When I first posted the free download for the Content Generator and Planning Tool, I created a post in the META planner to go on Facebook and Instagram. I like this option because I can do it from my computer and plan ahead when the posts will hit. It also gives some analytic data that shows when your followers are active–that is nice and has proved to be helpful. However, there are some limitations with what you can post–no reels, for instance, so sometimes things get a little wonky.

As you know, you cannot post links in the body copy of Instagram but you can in Facebook, so there is some customization that needs to happen, but that is usually pretty straightforward.

I was posting at 8:30 a.m. on Monday morning. I set the posts and left for a meeting. I noticed the Facebook post loaded at 8:30, but the Instagram post did not go until after 9. That was weird.

At 2:00 I returned home and checked the analytics. I wanted to know if people were enjoying the opportunity to download this tool as much as I thought they might want it.

No likes. No messages. No shares.

No nothing! Not even a courtesy heart from the friend I already emailed it to? That’s really weird. The Facebook post had one like. That was weird too, but not as unusual. I looked again, and even stranger, the analytics said that the post had been seen by fewer than 20 accounts (21 when I just took this screen shot) and only one was one of my followers. What??

Instagram Data

I let it go thinking that it was a holiday for a lot of people (federal institutions like the post office and banks) but most of my followers are not from that lot … Today I Googled,

“Why aren’t my followers seeing my posts on Instagram?”

A most informational blog post came up from a lovely blogger who calls herself, fittingly, The Lovely Escapist. She’s quite the influencer with 82,000 followers on her Instagram. #Impressive. She had loads of insight here, but the most telling statement is:

Over the last few years, I’ve noticed a significant drop in my impressions, engagement, and number of new followers. The reason: Instagram’s 2022 Algorithm. Thanks to the last few updates, only 10% of your followers are able to see your post.

10%!! That’s crazy!! First off, Instagram favors reels! I have seen this to be true, but not as clearly as with this post.

Her post has fantastic information on Instagram, of which I am not an expert. I am sharing her blog post here.

I promptly created a reel explaining the download and posted that. Ah, a couple likes and more spammy comments telling me where to share it. That’s more like it!

Good luck out there!

You can follow me @mccormickla_pr