Instagram is making a major shift in how it measures success. As usual, content creators and marketers will have to adapt — quickly. The latest updates from the platform emphasize “Views” (also known as Reach) over traditional engagement metrics like follower count.
Here’s the official word from Instagram: “We’re introducing ‘Views’ as the primary metric across all formats including reels, live, photos, carousels, and stories. These changes ensure creators have the same metrics across Instagram to help them better understand how their content is performing regardless of format and develop better strategies to help achieve their goals.”
What does this mean for your content strategy? Let’s dive in.
What’s New?
- Prioritizing Views: Instagram is now putting more weight on how many people actually see your content. This means that shares are more crucial than ever because they help your content reach a wider audience beyond your followers.
- Engagement Over Follower Count: The number of likes, comments, and shares your post garners is more significant than how many followers you have.
What Does This Mean for Your Content?
- Create Shareable Content: Shares are the new currency. Craft content that’s so compelling or valuable that people will want to pass it along to their friends and followers.
- Broad Appeal Over Niche Focus: With Instagram’s new focus, content that appeals to a wider audience is going to perform better. While niche content has its place, broad appeal can help your posts gain more visibility through shares and views.
- More Context Needed: Since users may not follow you, your posts need to provide enough context to make them useful. Think of each post as a mini-story or a standalone piece of information that doesn’t rely on users’ previous knowledge of your brand.
What Makes Content Shareable?
To create content that people will want to share, consider these elements:
- Humor: Funny content often gets shared more frequently. If it fits your brand, don’t shy away from developing a cohesive sense of humor that your audience will respond to and want to pass along to friends.
- Relatability: Don’t forget your human side. Content that resonates personally with users or reflects their own experiences is more likely to be shared.
- Relevant Information: Share tips, insights and news that your audience will find useful. The more practical or valuable the information, the more likely it is to be shared.
- Wishlisting: Content that sparks a sense of desire or features products or ideas people dream about can be highly shareable.
- Novelty: Unique or surprising content often gets more attention. Think about ways to incorporate new ideas or unexpected twists into your posts.
Strategic Considerations
- Balancing Content: Should you continue to create content specifically for your dedicated followers? Absolutely. Maintaining a mix of content for your loyal audience while embracing broader appeal can help you reach different segments of your audience.
- Updating Reporting Metrics: Align your reporting and analytics with these new priorities. Track shares, views and engagement metrics more closely to evaluate what’s working and adjust your strategy accordingly.
- Client Education: If you work with clients, it’s crucial to explain these new priorities and how they impact content strategy. Help them understand the value of engagement metrics and how to interpret performance reports in light of Instagram’s shifting focus.