The Instagram Struggle is Real


Like many others, I have been a little annoyed with Instagram lately! It's hard to grow as a blogger/influencer on Insta these days because of the algorithm changes, high competition, and shadow banning. Instagram is nothing like it used to be! 

I have been using Instagram since 2011, and yes - I still have my very first post on my account! Instagram has been my favourite social media platform for the longest time, and it's great that so many people have grown to love it too. 



Here are some of the things I've learned about Instagram over the last 6 years (or so) on Instagram:

Post Daily

Post at least 1 photo a day and make sure to also do at least 1 story photo/video as well! Stay consistent and stick to a schedule that works for you. For me, I post in the evening everyday between 7 and 10 pm. That is the time that works best for me!

Share your life moments

I've learned that even though Instagram can be very aspirational and full of inspiration, I think that people also like to feel like they can relate to you. Sharing things like birthdays, outings, friends, family, graduation, achieving a goal, etc is very important to post about. Of course, your whole life does not need to be on social media - but the highlights are important! Your followers tend to appreciate the "real" side of you, and that makes you relatable. 

Pick a niche and (try to) stick with it

I think that staying true to yourself, posting about what you love, and choosing a certain niche is a good idea when it comes to Instagram. This way, you are way more likely to attract your tribe. It's also easier for brands when it comes to choosing you for more specific campaigns that they know will reach a very certain target audience. 

Engage with others!

Engagement is SO important! I have to say that this is my favourite part though. I have met many amazing friends through the internet and blogging, but more specifically on Instagram. Yes, Insta of all places. I think that it's important to support one another in the blogging community and comment on as many posts as possible. They will most likely return the love!

Use hashtags (but not shadow-banned ones!)

Hashtags actually help your post's traction a lot. You just have to be super careful with which ones you choose! Instagram recently has been "shadow-banning" photos that use certain hashtags such as "#beautyblogger" and "#instacool". I have been testing my hashtags lately and filtering which ones work the best. I think that the more specific hashtags you use, the better. Use keywords that fit your niche. For example, I use: "#thepinklife", "#pinkobsessed" and "#torontoblogger" quite often. 

Be creative 

Instagram is a great place for inspiration - and to inspire others! Be creative with your posts in terms of colours, outfits you wear, locations you visit, the angle of photography, etc. Some of my top posts include this one, this one, and this one. I've also noticed that photos of my more "different" outfits and photos of people do better in terms of likes and engagement. 


Instagram is still my favourite platform and I think that at the end of the day, it's all about creating great content and enjoying that part of it. I'm a big believer in organic growth and not buying followers or paying for likes. Try not to focus on the numbers! 

A fellow Toronto blogger, Jessica Lam, talked about falling in love with Instagram again in a recent post and I really enjoyed it! Check out the post here.



Thanks for reading today!

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