In 2023, here are three things I’m not obsessing over on Instagram
It can be so easy to get caught up in the unimportant parts of social media. Here are a few that I decided won’t be worth my time on Instagram this year.
Filters
I started getting self conscious when I would see my real face on camera…the face that isn’t airbrushed or blemish-free thanks to makeup effects. Instagram is very visual, so it makes sense we want to look our best. But it’s also fake - a highlight reel of what we want audiences to see and perceive about us.
I decided I didn’t want to mislead audiences or be so hard on myself anymore. There’s nothing wrong with my face (or anyone’s face!) and we’ve fallen into the habit of these fake confidence boosts.
I’m not bashing anyone that uses filters. Small businesses should humanize their Instagram content by showing their faces every once in a while. If filters are the only way to get you confident enough to show your face online, then use them!
However, I can honestly say that removing filters from my content has not affected my followers, engagement rate, or the value that I bring to my target audience - and that last one is the most important to me! Plus, I predict that Instagram will continue to lean into raw, authentic content.
2. Finding a “best” time to post
A year ago, I had a sort of system set up to determine the best time of day/days of the week to post across all the accounts I manage. Today, I find that no longer relevant.
Back when the Instagram feed followed a chronological order, time was more of a relevant factor. In fact, it was said that most of our likes and general engagement came within the first hour of posting. I would literally determine if my content was successful or not based on that first hour.
But today? That’s not the case at all! By 2016, Instagram found that people were missing 70% of all their friends’ posts because of the chronological algorithm. Now, a certain percentage of posts at different points in time are shown to users when scrolling on their home feed. That’s why you might get a like today on something you posted three days ago.
Once Instagram Reels came into the picture in 2020, that changed things even more! Reels have a much longer shelf life than static image posts, and I’ve had a reel go from 200 views in the first 24 hours to over 30,000 views three weeks later.
Moral of the story: There is no “best time to post” anymore. Focus more on delivering content that serves your audience, and just post!
NOTE: If you miss the chronological feed,
Instagram has returned that view as an option! Tap the Instagram logo on the top left of your screen and choose “Following.” This won’t affect how your followers view your content, only how you view others.
ANOTHER NOTE:
Even though I wouldn’t place too much importance on this, you can track when your followers are most active on Instagram by visiting Professional Dashboard > Account Insights: See All > Total Followers.
3. What others in my industry are doing
Ok, every business should know what their competition is doing. I’m a big proponent of all types of research, and competitor research is no different. But this year, I won’t compare my content or question my value because of someone else in the industry, and I recommend that you do the same for your industry.
For me, this means limiting how much content I take in from other similar accounts. I should also clarify that I don’t consider other social media marketing accounts as “competition.” In fact, I admire and follow several! But sometimes, someone else’s activity or journey can distract me from my own. In order to challenge myself to be as creative and intentional with my audience as possible, I’ll be approaching each piece of content as if it were a blank canvas.
