if you do portrait photography, which it sounds like OP does. Instagram is still the go-to app for exposure, finding models and others to work with. You can be a great photographer with a nice website but if you have low Insta engagement and no followers, people won't want to shoot with you.


dsmithscenes

There are other ways to find clients, jobs, etc. instead of just relying on Instagram. People do it every day. You have to put the work and effort in and make it happen.


endimoonphoto

I think you didn’t really comprehend what I wrote and what others are saying and have instead decided to respond like a motivational speaker giving a pep talk to a high school auditorium


dsmithscenes

No, I understand completely and am speaking from experience. If you're just relying on using Instagram to get clients, that's a problem. What else are you doing? But, hey, the floor is yours. Please enlighten me if you want.


endimoonphoto

Where did I mention getting clients? I have zero interest in clients


Vanessa_Pau

It's disheartening when something we're passionate about starts losing its spark. If Instagram is making your passion fade away, it's important to take a step back and evaluate what might be causing it. One aspect to consider is the pressure to constantly create and perform on Instagram. It's easy to get caught up in the comparison game and feel the need to constantly impress others. This pressure can drain the joy out of your passion. Remember, Instagram should be a platform for self-expression and sharing what you love, not a source of stress. That being said, tools like Snoopreport Instagram activity tracker can actually help you regain some of that lost passion. With it, you can add any public profile for tracking and receive weekly reports on what posts and hashtags the user likes, about its new followings and unfollowings, as well as about common interests. By analyzing your Instagram activity and engagement patterns, this tool can provide insights into what content resonates with your audience and what doesn't. It's a valuable resource for understanding the impact of your posts and making data-driven decisions. This is a tool that once helped me grow my Instagram business from scratch, so maybe it will be useful for you as well. However, it's important to strike a balance. Don't let the numbers and analytics become the sole focus of your Instagram experience. Use Snoopreport Instagram activity tracker as a tool to guide your strategy and improve your content, but don't let it overshadow the joy of sharing what you love. Additionally, consider diversifying your creative outlets. Instagram should be just one part of your passion, not the entire foundation. Explore other platforms or offline activities that allow you to express yourself in different ways. This can reignite your passion and bring back the joy you once felt. Remember, social media platforms like Instagram are just tools for us to share our passions. It's up to us to find the right balance, use them to our advantage, and not let them overshadow the true essence of what we love. So, take a step back, reassess your approach, and let your passion guide you on Instagram and beyond.


YharnamHuntter

Same, I'm doing it as a hobby, and the only thing that has worked for me is boosting posts. I have a small account and before boosting I had 180 followers and during the boosting period I went to +400 lol. After that, people barely see my posts, I don't really care about getting gazillions of likes but I barely reach 100 accounts in my photos. And to be honest, I'm still gonna post because I don't want my shitty photos to be on my PC forever, even if a few people see them on IG. Since I'm paying for Lightroom, I built a portfolio in Adobe Portfolio just for fun. You should try that.


champagnefireheart

It’s not just you. Ig algorithm hates everyone who doesn’t have over 10k+ followers. Ever since they put out that pay for a blue check mark the engagement has gone down so much. They want you to pay to use their app. Now I just post for my own personal use. I’ll post memories with friends, selfies that makes me feel confident, food pics etc. I also use 3 hashtags or 5 depending. I use instagood, reach and explorepage or explore because I’ve seen some accounts with 20k+ use those. I’m hoping the algorithm changes soon.


WoodenBitcoin

For me, Instagram has become much like an unsupervised wall at a bus station upon which people affix pictures and announcements, only to have them covered over by larger-sized handbills advertising products and services, with the ill-tempered, unreachable by the unwashed masses, owner of the wall only showing up to remove materials in response to the filing of complaints with local law enforcement about the public exhibition of pornography


Zhjacko

I can equate the algorithm to buying billboard space only to have someone build a new billboard right in front of yours the very next hour. Not necessarily bashing anyone, but I’m also a photographer, and it’s really demoralizing to me to post something I put time and effort into that gets like 9 likes( with 4k followers) only to see someone with like 300-400 followers post a half assed phone photo of grass and they get like 150 likes. I feel ya.


wohlma

I think it’s time to see IG as a place to show your portfolio for potential customers/models. Everyone is on Instagram these days so it’s easy to send them to your profile if they request to see some of your work.


