Instagram explains why your content isn't reaching your followers (2024)

Search Engine Land » PPC » Instagram explains why your content isn’t reaching your followers

The platform insists its algorithms are not to blame if you have noticed a steep decline in reach recently.

Nicola Agius on April 3, 2024 at 10:34 am | Reading time: 3 minutes

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Instagram shed light on why your posted videos may not be reaching all of your followers on the platform.

Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, explained that “nobody” reaches every single one of their followers due to two primary reasons:

  1. Many of your followers may not open the app on the particular day you published your new content.
  2. Those followers who do log into the app that day are presented with far more posts than they have time to scroll through on Instagram. As a result, they may not scroll down far enough to see every post.

What Instagram is saying. Sharing these insights on Threads, Mosseri followed up his comments by advising content creators to not blame the platform’s algorithms for poor reach. He wrote:

  • “Before some of you say ‘the algorithm’ is the culprit, understand that ranking and recommendations *increase* the amount of posts people get to, and therefore the amount of reach to go around, more than any thing else we’ve ever done.”

Focus on views and likes. Mosseri also encouraged content creators to prfioritize view and like counts over follower counts in their reporting. He added:

  • “I understand why people focus so much on follower counts; they’re prominent and they’re easy to find. But if you actually want to get a sense for how relevant an account is, look at their how many likes they get per post and how many views per reel instead.”

Reaction. Content creators did not take too warmly to Mosseri’s advice and accused Instagram of implementing poor algorithms that were negatively impacting reach. Many creators shared analytics screenshots to support their comments. Piques, who has 2.1 million followers on Instagram, wrote in response:

  • “Stop gaslighting the people who built your platform and who put a roof over your head.”
Instagram explains why your content isn't reaching your followers (1)
Instagram explains why your content isn't reaching your followers (2)

Award-winning author Diana Urban replied on Threads by sharing a screenshot of her analytics five days after sharing a post with her 9,000 followers:

Instagram explains why your content isn't reaching your followers (3)

She wrote: “I understand what you’re saying @mosseri but I find it hard to believe that only 200 of my followers opened the app in the past 6 days and didn’t scroll down far enough to see this post. And while I appreciate that this one went viral, I mostly just want my followers to see my usual posts *which they opted into*. I hope what so many of us are saying makes sense.”

Why we care. If you are following Instagram’s guidelines and are still not seeing a boost in terms of reach, it may offer some reassurance that plenty of other successful content creators are in the exact same boat.

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Deep dive. Read the Threads discussion in full for more information.

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About the author

Instagram explains why your content isn't reaching your followers (5)

Contributor

Nicola Agius

Nicola Agius is the Director of SEo and Discover at Reach PLC. Previously, she was Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land from 2023-2024. She covered paid media, retail media and more. Before this, she was SEO Director at Jungle Creations (2020-2023), overseeing the company's editorial strategy for multiple websites. She has over 15 years of experience in journalism and has previously worked at OK! Magazine (2010-2014), Mail Online (2014-2015), Mirror (2015-2017), Digital Spy (2017-2018) and The Sun (2018-2020). She also previously teamed up with SEO agency Blue Array to co-author Amazon bestselling book Mastering In-House SEO.

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Instagram explains why your content isn't reaching your followers (2024)

FAQs

Instagram explains why your content isn't reaching your followers? ›

Many of your followers may not open the app on the particular day you published your new content. Those followers who do log into the app that day are presented with far more posts than they have time to scroll through on Instagram. As a result, they may not scroll down far enough to see every post.

Why is my content not reaching my followers on Instagram? ›

The first potential problem area you may want to look at is the level of engagement on your posts in the past few weeks or months. If it's low, then it's possible that your followers aren't seeing your most recent posts because the Instagram algorithm isn't showing them.

How do I fix low reach on Instagram? ›

Post when your audience is online

Your audience might be online at a different time than you expect. The only surefire way to get your timing right is to check your Instagram insights to find your audience's “most active times” and schedule your posts — whether they're Carousels or Reels for that time only.

Why is my content not reaching anyone? ›

You're either posting too much or not posting enough, whichever your issue, your posting cadence doesn't align with your audience or your intended audience. Consistency is one of the best ways to build credibility and trust with your audience.

