Why I'm No Longer Listening To Instagram Advice

Before I really delve into this post, Instagram is an app which I have loved since I first downloaded the app in 2014. I love sharing photos from my photo album, being inspired by my favourite creators with their wonderful images and talent and just liking photos in general! Yet I've gotten to a stage where I think Instagram has descended it's hate onto my profile. It's not showing my photo on my follower's feeds, hashtags don't work for me (even the ones that used to work for me in the past) and no matter how much I communicate with others on the app, Instagram doesn't seem to appreciate that. Sigh. Here's the thing though guys - I really don't care anymore. Ok, it does sound like I care a little, but honestly, I don't care half as much as I used to.

Why I'm No Longer Not Listening To Instagram Advice


Instagram was originally made for us to share photos from our lives, whether it be a memory we want to share, a cure photo of our dog or cat, a meal we were about to eat in a nice pub or restaurant or your most relatable quote. Nowadays, it feels like so much thought, analysis, blood, sweat and tears have to go into posting a simple photo or reel. You have to post at a specific time to get the best reach, you have to analyse which of the 30 magic hashtags to use out of millions on your post to reach out to those who don't already follow you. You have to donate your kidney to get your post the amount of likes you would it to receive. That does sound a little dramatic I know.


Remember the days of seeing photos in chronological order? Ah, fun times. Then the infamous Instagram algorithm came along, something the platform introduced into the app a long time ago. Since then, I've seen so many blogger's try to crack the code and give out advice on how to do that. However, these days, the advice I have seen is all the stuff we have heard before - and will continue to hear.

Why I'm No Longer Not Listening To Instagram Advice


To put it simply, the Da Vinci Code is more solvable than the Instagram algorithm. I don't think anybody is going to find the solution or equation to it. It's going to be with us forever and we just have to accept that. 


I've come to the conclusion that I cannot be bothered to listen to those supposed Instagram algorithm "experts" saying they have cracked the code. More often than not, they're just spieling the same stuff as each other and it does my head in. There's only a very small handful of people who I listen in terms of their Instagram tips and advice cause they don't talk random shit or talk about the same thing repeatedly. Those people are Kelsey from Kelsey In London and Creative Gal Gang, Vix Meldrew and Ellie from Styling Social. These women don't talk shit and are straight about Instagram and their advice I always value. 

Why I'm No Longer Not Listening To Instagram Advice

I have reached a point now in my Instagram posting life that I just want to post photo's that bring me joy, make me smile and raise awareness, whether that be about Cystic Fibrosis or mental health. I joined Instagram for that reason. I kind of forgot that during a period of time as likes, mentions and comments became more of a priority. I set my priorities right now and I'm glad that I have. It's made me enjoy Instagram again. 


I've reined myself in and accepted the fact that I will never succeed at Instagram and get thousands of followers. Actually, I never thought I would. Sounds defeatist, I know. Seriously though, hats off to those who have made a huge success out of Instagram, you should be so proud of yourselves and I admire you for working so hard to get to where you are today. 

Why I'm No Longer Not Listening To Instagram Advice

To sum up, Instagram advice is something I rarely take on board anymore purely because it's just the same jargon being repeated by different people. Like I said above, those three women know what they're talking about and I will always take their advice on board. 


What are your feelings on people giving out Instagram advice? Let me know!
56 comments
  1. I've really started to give up on Instagram, I think I've been sat on the same number for like 2 years, it's painful and just makes you feel disheartened every time you put a lot of effort in, and there's really no rhyme or reason why some posts do better than others. I kind of gave up too, and now just take photos and go along with Instagram without feeling the pressure of the numbers! xx

    www.iridescentplaces.com

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    1. It really is frustrating when your following number doesn't change for a long period of time, I've been there and it's not nice.
      I love that you are now just focusing on taking and posting photos for your enjoyment and not focusing heavily on numbers xx

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  2. I totally agree with you! It's so annoying the amount of effort that has to be put into instagram photos & reels. I'm trying to post every other day but I'm not really loving Insta at the moment and have been spending less time scrolling as a result ��‍♀️��

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    1. Yeah the effort of posting photos and reels at particular times and using different hashtags each time can be quite tiresome I know. You've just got to do what is best for you when it comes to Insta x

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  3. Yessssss!!!! Algorithm schmalgorithm

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    1. Algorithm schmalgorithm! I love that babe!

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  4. Yes to this! OMG. I needed to read something like this today! I feel like you've said everything that's inside my brain. Haha. I gave up caring about Instagram earlier on in the year & it actually feels liberating to shift the mindset. I 'm actually enjoying using it so much more, but it's because I'm posting what I want, when I want. You're 100% right about the Da Vinci code thing! I remember saying to someone at a blogging event (shows how long ago that was) that I think the only way to succeed at Instagram is to be on it 24/7... And that's just not the life for me! Thank you so much for sharing this! I might do something similar in my own words as a little FU to Instagram. Haha.