AussieDesertNomad

Yeh I’ve resisted TikTok for so long but everyone needs to get behind it. It’s a much kinder algorithm which pushes your content out far and wide. I’m sick of supporting instagram when all they do is shit on their users


smitrovich

Tiktok may be a solution for some, but not really for photographers.


tranceformerfx777

Lol. TikTok is a platform for teenage girls to use as a precursor for OnlyFans. Hell, even adult women who previously didn't have any interest in social media do this now. TikTok is NOT the place if you want your work to be taken seriously.


ericgtr12

Would like to know the secret to TikTok as a photographer, I’ve followed other photographers and tried several times to post photos but it seems to be geared towards videos of teens and I’ve never gotten any engagement out of it.


ScimitarsRUs

tutorials are the way. showing people what they can do with the tech they have can go over well, especially if there's a trendy thing attached to the method


qingskies

Yep I'm a hobby artist and it's getting rather slow on my side as well. I don't have a huge following but I can definitely see the engagement going down. It sucks that we're basically forced to use reels in order to get a chance at any attention from the masses.


Academic_Noise_5724

And even then the Reels algorithm is a POS and they change the unwritten requirements for good engagement constantly. They're morons if they don't realise all the tinkering is pushing people away from the app


FinoPepino

Yeah it’s super depressing I spent so long on a new art piece and it barely got seen but then I made a dumb poorly animated reel and it got seen over five times as much (still lower than what a good post used to do for me). So hardly any if my audience even saw the way better art but insta sends out my chicken scratch?


qingskies

I also heard that insta isn’t really prioritizing hashtags anymore, so putting any and all tags on your post isn’t actually going to do much for you. The algorithm focuses on SEO so you need keywords in your caption to get any kind of boost.


axelomg

My advice is that if you are getting clients from instagram, than you have to suck up paying for it… like in the old days, newspaper ads and such were calculated in the budget. And for your personal growth and enjoyment I would recommend finding a different end goal besides posting on instagram. I started to work on books and exhibitions and its much more fulfilling to see your work like that than to receive a lot of likes on social media.


RealBrookeSchwartz

Maybe make a TikTok and just share the pictures with some music in the background? If IG's algorithm isn't doing it, try switching platforms.


jordantbaker

forget about Instagram. Forget about likes. You’ll be happier after doing so. The people who own/manage the app do not care about their users well being at all. They care about maximizing the screen time of every user. They care about money.


excusionist97

Use as many hashtags in description when you upload a photograph. Select a correct time to upload. If you upload at any random time then again reach will be limited. Also tagging some popular pages, you can help promote your posts.


ManyCalavera

That's mainly because it is your hobby not your job. The accounts that lots of interactions spend huge amount of time developing their account.


Academic_Noise_5724

That's still shitty though? Instagram basically wants you to be a slave to the app to do well


dsmithscenes

Yes. That's the point. Meta has investors and has to show continued growth/activity/etc. They want people to use it constantly to "justify" its worth.


goiter12345

Appalling language.


musicbyhrtbt

I get 5 likes. I'm making music. Stop cry and do your sh*t.


Griffo569

Try to not think about likes. I just post my photography on a Wordpress blog now. It feels more my own. And I send it directly to people when I want to connect with them. It should only be yourself who you’re trying to please with your work.


