Why You're Experiencing an Engagement Drop on Instagram: 5 Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

You know the feeling: you’ve been scrolling for hours, following different accounts and liking photo after photo. All of a sudden, your engagement on Instagram drops significantly. Scary, isn’t it? Such changes in engagement are quite common among users. You see, there is no one exact way to gain followers or increase your views. Different people have different ways of approaching this task but they all have one thing in common: they all mess up from time to time. Mistakes that might seem insignificant can result in an engagement drop on Instagram. But don’t worry! We have some suggestions on how to fix that right away! Let’s dive into why you’re experiencing an engagement drop on Instagram and what you can do about it:

Your Audience is Tired of Seeing Your Ads

Ads are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they are a great way to gain new followers. On the other hand, they can also lose followers in the process. The same goes for engagement: ads can bring significant engagement but they can also result in an engagement drop on Instagram. It all depends on the type of ad you’re using. If yours is a video ad, you’re in the clear. But if yours is a photo ad, you’re more likely to experience an engagement drop on Instagram. Ads that people find annoying lose engagement quickly. So if you post your photo ad too often, your audience will find it annoying and will stop following you. How often should you post your ad? It depends on the type of account you have. If you have an e-commerce account, you’ll want to post your ad as often as possible. If your account is more lifestyle-based, you might want to hold off on posting your ad a bit.

You’re Posting at the Wrong Time

Timing is everything. There is a specific time when most of your followers are online and ready to engage with your content. This moment is called the "prime time". If you post your content outside of the prime time, you’re less likely to gain significant engagement. In fact, you might even see a drop in engagement because your followers may be too busy to leave a comment or heart your post. Now, there are plenty of apps out there that can tell you when your prime time is. But they aren’t always 100% accurate. Instead, you can use these guidelines to determine which times are best for you: If you have a B2B account, the best time for engagement is during the workweek between 9am and 5pm. If your account is B2C, you’re better off posting on the weekends. If your account covers a variety of topics, you’re better off finding a time that works for all of your posts.

You Have Poor Quality Content

This may seem obvious but it’s worth mentioning: you need quality content in order to get the most out of your followers. If your content is poor quality, your followers will quickly become bored and lose interest. You can lose engagement before you even realize it. If your content is poor quality, you’re going to see a drop in engagement. So what is considered poor quality content? Content that has no real structure, content that is grammatically incorrect, content that is too wordy, and content that is repetitive can all be considered poor quality. In order to keep your audience engaged, you’ll want to make sure your posts are organized and straightforward. You’ll also want to keep your posts short and to the point. You don’t want to bore your followers with long-winded posts that go off on tangents.

You’ve Stopped Showing Audiences Why They Should Buy From You

New followers will continue to follow you if they believe you can offer something of value. But if you don’t keep your promises and stop providing them with value, they will stop following you. This is why it’s so important to keep your followers interested in what you have to say and to continue providing them with value. If you’re not sure how to do that, we’ve got you covered. It’s important to keep in mind that engagement is not just reserved for the Instagram algorithm. Engagement happens off of Instagram as well. You can gain engagement by interacting with other accounts and posting on relevant hashtags. You can also gain engagement by replying to comments and answering questions on Instagram. It’s important to keep your followers engaged outside of Instagram as well.

You Haven’t Built Authority (Yet)

If you want your followers to trust your brand and purchase from you, you need to build authority. Authority can be defined as “the power or ability to influence others.” If your followers trust in your brand, they will be more likely to purchase from you. How can you build authority? You can do this by using different types of content such as blog posts, e-books, videos, and podcasts. You can also use influencers to boost your authority. It’s important to note that gaining engagement is a long-term process. It can take several months before you see significant changes in engagement. That being said, it’s important to remain consistent and keep improving your Instagram account. If you keep making mistakes, you’ll keep experiencing an engagement drop on Instagram. But if you keep improving, you’ll soon be soaring above the rest!