Terms of Engagement: Why I think Instagram (and others) are using bully metrics.

Instagram's reshuffle of engagement metrics presents a real challenge for anyone marketing their business on the platform. The interactions that the algorithm is listening for directly contrast the browsing behaviour that we've all become accustomed to over the last ten years of scrolling and liking.

It's no secret that it's harder than ever to break through on Instagram. If you are a business, agency or entity, account growth is a real slog. And despite the clear message that 'great content converts', building a page and a community is a long-term strategy – not a quick win.

I've been working with clients, businesses and agencies to grow their social media accounts for a long time now, and have seen first-hand the shift from the seemingly simple pre-Story times when a great photo and a strong set of targeted hashtags was enough, to today's reality where many are left scratching their head at why their posts aren't performing.

With the present day proliferation of Bitcoin trader accounts, meme accounts, get rich quick accounts and more, many people are wondering why their own posts aren't getting the same engagement as those featuring people getting out of Lamborghinis in slow motion, or cats chasing laser pens.

It's safe to say, the chart above doesn't reflect the average user's browsing behaviour. The content I 'Save' is DIY ideas, the content I 'Share' is usually funny videos, and the content I 'Like' is just that... content that I like.

The balance of vanity metrics and metrics that favour the algorithm feels very off right now, and is no doubt Facebook's wider strategy to push brand accounts into the ad platform for revenue.

When you see a great post from a brand you respect and follow, do you Save it or Share it?

I don't believe that this gradual shift works towards a better community or a better Instagram. It works for the business goals of Facebook. Saving is invisible. Sharing is, for the most part, private. And comment sections are a hot mess – not just on Instagram.

Whilst I agree that it's far too easy to boost an account with artificial Likes, there needs to be a better solution to this – one that doesn't counterflow the engrained behaviours of users.

"Share this is you like it."

"Tap the bell to get notifications in the future."

"Let us know your thoughts in the comments below."

👆🏼 Content creators are literally asking for engagement. Sometimes that naturally fits into their content narrative, other times it feels desperate and forced. This is what platforms are doing to content creators. YouTubers have not been shy in voicing their burnouts and breakdowns when it comes to swimming upstream just to keep an account running.

This culture forces many content creators into a vicious churn – pressured to put out content on a daily basis. Something which was summed up so perfectly by a quote I reposted at the beginning of the year...

The influence of social media has created a perspective in artists that they need to produce masterful quality works in a large enough quantity so that they can be shared on an almost daily basis. This is an impossible standard that forces artists to create uninspired work.

That quote was from Robert Saint Rich, a New Jersey art theorist. But what do artists have to do with social media marketing?

It's all relative. The platforms work the same whether you're selling canvases or courses. Accounts that have built their success in the Wild West days of Instagram or YouTube now set an incredibly high bar for new accounts who are joining these platforms under entirely different terms.

So will we start seeing better content?

In my view, yes. But it's subjective. Platforms value the content that does well. Platforms boost content based on its initial surge of interaction. Does that mean it's great content? Sure, seeing a video of a homeless man being offered a job is heartwarming content. Seeing a video of a tiny digger unearthing a giant ship's hull is funny content. Because it's sharable. It's viral. It's quickly and easily digestible.

Because of this, content creators need to try harder to breakthrough. That doesn't mean investing in an 8K camera rig, or pulling in that expensive celebrity endorsement. It means jumping through a set of hoops set by the platform, hoops that differ widely depending on what platform you're posting on. This is a blocker for lone creators.

Springer's Final Thought

As Marketers, it is absolutely our job to inform, consult and help clients to navigate the choppy social media landscape. It's also our job to quite bluntly say "This is just the way it is". But that doesn't always feel good, particularly when helping a small or growing business find their feet.

Whilst "You just need to create great content" is advice, it's not overly helpful advice, because even strong posts from strong brands don't always perform. We are not all Coca-Cola.

I work with agencies to produce great content, and I help them get that content to the right audience in the right way at the right time.

My worry is, audience behaviour does not mirror what these big, ugly algorithms are looking for. At least not yet.

Big shoutout to the awesome folk at Air Social for the metrics graph. Check them out.