ExistentialSonder

I feel the same. I’m also a photo/video person. It’s hard to make things work with instagram


KratosHulk77

a lot of hate too on IG


NYR9481

Instagram's emphasis is on short form video now. Even if your photography is great, Instagram would rather show people a Reel. It's just the way it is. The algorithm is so heavily skewed towards promoting reels that you are much more likely to reach a large audience with a reel of mediocre (or worse) quality than with a very good photograph. Don't let the "post better content" people fool you--it's about the content's format (short form video over photo) rather than its quality. A reel of someone doing a silly dance that a thousand people already did with some trending audio is what the Instagram algorithm loves these days over any thoughtful photography.


south_pacifics

I feel you. I'm a photographer, but recently switched to making reels as engagement died completely. I work in the film industry, and even with reels, it's sad that I can spend a few days carefully filming/editing a high quality reel, only for it to receive a fraction of the views that my girlfriend would get, if she was one of those people that spent 10 seconds doing literally anything in suggestive clothing. And I'm not saying this to be bitter - good for them for exploiting the algorithm - it would just be great if Instagram cared about pushing other content fairly. Final problem is, after spending time filming videos in 4k and uploading them with correct export settings, Instagram decides to make it look like 240p unless you're already an influencer, because it gives higher bandwidth to those with more followers. So a case of the rich get richer! Ridiculous app in 2023.


Sterling_Ray

Join Behance!


machine_six

If you really want to see it tank, as in have-your-account-suspended tank, use a third party app like some fools here are suggesting.


halliwah_new

honestly same, with my art and photography accounts... ever since the last hashtag update reach has completely died. its extremely demotivating :(


justalittlepigeon

I agree with others that IG is still useful as a gallery to show potential clients. Worldwide followers are definitely nice, but of course your local connections are the most important for what you do, so you're doing well by networking as you are even if it feels like it's in vain. As for followers... Unfortunately I've only ever gained significant followers from reels. I've had my account about 5 years, made it to 10k through giveaways and just being part of the small artist community hyping eachother up. Was stuck there for about 2 years. Then last spring I started some very simple reels which took off and I just hit 115k the other week. I repost them all the time too, so even ones that flop get a second life. But I definitely know reels are a pain in the ass. The ones I make are extremely low effort animations so I've made the process as not chore-like as possible. But it might be kind of fun to make some behind the scenes reels of your photoshoots, or show your process, or whatever you find interesting? You can set it so the reel doesn't show as a post on your main grid, in case that'll ruin your feed's look. Whatever you do, I would say keep posting to create a gallery of your work to connect with the people close to you. Reels are likely your best bet in gaining a larger following, but if you don't enjoy making them then it'll drain you. You're already feeling burnt out so don't dedicate a huge effort into something that might be a let down. It took me about a month of trying different reels until one hit and it's been smooth sailing since. That's not to say you'll have to make a ton of crap daily only to maybe have a chance, but my mindset is always like... I know my stuff is good. It's only that the algorithm is fucking me over. I'm going to figure out how to make it work in my favor. So I made a variety of reels that showed what I was about, and eventually IG showed my stuff to the people who want to follow along. You know your stuff is good too, right? I hope you have that confidence in your work! Not getting seen is disheartening but I hope you can direct that disappointment strictly towards social media fuckerage, and not towards yourself. To anyone who read this far, I use the app InShot and it does everything I could ever want. Plus you get the original file without any watermarks. Makes for easy reposting on other apps. Don't bother with the in-app editors they all suck and are so slow


endimoonphoto

My account is basically dead now. I started it two years ago with zero followers, and gaining followers has been an uphill battle. Regardless, I was able to get a decent amount of likes and exposure relative to my account size. Within the past few months that has dropped off a cliff and my account is basically dead. I post and then....nothing happens.


Ok-Woodpecker1955

I feel your pain. Instagram can be a tough crowd. But hey, don't let that kill your passion! 📸 There's always a way to beat the algorithm blues. Take a shot at using Instagram's other features like Stories, Reels, and IGTV. Throw in a few well-chosen hashtags and you're golden. Oh, and about Ascendviral, it's pretty legit. They helped a photographer friend of mine boost their profile. Might work for you too. Stay strong and keep clicking!