    Claire.X
    www.clairemac.co.uk

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    1. Well I'm glad you could relate to this so well Claire!
      It does feel incredibly freeing when you finally just stop caring about numbers and just focus on posting photo's that make you smile!
      I think that is the case Claire, you have to be on the platform 24/7 just to get the numbers and followers you want!
      I can't wait to read that post Claire, please write it! x

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  5. Yes to everything you've said! What I can't stand about Instagram is how manipulative it is. It's abusive. They just want us to spend our whole lives in an app or they won't push our hard work and content out. I still love the platform but definitely am taking a step back from it. Thank you for sharing, Lucy! x

    Lynn | www,lynnmumbingmejia.com

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    1. You are absolutely right Lynn, Instagram wants us to work our guts out to get what we want and they sometimes punish us for not doing that!
      Like you, I still love the platform as I love looking for inspiration and following my favourite creators! x

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  6. Amen to this post! I feel exactly the same, I now just use Instagram as a place to share the photos I adore and have stopped caring about the amount of engagement - I've even turned off like notifications and it's helped so much x

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    1. I'm glad you have found your happiness with Instagram now and I love that you have turned off like notifications too, that sounds like something I may do too x

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  7. Yes to "the Da Vinci Code is more solvable than the Instagram algorithm"! So true, it changes way too often and I've found that focusing on following too much advice to grow sucks the fun out of it. Great post!

    Anika | chaptersofmay.com

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    1. I agree lovely, the algorithm changes so much and it's so frustrating to grow on Insta nowadays!

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  8. Instagram is so confusing! I love that you're now just doing it for you!

    Katie | katieemmabeauty.com

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    1. It can be can't it?! It's just better to do what is best for you on the platform!

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  9. I can relate to not wanting to listen to Instagram advice. I hate the algorithm and would love it to be in order again. I don’t see half the people I follow posts; it is so frustrating. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

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    1. I wish to god that they would bring the chronological order back, it made life so much easier! I turn on post notifications for some of my favourite creators so I can still see their posts, but it's annoying when I don't see others x

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  10. Since this month I notice that my likes and engagements keep decreasing even tho I use the same hashtag for my old posts (which received more than 100likes) - it keeps bothering me until I decided not to focus with numbers and only focus to share content I love. It's so frustrating! Yes to all you've said here. Thanks for sharing your thoughts x

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    1. I don't blame you for focusing on sharing you content you love, it's the best way forward x

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  11. I stopped listening to the advice and started posting again just because I had a photo I wanted to share. It's made it a lot less stressful! :) xx

    Holly | www.gollymissholly.uk

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    1. That's the best way to go about things Holly! xx

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  12. OMG THIS! It's like you've read my mind but been brave enough to say it out loud. My insta is a wash of advice to do X, Y & Z but honestly, I'm sick of it. I also don't like watching people being taken advantage of by these "Insta Gurus". I've stopped fretting about hitting promotion times and about my content. I'm trying to post now as and when I want to!
    Insta was never amazing at driving traffic to my blog anyway!

    Rosie

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    1. Haha I'm glad you could relate Rosie! The advice is just repeated jargon all the time, I don't need to keep hearing or reading it! Like I said, there's only three people I listen to about Insta advice and they don't talk rubbish like the majority do! Insta is never going to drive hoards of people to our blogs so I just post what I want on there now!

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  13. Yes to this post Lucy! For me, Instagram has always just been more about posting photos I like than making it look a certain way. I had an account early on and whilst I've added my blog link and done a few brand ads on there, I've kept it more natural and not forced. I've decided that if people want to follow and stick around, that's up to them. Just keep doing what you enjoy.

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    1. Thank you Kelly, I'm glad you agree with me! I like that you have kept things natural with your Instagram and just posted photos that make you happy. I like your attitude lovely, that's the attitude that I should adopt!

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  14. Yes, yes, yes! There's so much BS out there about Instagram, 'just post consistently and you'll grow!'. Sure, like you're not already doing that if you're trying to grow?? I fell out of love with it a really long time ago and pretty much gave up with it. I felt so much pressure to try and make everything picture perfect and got zero enjoyment from the outcome. I think your new approach is so much healthier x

    Sophie
    www.glowsteady.co.uk

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    1. Exactly Sophie, posting consistently never almost works sometimes, especially if Insta is in a huff with you about something! The approach of posting what I enjoy has definitely made me enjoy Instagram more! x

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  15. Big yes to this! While the Instagram algorithm is the worst I also don't necessarily want chronological order back because I personally don't always scroll through all the posts so I think even more posts would get lost than already do but that being said the algorithm really doesn't work in it's current form. I love curating my Instagram feed and the worst thing is always when you've put so much work into a shoot and you're super happy with the outcome and then you get no traction on it! I used to be one of those people that would delete photos if they didn't get enough likes but I've moved on from that now and I just try to be authentic to me and hopefully the people will follow!

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    1. I think the chronological can be a good idea for someone who follows less people. Maybe Instagram could introduce an option where you can choose seeing your posts in chronological order or what it currently it is now! That would be amazing!
      It is frustrating when you create really great content and it doesn't get shown to your followers or elsewhere on Instagram,

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  16. I went to Instagram for the first time in many months and discovered I have 56 followers. Neat. Maybe I will start using it a little and see what happens.

