Recently, Instagram started using an algorithm to reorder how posts are viewed in your home feed. This means that you’re no longer seeing images in reverse chronological order and instead the algorithm overrides chronological order to show you posts that Instagram thinks you will “care about most.”
In March 2017, Instagram posted about the new algorithm: “To improve your experience, your feed will soon be ordered to show the moments we believe you will care about the most.” What are the metrics for “caring” that Instagram thinks are common to all users? Timeliness of the post, relationship with the person posting, and the “likelihood you’ll be interested in the content.”
Some Instagrammers have lower engagement on their posts and think this is a result of the change, so they are taking actions that they believe will help them fight against the gravity of the algorithm that is pulling their posts down.
One popular option to buck the algorithm is to join an “Instagram pod.”
What are Instagram pods and how do they work?
Instagram pods are known by different names. You might hear about an “Instagram engagement group,” for example. An Instagram pod comprises people who are willing to engage on each other’s Instagram content to help boost posts in users’ feeds.
Once you have joined a pod, you are in a community of Instagrammers that are focused on helping each other. They like each other’s posts or even leave comments. This, they believe, will help keep posts in the algorithm’s good favor and result in views from more followers than wouldn’t see the post otherwise.
How to set up an Instagram pod
There’s no one right way to set up an Instagram pod. You can start by reaching out to others in your same topic area. This might be done on a one-by-one basis so that you can invite those whose brands are in line with the niche, or topic area, of your brand.
Some users are more public in how they look for community members for their pod. For example, Glamour and Giggles tweeted an image addressing “bloggers and influencers” asking for their Instagram handle and niche. Then, she lists the reasons for joining: “boost engagement,” “beat the algorithm,” and “meet other Instagrammers.”
BLOGGERS and INFLUENCERS – tweet me your IG handle and niche to join my Instagram Pod! #GRLPOWR @BloggersTribe @BloggerBees @USBloggerRT pic.twitter.com/EvUo72k2Cn
One Instagrammer posted a public request to Quora, asking, “Who wants to join an Instagram pod within the health and fitness niche?”
Others choose a private and exclusive method for forming a pod, sending direct messages…