Why am I not getting enough followers on Instagram? ›

The Instagram algorithm favors content with high engagement. If your content doesn't do well, it's less likely to appear in the Explore feed. Low engagement with other accounts can also have an impact. Other accounts are less likely to engage with you if you're not supporting them.

How do I get my post to reach all my followers? ›

11 Tips to Beat the Algorithm
  1. Post more often. The first solution may seem too simple and easy, but it really works. ...
  2. Create high-quality content. ...
  3. Post videos frequently. ...
  4. Keep the Stories coming. ...
  5. Mind the peak hours. ...
  6. Don't hesitate on going live. ...
  7. Write compelling captions. ...
  8. Use hashtags cleverly.

Why is my content not getting views on Instagram? ›

If you're not getting the Instagram Story views you want, it could be because you're posting at the wrong times. If you're posting to your Story at a time when your followers aren't active, then it makes sense that you're not getting many views. This is because Instagram prioritizes new content.

Why is Instagram killing my reach? ›

A sudden or gradual drop in the quality of the content you post could cause your followers to engage less with your posts, leading to a reduced Instagram reach. Are your photos less crisp or your captions less engaging than before? Remember, quality trumps quantity every time on this platform.

How do you fix dead reach on Instagram? ›

These tips will help you re-earn your favour with the algorithm and boost your engagement.
  1. Warm Up Your Dead Instagram Account.
  2. Choose a Posting Schedule and Stick to It on Instagram.
  3. Create a Content Calendar.
  4. Jump onto Trends with Reels.
  5. Analyse Your Top and Worst Performing Content.

Why is Instagram restricting my reach? ›

Instagram restricts users who engage in rapid and excessive following or unfollowing of other accounts in a short period. This behavior can be seen as spammy and disrupts the user experience, meaning that your actions may become restricted or unavailable for some time. Liking or commenting too quickly.

Why is my Instagram reach so low in 2024? ›

The diminishing reach of Instagram feed posts can be attributed to several factors: Feed algorithm: Instagram now prioritizes content based on user engagement and relevance rather than post time. If your content isn't deemed engaging, it might be shown less frequently.

How to fix Instagram algorithm? ›

Short answer: No, you can't "reset" the Instagram algorithm. However, there are a couple ways you can refresh the content shown in your feed: By clearing your search history. By tapping "Not Interested" on suggested posts.

Why is Instagram suppressing my posts? ›

If a post goes against our Community Guidelines, we'll remove it from Instagram. You can check your Account status at any time to find out if you've posted something that goes against Community Guidelines.

Why are my Instagram posts not reaching my followers? ›

Many of your followers may not open the app on the particular day you published your new content. Those followers who do log into the app that day are presented with far more posts than they have time to scroll through on Instagram. As a result, they may not scroll down far enough to see every post.

Why is my Instagram growing so slowly? ›

By addressing the five common reasons why your growth may be stuck — lack of consistency, neglecting engagement, overlooking hashtags, poor quality content, and ignoring Instagram Stories — you'll be well on your way to breaking free from the plateau and gaining traction.

Why does Instagram not push my content? ›

If a user either doesn't spend a long time on Instagram or doesn't open the app that often, you decrease the odds of having your content seen if you aren't in one of their very top slots. In terms of organic reach, the algorithm tends to negatively impact personal accounts more than business or creator accounts.

Why is Instagram not counting my followers? ›

One of the primary reasons for follower count delays is the way Instagram's system caches and updates data across its servers and CDNs. Your follower count doesn't update in real time, instantaneously adding each single new follow as it happens.

Why wont my followers load on Instagram? ›

Not being able to see your followers on Instagram can be frustrating, but there are several solutions you can try. Make sure you have the latest version of the application, verify that you are using the correct account, troubleshoot Internet connection issues and, if necessary, contact Instagram support.

Why is my page not getting followers? ›

You need to continually post relevant and informative content to keep your audience coming back for more. The more engaging your content, the more likely people are to share posts and tag others in the comments. It's a domino effect that works wonders for gaining social media followers.

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