Debunking Instagram Myths
Social media (and the internet in general) is able to provide us with SO much information, but it’s important to know what’s true and what’s false. I’ve watched way too many Reels + Tik Tok videos where ‘Instagram Gurus’ talk about hacks for ‘beating the algorithm’ that are completely false. You can’t believe everything you read and hear online!
If you're wondering if the last ‘hack’ you saw was true or not, make sure to check in with us, and we'll investigate for you! Here are a few of the most prominent rumours circulating right now, keep reading to see what’s real and what’s not.
Using Too Many Hashtags Will Block Or Shadowban Your Content
Shadowban is a term we hear quite often and it’s not something that Instagram practices. Don’t blame your lack of engagement on a ‘shadowban’ it’s likely due to low quality content, or content that doesn’t serve your audience.
Instagram has a limit of 30 hashtags for you to use, and if you use all 30, you won’t be ‘shadow banned’. They want you to use the hashtags! Be strategic with the hashtags you use, and make sure to use a combination of niche hashtags as well as some more popular (never over 1 million posts) ones.
Hashtags Work Better In Your Caption Than In A First Comment
It drives me crazy when I see people posting about this. It’s FALSE. It does not matter where you put your hashtags, it’s all based on preference aesthetically. I personally prefer to ‘hide’ my hashtags in a comment, but if you like the way they look in your caption, go for it!
Switching To A Business Or Creator Account Lowers Your Engagement
Instagram actually went on the record to say that this was false. A business or creator account gives you insights into how your content is performing with the goal of helping you! If you can see that certain posts aren’t performing well, that’s an indicator to switch things up and try something new.
Editing Your Caption After You Post Hurts Your Content In The Algorithm
This one just makes no sense to me. Features that Instagram offers are NOT meant to hurt you. The edit button is there for a reason, and will not affect your content’s performance! PLEASE, if you’ve noticed that you’ve made a mistake, fix it, it will HELP you, not hurt you.
If you’re interested in diving more into these myths, or want to book an Instagram Crash Course Session, please reach out to us at hello@brightconsulting.agency.