Damn Instagram, back at it again with the algorithm
In this guest post Tym Yee discusses the content dilemma created by Instagram’s adaption of an algorithmic feed and why simply ‘creating better content’ isn’t enough.
I’m glad we made it through the week. For a second there I didn’t think humanity could do it. I mean, Instagram was changing to an algorithmic feed, which is, like, totally the end of the world, right?
Unless you’re a brand marketer, small business owner or social media influencer, this probably doesn’t mean too much to you. Like me, you’re just one of the innocent casualties caught in a feed stuffed to the edges with posts asking you to turn on notifications or else risk not seeing this particular beautiful person drinking C’s coconut water in Bali.
If indeed true, the shift marks a fundamental change in the way that users will connect and communicate with other users within the platform. With it will probably come lots of new ways we discover, browse, search and message others using Instagram, too. If your world is falling apart at the thought of this it’s a clear sign you’ve invested too much of your marketing efforts in one channel.
Tym Yee, good review.
“If you want to take your brand seriously, be it corporate, small business or personal you need to first get ready to play the algorithm to your advantage, and secondly to diversify your media.”
Nice piece, Tym. Some comments, though. You stated:
“The problem with suggesting that ‘quality’ be the differentiating factor in the future is the fact that the group most disadvantaged by this shift already do produce great quality content. I’m referring to the influencers who have put hours of unpaid labour into perfecting their aesthetics, brand messaging and personas to professional standards.
If their engagements drop they obviously lose that cultural clout they’ve worked so hard for. Then what happens to their revenue models? And who will give them free coffee bean body scrubs?”
I don’t necessarily agree with this. Brands, influencers and users generally who have focused on producing high quality content to an engaged audience will not suffer. In fact, the change will benefit them as it will optimise their older content which has scored well from an engagement perspective and shift low quality content from other brands competing for cut-through down (or off) feeds. Those who will suffer most are brands and influencers who historically have over-utilised the chronological feed and consequently are left with saturated content pillars and an overall weak content strategy on the platform.
On the influencers point also – those who have become overly commercial and focused too heavily on ‘cash for comment’ in the last few years will suffer. And indeed, they should. Influencers who have focused on creating quality content pieces in collaboration with brands are those who will continue to commercialise and have broader reach.