How Often Should You Post To Instagram?
With Instagram’s constant algorithm changes, organic engagement is becoming increasingly challenging to obtain. This has lead companies to think twice about what times and how frequently they are posting each day.
You’ve probably noticed that quite often old posts will appear at the top of your news feed above posts that have been posted just minutes ago. This is new algorithm! And although this has caused a decline in engagement, it does mean that your posts can still appear on people’s feeds days after you’ve posted them!
So what does this mean?
Should you post as frequently as possible to ensure at least a few of your posts are being seen by your audience, or will this detract engagement away from your other posts?
Below are 3 top tips which will help you to determine how frequently you should be posting.
1. Be Consistent!
How frequently you post depends on your personal business goals and the amount of time you have to dedicate to your marketing.
Some businesses choose to post up to 30 times a day! This is because they 1) have the time to do so and 2) believe that this way, their followers will see at least a few of their posts. However, it’s important to note that the accounts that do this, tend to have a strong, loyal, large following that don’t mind the frequent posting. If a smaller businesses decided to post 30 times a day, it's unlikely their followers would be as impressed and may result to hitting that unfollow button!
How frequently YOU should post depends on what frequency you can keep up with consistently and what you believe your audience want. Research shows that if a business went from posting 10 times a day to once a fortnight, this would put off followers and their following would decline as a result.
Your followers want to know what they can expect from you. So if you can't afford to post more than once a day DON’T - the more consistent you are, the better.
2. Ensure your posts are high quality!
If you decide you do want to increase the amount of times you are posting to Instagram, make sure you can afford to post good quality posts!
Although posting more frequently will most likely ensure your posts are being seen by more people, boost engagement and grow your following - this is useless unless you are posting good quality content.
Its crucial your posts are relevant and fit in with the theme of your Instagram. Never, i repeat NEVER post for the sake of posting! It’s better to miss a day of posting than to post a pointless photo that can damage your whole brand image.
3. Keep track of your analytics
Keeping an eye on your Instagram analytics will help you determine how often you should be posting to Instagram. Here you can see what types of content is getting the most engagement as well as what times/days they were posted which will give you a better understanding of what’s working and what’s not.
If you need any other advice on how to improve your Instagram marketing strategy, don't hesitate to get in touch! - @lucyhitchcock_ @sassydigital