How to Increase Impressions on Instagram

Are you having trouble getting your content seen on Instagram? If so, you aren't alone in this. In fact, a lot of businesses and influencers are experiencing this same issue right now. With Instagram reevaluating their algorithm and changing which insights are most valuable, it can be hard to stay on top of the app and at the newsfeeds as a result.

At Hyperchat Social, we're keeping a close eye on this platform to make sure our clients continue to Turn Social Into Sales. We have experimented with a few new practices that are making a huge difference in our social performance that we are excited to share. Keep reading to learn what small steps you can take to increase your impressions and digital footprint!

Do Instagram Likes Matter Anymore?

If you find yourself constantly asking, "Why am I not getting likes on Instagram?", you should read THIS blog post, where we address the many reasons likes aren't the sole determiner of success on social media. Nowadays, Instagram offers many more insights than just post likes and comments. Are people visiting your profile? Are they saving your post for later? Are they following you directly after seeing one of your posts? In the long run, these actions are much more valuable than a simple double-tap on your post. Additionally, a lot of Instagram users are in the platform's beta test of no like count on posts. If someone doesn't have likes displayed on their newsfeed, they are less likely to like your post because they forget that it is an option.

Moving forward, Instagram is going to offer 3 different in-app options for likes. All users will have the option to:

· Hide like counts on other people's posts

· Switch off like counts on your own posts

· Keep full like counts in the app

What Is 'Shadowbanning' and How Do I Know If I'm Shadowbanned?

You can be doing all the right things on Instagram and still have trouble getting eyes on your posts. It can be frustrating to feel like hashtags and timing aren't working in your favor, but it may be because your account is shadowbanned. When you're shadowbanned, Instagram is suppressing your content because you have broken their terms, which is why your posts are receiving fewer likes and comments than normal. Essentially, Instagram is blocking these accounts so that they prioritize genuine content for their users. Some of the reasons they shadowban are for using automated bots for growth, abusing broken hashtags, having your account reported, and engaging too quickly.

To check if you are shadowbanned, create a post and use a niche hashtag (like #swimminginthebahamas instead of #selfie so that your post is easier to find). Then, go to the hashtag directly to see if your post is displayed. If not, your content is most likely being suppressed.

Instagram hasn't directly said that they are shadowbanning accounts, but they have come out and addressed why content isn't being displayed when a hashtag is used. Below is what they had to say.

Our Experiment

Knowing what we know about Instagram's new algorithm, we understand that saves, direct messages sent, and engagement are more important than likes when you want to increase your impressions. That being said, the higher your impressions, the higher the chance that you will get more likes is.

For our social media profile and for our clients, our team has begun saving posts on Instagram with their personal account to boost performance. You can do this by hitting the bookmark icon on a post. This tells the app that you liked this content so much that you wanted to save it to reference later.

After about a month of doing this, we have seen some amazing results! Check it out below:

Example #1

Below is a direct screenshot of one of our client's Instagram performance over the past month. As you can see, activity has increased significantly and the number of users reached has increased by 172%. Similarly, content interactions have increased by 400%, meaning the increase in people has caused an increase in actions.

Check out this screenshot of 2 different posts where 1 post was saved 6 times and 1 post was not saved. Not only was the second post liked by 10 individuals, but it was also sent in 10 different direct messages. While 10 likes may not seem like a lot, 10 likes are much greater than 2 likes. Additionally, 10 direct conversations surrounding the post is much more valuable than a quick double-tap and scroll.

Example #2:

Similar to the above, bookmarking this account's posts has played a huge role in the number of impressions their posts have received. Just take a look at that graph! Results have had a steady increase over the past month just by bookmarking posts. This account had an increase in content interactions, which is important because it means that posts aren't just being seen, but are sparking interactions. With the posts being seen by more people, they are also seeing a 12% increase in followers.

In the below example, you can see that just 2 saves made a large difference when compared to 0 saves. The second post received 29 likes, 3 comments and 2 direct messages! For posts to receive this type of engagement, they need to be seen. For posts to be seen, there needs to be some sort of initial interaction to get the impressions going.

So, What Does This All Mean?

Likes are not everything on Instagram. There are more valuable insights available to business profiles that you should consider when measuring success on social media. Instagram favors genuine posts and when a post is being saved repeatedly, it typically means that the content was so helpful that someone wants to revisit it later. If you, your team, or friend and family can begin saving your posts, your posts will be displayed to more people. Make sure to let those close to you know that they should be saving your posts to help you out. If you are one of our clients, our team will make sure to go in and save your posts for you so that we can maximize results. Additionally, let your followers know that the easiest thing they can do to support you is to bookmark your posts for later! This is a quick and easy way for followers to support small businesses.

Do you need help posting to Instagram? Afraid you may be shadowbanned? No worries! We are here to make sure your profile is posting smoothly and effectively. Click HERE to book a consultation with one of our Instagram experts and begin turning social into sales!