Understanding Instagram’s Reasons for Your Content’s Limited Reach
Instagram has recently provided insights into why your posted videos may not be reaching all of your followers on the platform. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, explained that there are two primary reasons for this limitation.
Firstly, many of your followers may not open the app on the particular day you published your new content. This means that even if they are following you, they may not see your posts if they are not active on the platform on that specific day.
Secondly, for those followers who do log into the app, they are presented with a large number of posts to scroll through. As a result, they may not have enough time to scroll down far enough to see every post, including yours.
It’s important to note that Mosseri advised content creators not to blame the platform’s algorithms for poor reach. He stated that Instagram’s ranking and recommendation algorithms actually increase the amount of posts people get to see, therefore increasing reach. He encouraged content creators to focus on view and like counts rather than follower counts in their reporting. According to Mosseri, these metrics provide a better sense of how relevant an account is.
However, many content creators did not respond positively to Mosseri’s advice. They accused Instagram of implementing poor algorithms that negatively impact reach. Some creators even shared analytics screenshots to support their claims. For example, Piques, who has 2.1 million followers on Instagram, expressed frustration and wrote, “Stop gaslighting the people who built your platform and who put a roof over your head.”
Award-winning author Diana Urban also shared her analytics screenshot, showing that only 200 of her 9,000 followers had opened the app in the past six days and potentially missed her post. She emphasized that she wants her followers to see her usual posts, which they have opted into seeing.
This discussion on Threads highlights the frustration and concerns of content creators who are not seeing a boost in terms of reach despite following Instagram’s guidelines. It offers reassurance to those who are experiencing similar limitations that they are not alone.
In conclusion, Instagram’s explanation for limited reach revolves around followers’ activity on the app and the overwhelming number of posts users encounter when scrolling through the platform. While some content creators may feel dissatisfied with Instagram’s algorithms, it is important to consider alternative metrics, such as views and likes, to gauge the relevance and impact of their content. Ultimately, understanding these factors can help content creators navigate the challenges of reaching their desired audience on Instagram.