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  17. OMG! I finally found someone on the same page with me as regards to Instagram. I have Instagram but never use it. There was a time when I used to be so bothered about getting likes and followers on Instagram, using hashtags and all and believe me it's exhausting. Let's not even talk about the fake life on Instagram! Yea, there's a lot of fakeness on social media but I feel like Instagram is one of the social media platforms with the highest amount of fakeness. I have since stopped caring about Instagram. I hardly even use it anymore and it's liberating as hell. I feel like Instagram algorithm is total rubbish and if I ever decide to use Instagram, I will do it for me. I know I'm gonna work on Instagram at some point but I know I won't beat myself up over shit hahaha. I loved this post. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. I think bothering about the likes and follower count is incredibly draining, that's why I took a step back and just started posting the things that I enjoy!

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  18. I love this Lucy. I have been an insta user for more years than I care to remember now and the change has been huge. It was fairly easy to grow on their and keep engagement up.

    Now its just impossible. But I love using it. I love your content. I am going to work on my pictures over the next few months because I want to fall in love with it as a platform. Good for you though, I think you're doing a great job on Instagram x

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    1. You're right lovely, it's near on impossible to grow on there now!
      Thank you so much Claire, that means so much! x

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  19. I totally feel the same way. Instagram is a guessing game here lately and everything I try to do, doesn't really work! So I'm just going to do what I want to anyway lol

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    1. It is like a guessing game Charity, it's so annoying! I'm glad you're just doing what you want to do!

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  20. Honestly I don’t think I have ever really tried with Instagram 😂 I just post what I want, follow who I want and I am not too fussed how many follow me. I just love the interaction and communicating with others. Plus I would get rid of all social media if I didn’t use it to communicate in some way x

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    1. I think that's what people should love about Instagram, that interaction and communicating with others! x

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  21. I know the feeling. I'm doing EVERYTHING that people say to do to help engagement ect and nothing works it's so disheartening and is making me not want to post but I love sharing photos. My posts used to get well over 100 likes not I'm lucky to even reach 50 some days. I love following VIX her advice is always so great. I just need to remember I'm posting for myself something to look back on but I never follow my own advice haha. Happy Good Friday xx

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    1. It can be quite disheartening when you post good content and it not getting the likes it deserves, I know that feeling! Vix does dish out some amazing advice for Insta!
      I hope you have good Good Friday too! xx

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  22. I have a love/hate relationship with IG. Oh WAIT, did I say love hate? I meant HATE. I am only on the platform b/c I have a blog otherwise I would never be on it. Not only can I not be bother with all the BS I do not enjoy being a spectator on the platform either. All it is, is people posting pix of themselves or hawking products. I prefer blogs and YT. Not that the Google algorithm is much better but I like the platform. You can really get to know people there and there is way more time to really find out about products that you might want to purchase and you can learn anything on there.

    Just so over IG.

    Allie of
    www.allienyc.com

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    1. I agree that you can get to know people so much better when reading their blogs or watching their YouTube channel!

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  23. I know the feeling! I have read so many articles on how to grow Instagram and to be honest they basically all the same thing and for me it just doesn't seem to work. I have just decided to do my own thing and if people like my content then they will follow me and I'm trying not to get too bogged down by the numbers. I love that you are only going to post pictures that bring you joy! Hopefully you will be a lot happier on the platform now.

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    1. You're right lovely, the articles are so repetitive!
      I like that you have decided to do your own thing on there Sarah, that's a good way to go about it!

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  24. It can feel like such an uphill climb trying to stay one step ahead of the algorithm!

    Danielle | thereluctantblogger.co.uk

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  25. I can really relate to this right now. I have seen so many tiktok's with 'how to grow your following by 1,000 in one week' and it's just so ridiculous. I now just post when I want wether that's 5 times a week or once I don't care as long as I'm enjoying creating content then that's all that matters, not my following number x

    Samantha | https://samanthajblogs.co.uk

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    1. Oh I hate those videos, they're so annoying! Enjoying creating content is all that matters lovely and I'm glad you feel the same way! x

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  26. Thanks for sharing, I have never followed the advice, apart from the basics of how to upload photo's and stories on my account, it requires so much effort :)

    Nic | Nic's Adventures & Bakes

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    1. It sounds like you found a way that works for you!

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  27. I'm honestly just enjoying what I post, and sharing things I love rather than anything else now!

    Love, Amie ❤
    The Curvaceous Vegan

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    1. I'm glad that you're enjoying what you post and just sharing the things that you love Amie!

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  28. I sort of gave up with Instagram. I do agree that people talk a lot about the same things so It's hard not to follow poor advice, especially when everyone is giving the same tips. Thank you for your trusted recommendations. I'll have a read into what they say!

    Em x

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  29. I only use Instagram for the occasional gifted product, in the main I keep it back for my garden and occasional family shot. And I am sooooo much happier doing just that now! x

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