What you can do to make the Instagram algorithm changes work for you

Are you one of the ones having a melt down about the impending Instagram changes that are coming?! You aren’t alone! So many people have been really bothered with this whole change up, and truthfully it’s completely understandable. But… it was only a matter of time before it was coming.. let’s be honest!

So since the change is inevitable how can we make the best of the situation? I’m going to share some tips today on things you can put into practice today to not make this change up affect you so much!

Take control of your followers

You know the saying.. “If they can do something FOR you they can do something TO you”? Totally the case here. Companies like Facebook are known for giving you something for so long, making you become dependent, and then gradually start shifting to a paid model where you’ll have to pay to get the results you once saw with the free version of the network. I suppose that’s business, and naturally they want to make money right?! So it’s time for YOU to take control of your followers and the people that want to connect with you.

The absolute best way to gain control of your own followers is through your newsletter list. This is where the people that want to hear from you enter their email address and when you need to allows you to send newsletters directly to their inbox. These are people who willingly entered their email address and want to hear from you! No network can take this away. And if they unsubscribe, well okay… they chose to do that and social media didn’t just hide the content from them.

So if you’re asking how do I do this newsletter list thing, your first step is to sign up for a MailChimp account. Mailchimp is free up to 2000 subscribers and is a great email marketing tool to use if you’re just starting out since their interface is so user friendly!

For tips on growing your email list, check out this 5 day email course from my friends Abby & Donnie with some wonderful tips to grow that list! If I had to say two words about growing your list its: Add Value!

Have your own website

It’s very likely that if you’re reading this you have your own website, but I couldn’t not mention this. I’ve seen a lot of creatives who are completely dependent on Etsy or other networks for their business. I’m telling you right now… you don’t want them to have full control of your business! If you don’t have a website to call your own, right NOW is the time to act. Trust me on this one.. I’ve seen lots of people get shut down with Etsy and their livelihoods were compromised because they didn’t take control of their own business! Don’t let that be you!

If you’re not sure where to start on having your own website, start right here. We have this handy guide that will take you from purchasing your domain name to launching your site!

Turn on notifications

I’m listing this one very hesitantly. I’m not a huge proponent for phone notifications like this because I just want you to spend time with your family!!! However, from a marketing prospective, I’m going to say.. sure I want you to be notified when I post on Instagram. So, that said, use this with caution. If you turn on notifications yourself and it’s causing trouble for you and taking time away from your family.. turn these OFF!

Invite your followers to turn on notifications for your account

Instagram has an option to turn on notifications on a per-user basis. This allows for the people that follow you to be notified each time you post something instead of relying on the Instagram algorithms to show them what they want to see. Before this change takes place on Instagram within the next month, you should invite your followers to turn on their notifications if they would like!

Add value to your followers

In order for people to turn on notifications for your feed, they are entrusting you that you’re not going to bombard them with posts to sell your product. That’s the fastest way to get them to turn that notification off. Remember to add value to your followers by lifting them up, encouraging them, offering help where needed, interacting with people who comment, and so forth.

Get interactive

Do some fun things through your feed for your followers so they will want to stay updated with everything you’re doing. Create your own hashtag or have a daily challenge. These are really great ways to get your followers interactive with you and as a group!

If you put some of these things into practice, I’d love to hear your results. Or if you have any other suggestions, we’d love to hear them!