Why is My Instagram Engagement So Low?

It’s time for some tough love. Let’s talk about why your Instagram engagement is so low.

And no, the Instagram algorithm doesn’t hate you. 

The problem is most likely a disconnect between the content you’re creating and what your target audience wants to see. I know it’s frustrating (trust me, I’ve been there!) but there’s always something that can be done. 

Let’s review some of the possibilities so we can get you back on track!

Your Instagram Content is All About You

If you’re always positioning your content around you – your products, your brand – it’s unlikely to connect with your target audience. At least to the level of Instagram engagement we want. People don’t want to hear about you, you, you, they want to know how your products can make their lives better. They want to know what’s in it for them!

How to Fix It

Use “you” language when you’re writing copy. For example…

We love this new product for its delicious flavour, mood-boosting benefits, and easy-to-digest formula.

OR

You’ll love this new product for its delicious flavour, mood-boosting benefits, and easy-to-digest formula. 

See the difference? It’s so subtle (which makes it easy to implement) but it shifts the conversation from you to your target audience. 

Your Customers Don’t Feel Seen

The saying goes “When you speak to everyone, you speak to no one.” Seth Godin’s got it right on this one. When you use general messaging, in an effort to appeal to the masses, you’ll end up appealing to no one. 

General messaging doesn’t reach out, grab a customer’s attention, and speak directly to their problems with a clear solution. 

Think about it this way. If you’re hiring a photographer for your spice business, would you prefer to hire a food photographer or a photographer who does weddings, portraits, food, and home? 

You’d probably prefer the specialist because you trust they know what they’re doing. 

How to Fix It

Identify one to two community personas and speak directly to them. Use product messaging they understand, pinpoint their exact problems, and use visual content in a format they like to consume. Keep it specific. 

Your Content Doesn’t Catch Their Eye

No matter how good your product is, if the content isn’t catching your target customer’s attention they can’t pay attention to it!

How to Fix It

Pay attention to the kinds of content your customers engage with, visually. Do they prefer bright colours, soft hues, or patterns? Do they prefer in-your-face videos or subtle photography? Social media is so visual that paying attention to what types of content catches your customer’s eye will help you create more of it. 

Use a hook to capture your customer’s attention. For example: 4 Need-to-Know Benefits to Raw Honey or The Supplement Advice Nobody is Talking About. You want a hook that’s bold, easy to understand, and enticing to encourage a customer to engage with your content. 

Customers Don’t Know You Want Instagram Engagement

While it might feel obvious to you that you want your customer to leave a comment with their opinion, share a post with their friends, or shop through the link in your bio, it’s not always obvious to them.

Reminding them with a clear call to action ensures your customer knows exactly what to do after watching your content, which means they’re more likely to do it.

How to Fix It

Always include a call to action related to your goals. If you want the post to drive Instagram engagement, ask your community to leave a comment, share it with their friends, or save it for later. If you want the post to drive revenue, ask them to send you a DM for more info or shop with the link in your bio. 

Your Content is Inconsistent

Do you like having inconsistent friends? Ya know, the ones who sometimes show up, sometimes initiate plans, sometimes help you feel supported? Probably not. 

Inconsistency is annoying; as a friend, partner, family member, and as a customer. 

Showing up consistently helps build strong relationships with your customers, even if you’re not actually talking to them. When you have a consistent posting schedule, your content becomes part of your customer’s daily routine and it can become something they can look forward to. 

How to Fix It

Create a consistent posting schedule that you can stick with. You can also plan ahead, batch create content, use your insights to come up with post ideas and ensure you’re repurposing all of your content ideas to improve consistency. Anything you can do to plan ahead and make content creation more efficient will help you be more consistent!

There’s Nothing to Engage With

The days of pretty pictures and filler photos are gone. Social media is less about picture-perfect feeds and more about value. What does value actually mean? Valuable content is educational, inspirational, or entertaining (which doesn’t necessarily mean funny). 

How to Fix It

Ensure each post has a clear goal and consider why your customer would care about it. If you can’t think of a reason, tweak the idea or ditch it altogether. 

Nobody is Seeing Your Content in the First Place

If nobody is seeing your content, it’s a little hard for them to pay attention to it. While organic Instagram reach is down across platforms, there are ways you can increase your organic reach and get more eyeballs on your content. 

How to Fix It

Share educational reels and graphics, turn your static posts into carousels, use Instagram’s collab feature, and don’t forget the good ol’ twitter reposts. These will improve your reach! 

It is incredibly frustrating when you feel like you’re doing everything right and your Instagram engagement is still low. Take it as a sign that something has to change. If you’ve implemented these tips and still feel lost, it’s time for a Clarity Call.

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Wait, Who Am I?

Hiiii! 👋🏻 I’m Sarah, a CPG social media strategist with over 10 years of experience. I went from starting a clean beauty blog right out of high school to managing social media for Canada’s largest wellness retailer. Now I live in the middle of nowhere in North Carolina, helping high-growth entrepreneurs get SEEN so they can build a crazy fun life their business supports, and not the other way around.

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