Instagram Pods – What Are They And Should YOU Be In One?
Instagram users are fighting back… are you part of the “Instagram pods” trend?
There’s a new trend percolating amongst Instagram users as a way to combat against the new Instagram algorithm change.
They’re called… Instagram pods.
But before we dive into what Instagram pods are, it’s important to get you up to speed on the change in the Instagram algorithm.
Not too long ago Instagram changed the way that posts are viewed on your homepage.
In the past, Instagram showed images reverse chronological order.
With the new Instagram algorithm, they now favor “popularity” over chronology.
In other words, Instagram changed their algorithm so that it shows you posts in order of what they think you will “care about most.”
While this algorithm change may be annoying to some people, the reality is we can’t change it.
Here is what Instagram wrote in regards to why they made the change:
“To improve your experience, your feed will soon be ordered to show the moments we believe you will care about the most.”
How does Instagram know what posts you “care” about most, though?
Generally speaking, people only follow accounts where they care about the post.
Instagram uses a few factors to figure out what posts you care about, specifically…
- Your relationship with who is posting
- The timelines of the post
- The “likelihood you’ll be interested in the content”
Many Instagram accounts have noticed a much lower amount of engagement on their posts, since not as many people are seeing them.
That is why Instagram Pods were created.
What is an Instagram Pod?
An Instagram pod is a private group of anywhere from 10-15 Instagram users.
These can be normal users, bloggers, or businesses.
All of these users have a similar audience, and they all want to increase their engagement and grow their account.
For example, if you are in the travel niche, your Instagram pod will consist of other travel accounts.
Same goes for if you are in the fashion niche, fitness niche or food niche.
An Instagram Pod can also go by the name of “Instagram Engagement Group.”
Now that you know what an Instagram pod is, you might be wondering…
How do Instagram pods work??
How Does an Instagram Pod Work?
Once you are in a pod, you communicate with each other throughout Instagram Direct Messages, all in one group.
Each time anyone from the group makes a new post, they share it with the group.
Then, all the members of the Instagram pod will click on that post, like it, and leave a nice and genuine comment.
This will encourage other people to like and comment as well.
No generic or “spammy” comments are allowed.
Liking and commenting on each other’s posts will help each of the people in the pod boost their account and gain more views and followers.
How to Join an Instagram Pod
Anyone can join an Instagram Pod, however you must be willing to give back.
You can’t expect everyone in the group to like and comment on your posts, but then neglect to do the same back for them.
Instagram pods are a “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch my back” proposition.
This may seem like a lot of work in the beginning…
… but as long as you dedicate a few minutes each day you’ll soon get into a routine where you can quickly comment and like each and every post within the group.
There isn’t one right way to set up a pod.
However, one simple way is to reach out to other accounts who are in your same niche.
You can message the people directly and ask if they’re interested in joining a group that will help to increase the engagement of their posts.
Most accounts are very open to this, because after all, who doesn’t want their Instagram account to grow?
You could also try a more direct route where you make a post about an Instagram pod, and tell people to direct message you if they’re interested.
This is a great way to start an Instagram pod because because it removes the guess work out of who will be interested or not.
Benefits of Being in an Instagram Pod
Here are the main benefits that come with being a part of an Instagram pod:
- Boost your engagement
- Get more likes and followers
- Beat the Instagram algorithm
- Meet other Instagrammers and form new relationships
- Form a community
Drawbacks to Instagram Pods
As great as Instagram pods might sound, they come with some drawbacks.
Here are the main drawbacks:
- It can get tedious and time-consuming to like and comment on all of the posts if you’re in a large Instagram pod: (One way to combat this is to make sure the Instagram pod you’re in has fewer members. Most pods have an average of 10-15 Instagram users, but you could even have a group of just 5 people to make things easier)
- It’s not genuine: Some people feel that joining an Instagram Pod isn’t a genuine thing to do because after all, you are gaming the algorithm so that your photo will be more visible to people.
- It gives a false sense of confidence: This is especially true if you are a business or brand. For example, say you are in a pod with 10 people, and you get 15 comments on your post. It seems like a lot, but you need to remember that 10 out of the 15 comments are only there because of the Pod you’re in, and they wouldn’t be there otherwise. This might give someone a false sense of hope that they’ll also get more sales just because they’ve got a lot of comments.
You’ll have to decide for yourself if these potential drawbacks outweigh the benefits of using Instagram pods.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Instagram Pods are definitely beneficial, but they come with drawbacks as well.
Most people who join Instagram pods are in the younger generation, and have more free time to spend liking and commenting on other people’s posts.
Also, it’s still possible to form friendships and a community within Instagram without being in an Instagram pod.
If you regularly like and comment on specific people’s posts, chances are they will do the same back for you.
However, there is absolutely no harm in trying it out and joining an Instagram pod to see how it works for you.
If you don’t like it, you can leave the group whenever you want!
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