Why Your Engagement is Dropping and What To Do About It

WHY YOUR ENGAGEMENT IS DROPPING AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

If you have been worried about your recent drop in engagement, please don’t panic!

Across the board, it seems most accounts are experiencing a slight dip - myself included and honestly, I am not concerned at all! Let’s explore why.

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As a friendly reminder, your worth as a creator is NOT determined by your numbers. Please repeat this mantra over and over until it sticks! It is easy to let your emotions get tied up with your metrics but I promise - this is not a reflection of the quality of your content. Even I need this reminder every now and then!

To fully understand what is going on with your engagement, it is important to take a step back and look at the big picture. In today’s episode I break down what is going on with these platforms (namely Instagram), how to evaluate your account through various measures, and key actions you can take to set up your account for success and better engagement from here on out.

Let’s jump into some external and internal reasons on why you have been experiencing slow engagement and reach.

External Reasons

1. Instagram is going through a lot of changes.

By reverting back to the chronological order and implementing a customizable home feed (which is slowly being rolled out to all), you may experience a dip in engagement and some natural follower fallout. Every time Instagram does a big update (which is quite frequent these days), it takes time for every account to adjust so don’t worry! There is a good chance your engagement might stabilize overtime as these app-wide adjustments are made.

2. This a natural ebb-and-flow of all platforms.

Whenever there is an increase in users and the introduction of additional features, platforms naturally see a decrease in overall reach. This is not just indicative to instagram either. As more creators join these apps, everyone’s engagement goes through an adjustment period. If you look back at history, you will be able to see that almost every user’s engagement was higher in the past. A steady decline is all part of the process. It does not mean the algorithm is out to get you specifically - this is just the natural cycle of all platforms.

3. Fluctuations are normal.

I heard through the grapevine that January and February are always slower months on social media. There is no viable proof that is accurate but it does act as an important reminder that fluctuations are totally normal. No matter what cycle you are in or what platform you are on, I recommend always prioritizing your content and focusing on ways you can further elevate rather than getting too into the nitty-gritty.

Internal Reasons

1. You took a break.

If you took an extended break from Instagram and have not been posting for a few months, it may be possible that your followers don’t recognize your content anymore. Additionally, the algorithm prioritizes accounts that show up consistently with well-crafted content. This is why we always preach consistency!

2. You’re not showing up for your audience.

I urge you to take a step back and analyze your intentions when posting on Instagram. It is easy to fall into hole of discouragement and you may post less because you are afraid or intimidated. Unfortunately, it means you are not showing up authentically for your audience. Instead, promise to consistently deliver and provide value to supplement your content. In return, you will be rewarded with well-deserved engagement!

3. You changed niches.

Have you been changing topics lately? The followers that came on-board when you were focusing on your previous niche might not be as interested with your new direction. This does not mean you cannot successfully change niches ever. However, maybe consider gradually adjusting to your new topic overtime while also focusing on building a better connection with your audience to decrease the likelihood that you will experience a large drop in engagement.

4. You have an old account.

It may be possible that your account is pretty dated at this point. There is a chance that a good chunk of the followers you amassed back then are not active on Instagram or have created a new account and abandoned the old one. If there are quite a few of these accounts that are inactive, or essentially ghost followers, this could negatively be impacting the reach of your content.

5. Your content strategy doesn’t prioritize Reels.

Raise your hand if you have been prioritizing in-feed posts over Reels? If your hand is raised, this change alone will revolutionize your engagement. Video is the future and you need to take the plunge into short-form video content in order to keep up with the ever-changing algorithm. I am no longer putting a huge emphasis on taking photos, but rather what goes into making a good story.

When I first started posting Reels in 2020, the engagement sucked but I knew I had to keep experimenting to see what stuck. I applied these learnings and was able to amass over 500k on my account, @ofleatherandlace, as well as over 100K on @fulltimeinfluencer.co. I packaged everything I learned, from creating engaging short-form video content to learning how the Reels algorithm works, into my Reels Rocket Ship program so you, too, can master video and boost your engagement once again.

Take Action!

1. Refocus your mindset.
If you let the numbers dictate whether or not you show up on Instagram or not, I am afraid you already lost. Instead, remember why you started your journey and do not lose sight of your passions. Refocus your mindset and set out with positive intentions on how you can add value to the world with your content.

Engagement is not linear and there will always be fluctuations but it is up to YOU to be consistent, to take breaks when needed, and to continually push forward. This is not a sprint, this is a marathon. The creators who take social media seriously as a sustainable career are the ones who achieve success in the end.

2. Create a content strategy plan.

Setting out with a clear plan intact will make it much easier for you to stay consistent and show up on a regular basis. If you take anything away from this episode it should be to always remember why you started and to focus on creating content with intention. If you want to learn about the 4 types of content (sharable, branded, profitable, personal) as well as the content strategy plans I recommend to others, you can learn more at my free webinar, Successful Influencer.

3. Develop more Reels.

Reels is the fastest growing sector of Instagram and the algorithm is strongly pushing these short-form videos. If you are ready to take control of your engagement, reach, and growth, consider joining me over at the Reels Rocket Ship program. Additionally, you can also analyze the successful Reels in your niche and how you can adapt them to fit your own voice. Keep practicing and perfecting short-form video because once you do your engagement will finally pay off and you can further repurpose that content to grow on other platforms.

4. Experiment more.

See what types of new content you can create to breathe fresh air into your stale account. For example, you can set out to learn some new skills or different filming techniques. The audience and platform are always evolving and changing, therefore, we need to be evolving and changing as an influencer.

5. Consider starting fresh.

I know this may seem extreme but if you have seen your reach plummet and have previously participated in a lot of giveaways or other inorganic growth tactics, you may want to consider starting fresh with a new account. One of our students, @ariel.land, actually shared with us that she abandoned her old account because many of her followers were inactive. With her new account she focused on creating amazing content and focusing on her niche and target audience. Since then, Ariel has exponentially grown her new Instagram with consistent reach and engagement!

Above all, if you are continually striving to do your best and learning new tactics, then you are already winning! No matter what the numbers say. Congratulate yourself for showing up, staying consistent, and maintaining a positive mindset. You got this!