Table of Contents:
- 10 Instagram Mistakes You May Be Making
- Instagram Mistake #1: Not Engaging Enough
- Instagram Mistake #2: Not Answering Every Comment
- Instagram Mistake #3: Commenting Using Generic Replies
- Mistake #4: Commenting Using Fewer Than Three Words
- Instagram Mistake #5: Skipping Hashtags
- Mistake #6: Over-Editing Your Posts
- Instagram Mistake #7: Posting Inconsistently
- Mistake #8: Compromised Quality
- Instagram Mistake #9: Having Text on Your Photos
- Mistake #10: Posting Outside Your Theme or Niche (Or Not Having One)
- Why Should You Correct These Instagram Mistakes?
most common Instagram Mistakes: our top ten
Here is our best advice to help you stop making these ten common Instagram mistakes so you can grow your feed and enjoy the many rewards of IG success!
Jodie and I are slightly obsessed with Instagram. There, I said it. Ever since we started posting on IG over two years ago, we’ve been pretty much attached to our phones. The plus side of this addiction has been multifaceted and has resulted in growth; organic growth that we have translated into our blog, earning free product, and monetary compensation with sponsored posts. However, we both learned by trial and error making many Instagram mistakes along the way. Over time and with the ever-changing landscape we have learned a lot, and we find great joy in sharing it with you.
During our time on Instagram we haven’t just been “hanging out.” We have been purposeful in our posts and highly engaged with our followers. We have also spent time analyzing what works for us and what does not work in this ever-evolving platform. These ten potential mistakes come from our experience, our on-going research, and our analysis of Instagram.
10 Instagram Mistakes You May Be Making
Instagram Mistake #1: Not Engaging Enough
This is the NUMBER ONE key to growth on Instagram. In the past, the more followers you had the more people saw your account and the more you continued to grow. This is no longer the case. How is engagement measured? By the number and quality of comments. Instagram is reacting against the robotic infiltration of their platform.
How do you get your followers to engage? Start a conversation. Make it interactive. Ask a question. Draw them in. Keep it real, relevant, fun, and ENGAGING.
Instagram Mistake #2: Not Answering Every Comment
I can hear you from here. Really? I have to answer EVERY comment? It’s up to you, but you are hurting yourself if you don’t. Each comment counts, and that means yours too. I know it takes time, but engagement is the new King. If you want to be Queen, follow this advice.
Also, when you answer them makes a difference. Don’t post and run. Post when you have time to stay with your post and answer your comments. This encourages conversation. It shows to your followers that you are there and ready to reply. It encourages more followers to comment.
Instagram Mistake #3: Commenting Using Generic Replies
Quality of engagement can actually be measured. Advanced technology exists and is used by Instagram and by companies deciding who to hire to represent their brands. Because of the influx of artificial growth and engagement (people buying likes and followers) Instagram has made it a high priority to track this. What does this mean? It means numbers no longer cut it. It also means that repetitive, non-personal replies are interpreted as potential robots. Replies like “beautiful” or “nice” or emojis are easily produced by robots and therefore no longer carry any weight.
Mistake #4: Commenting Using Fewer Than Three Words
Along the same lines as generic commenting, this is a fairly new change brought on by the influx of artificial/bought engagement. Your comments need to be longer than three words for IG to recognize them as real.
Hashtags remain as powerful as ever on Instagram. Even though the décor community on Instagram has burned itself out on hashtag games from saturation and overuse, Instagram still runs on hashtags as a way to find people and to be found. Stay up to date with your hashtags. Make them as relevant as possible to your post and to the audience you want to attract. Use all 30. There’s no reason to skimp.
Mistake #6: Over-Editing Your Posts
We’ve all seen this, and many of us have learned the hard way, us included. Do not over saturate your posts so the colors look fake and like Disneyland. Don’t go to the other side and over-brighten, over-whiten so you can only see a haze of white. There are great examples of successful people who are doing a fabulous job all over IG who you can learn from. Post bright but clear, realistic photos. Studies reveal that Instagram prefers this as well.
Instagram Mistake #7: Posting Inconsistently
To build a solid following you should be there when your followers are there. They are showing up, so you better too. Be reliable and consistent. This is how you build a relationship. If you are going to post once a day, do it at roughly the same time each day. If you choose twice a day, the same thing goes. Get on a schedule and stick to it.
Mistake #8: Compromised Quality
It’s better to not post at all then to compromise quality. This is a quality over quantity game, unlike some other platforms. You’ll lose more than you gain if you do this.
For more info on how to avoid detrimental Instagram mistakes, read, “10 Instagram Mistakes and How to Fix Them.”
Instagram Mistake #9: Having Text on Your Photos
Get rid of the text overlays on your photos. It’s distracting and most people on Instagram do not like it. Remember, Instagram is a visually driven platform. Don’t compromise the aesthetics if you want to grow. If you have to put text on occasionally for some important reason (a giveaway or announcing a new hashtag) then don’t let it stay on your feed. Remove it as soon as possible.
