Ahhh…Instagram. I really do have such a love/hate relationship with it. On the definite love side of the equation is all of the incredible women that I’ve met and actually in several cases, become friends with. I also totally enjoy scrolling through for inspiration; whether it be fashion, hair, makeup, home design…my super visual brain can’t get enough. On the hate side of the equation though…
THE STORY
…There’s just so much to not love. Okay, “hate” is way too strong of a word, but “love/frustration relationship” just doesn’t sound as good does it?
A few years back I wrote about my frustration with the shadowban (which Insta claims isn’t a thing, but trust me, it was real). I’m also not a big fan of those vain shallow individuals who do the whole follow/unfollow thing. And don’t even get me started on those men (both real and fake accounts) who have decided Instagram is their own personal dating/scammer playground.
All of those topics are not what this post is about though. What I want to talk about today is numbers. Why numbers? Because I have been trying for weeks to figure out what in the hell is going on with my engagement…in particular the likes and the reach.
Now don’t get yourselves all worked up thinking that my self-worth is caught up in the numbers, and that I’m curled up in a ball in a corner somewhere feeling unworthy because my numbers are down. That’s not it at all. I’m looking at it from a purely business standpoint.
Several months ago I decided that I needed to start treating the blog (and by extension my Instagram) as the side hustle that it truly is. That is even more important now because as a family, we are soon going to be needing the additional income, and (I seriously can’t believe I’m saying this) I’m for real looking to retire from teaching in the next few years and I would like to use the blog to supplement my income.
Okay, back to the numbers. My follower count is totally stagnating and in the last month my engagement has dropped 53%…yes, 53%! I was averaging in the mid-200’s and now I’m lucky if I get anywhere near 100. What in the literal hell is that all about? And my reach is down by about the same percentage. Based on one of the recent “A Drink With James” videos from Fohr massively dropping engagement seems to be an across the board thing, however not by as much as mine has dropped.
And my friends, that big of a drop is definitely no bueno from a business perspective. I’ve tried all of the tricks…I’ve updated my bio, I’ve tweaked the preset I’m using on my photos, I actively like and comment on other’s posts right after posting. I try to respond to as many comments as possible within the first hour…and still no improvement.
A friend had also posted about it in her stories the other day and we got to chatting about it. From that chat I decided to try an experiment. In the past I’ve promoted a few Facebook posts, but never an Instagram post so I decided to experiment. I promoted one of my recent posts for five days. Two days into the promotion guess what? The engagement on that post was back up to normal. At the time of this writing it’s sitting at 270 while the other eight most recent posts are hovering around the 100 mark with the exception of one that’s at 159. Is it coincidence? Is Instagram being shady and attempting to push business accounts into paid promotions? I’ll let you decide.
Honestly I don’t know if it’s Instagram playing games, or the algorithm that none of us will ever demystify, or maybe it’s something else entirely. Perhaps I need to up my overall Instagram game, but I’m not really sure what if anything needs changed. I look at similar accounts and they are posting similar shots, their bio is not so different from how mine is set up and yet they have incredible engagement with a steadily growing following…what am I missing? As I said earlier, if this was just about my ego I wouldn’t be losing any sleep over it. However, as a blogger looking to grow my blog into a business it matters. A lot. Brands look at engagement and numbers, so in that respect numbers are where the money is.
So tell me friends, have you seen a drop in your engagement in recent weeks? If so, is it huge or minimal? Have you experimented with changes to your account? Any tips, tricks or suggestions would be much appreciated…Definitely share your thoughts in the comments!
THE OUTFIT
I simply cannot resist a loose flowy boho tunic style dress. I have about a bajillion of them in various floral and paisley prints. But throw in the fact that it’s a leopard print dress AND it was only $11…yes, please…I most certainly do have room for one more in my closet. Here’s the thing though, typically this style of dress is cotton or a cotton blend so there is no stretch. For most that may be no big deal. I however have a very broad upper back and shoulders so it’s often difficult for me sizing wise. I’m petite, yet genetics combined with my earlier bodybuilding history make for the occasional sizing quandry; such was the case with this dress.
Technically in the body I needed a small or even an extra small, but I had to purchase a medium to fit comfortably across my shoulders hence making the dress a tad looser than I would like. It looks fine hanging free, but on this particular day I decided to add a belt for a little extra shape. Weird thing is though, if you look at the dress on the Walmart site, it appears to be much more fitted. In reality it’s definitely a much looser boho swing dress kind of fit (even if I hadn’t sized up) so keep that in mind if you’re interested in it. Also, on the website it’s still $30, but I found it on clearance for $11 in-store.
I’ve been on some sort of combat boots with dresses bender lately (when I’m not wearing sneakers of course) so combat boots it was. I think they give it a little bad ass vibe, although it would look just as cute with some black platform pumps or over the knee boots. Combat boots are actually one of my favorite style of boots once cooler weather rolls around. They work with everything from denim to velvet and if you find the right pair you can’t beat ’em for comfort.
I’m thinking my combat boot/sneaker obsession has something to do with the fact that there is SO MUCH craziness in my classroom this year that even sitting down for a hot second any time between the start of my day at 7:30 and my lunch at 12:30 is nothing but a pipe dream. And the days that I do wear heels? I always have a pair of Birks in my bag and typically have them on my sore little feet by noon…fashion be damned.
I’ve rounded up a few of my favorite super cute boho tunic dress options for you below. I threw in a variety of prints and colors just in case leopard print isn’t your thang…
THE TIP
If you don’t already own a pair, consider giving combat boots a try. They give just the right amount of edge to an outfit without looking like you’re trying too hard. I suggest looking for a pair with a more flexible sole and if you can afford it, leather is the better option in this particular style of boot. With wear, it softens and conforms to your feet making them so much more comfortable to wear.
THE LINK UPS
Check out the weekly link ups I participate in for even more fashion and style ideas…
Dress: Walmart; Boots: Nordstrom (Similar); Belt: Similar