This goes for watermarks too. Let’s face it; if someone wants to use your photo they are going to. In today’s world they can crop it/edit it out anyway.
Mistake #10: Posting Outside Your Theme or Niche (Or Not Having One)
Your content should tell a story. In order to tell that story, you, the creator, need to know your own story. Some refer to this as a theme or niche. Your theme should be clear the moment someone glances at your feed. Your name, your bio, and your top nine need to clearly reveal who you are and what you are about. You have two tenths of a second to grab your audience’s attention before they click away forever. No pressure.
Why Should You Correct These Instagram Mistakes?
No matter who you are or what your reasons are for spending time on Instagram, if you are reading this article you want to grow. You have something to say, something to show, and you want to be seen and heard. Of course, you do. The only people aren’t interested are private accounts. It comes down to time and how to make the most of it. We promise you will see an increase in your Instagram success by following these fairly simple tips.
The absolute #1 key to success on Instagram to remember is…
Engagement = Growth
For more advice on Instagram growth, read our blog post, “Grow Instagram Following: 10 Tips.”
We wish you great success!
Thanks you! This is so great! Quick question. Should I have multiple Instagram accounts? We are about start gurmtting our entire main floor of our house. I also have kids and they are also my life. Should I have one for remodeling and home design and one for family?
Sorry we are going to gut our entire main floor and add a bathroom upstairs. Then finish our basement.
It sounds like an exciting project. We wish you many blessings as you begin this journey 🙂 XO ~ Julie & Jodie
Hi Sarah, First of all thank you for coming to our blog and for your support. It means so much to us 🙂 To your question, the answer depends on what you hope to be for your audience. You need to define your “theme”. The sooner you define it and the more consistent you are the better. There are some feeds that succeed at lifestyle, combining family, home projects, life, everything. I think it is harder. But that is my opinion. My personal advice is to make the separate. If you were to include your children and family those photos would have to be thought out, artistic and quality…do you want to add that to your list of things to do? Do you want to work hard on family photos? If you are a creative photographer and think this sounds fun then combine them. If it were me I would have 2 feeds. Hopefully that makes sense to you. If you are wanting to build your Instagram we hope you will view us as a continuing resource. Wishing you great success. With love, Julie & Jodie
Thank you!
Thank you Jodie and Julie! Your blog is a huge help as I am new to the public IG world. It is fun to get to know you more and hear about your own story. I know I have much to learn! Thanks for opening up your hearts to us all! Blessings to you both.
-Tarah @thewhitebarnfarm
Hi Tarah, We are so happy you found our blog helpful. It is exactly what we hoped for when creating it. Welcome to Instagram as well. We will continue to provide Instagram insights on the blog, so we hope you will check back regularly to make sure you are getting the most out of this fast-changing platform. Your kindness and support means the world to us. Thank you for your beautiful reply. With love, Julie & Jodie
Thanks for this helpful information! I love your blog and have learned a lot from both of you! Hugs, Lisa
Ahhh this is so helpful! Thank you for this, and for taking the time to share with us tips on your success! Means a lot! 🙂
Thank you so much for posting this! I am starting my instagram page and appreciate the advice SO much! I was wondering what app or program do you use to edit your pictures?
Hi Stacey, How exciting! You are so welcome. Jodie and I often think of how much we wish we knew what we know now back when we started! So yes, the more you know, the better you can use your valuable time. Coming soon on the blog will be a post all about the best apps to use to help you with editing your pictures and managing Instagram as well. But briefly, we used to use Aviary, which isn’t bad but now our favorite is Lightroom. Lightroom however is more advanced. We were saying to each other recently that if we had found Lightroom a year ago we might not have been able to use it effectively. The most popular and easiest app is actually called Snapseed. We wish you great success in all your pursuits! With love, Julie & Jodie
Thanks for taking the time to share this info Ladies! I am learning that consistency is key for instagram.
Desiree, Yes, consistency is one of the key components. Consistency in posting, consistency in theme, consistency in your voice, your message…it all adds up to being a trustworthy, focused, reliable source of inspiration. Thanks so much for coming to our blog. We hope you will come back often because we have a lot coming that we are super excited to share. Best wishes, Julie & Jodie
I’m so glad I saw your instagram today, I came straight to your blog to see the 10 mistakes and I think I’ve been doing about 3 of them. Thanks so much for helping me I’m 65 and just don’t know the ins and outs of instagram like the younger girls do.
I’m going to subscribe to your blog via email, thanks again!
Rondell
Rondell, We are so very glad we were able to help you! Jodie and I just turned 50…so we are not in the “young girls” group either! haha! But that won’t stop us! Right? We have 6 other Instagram-related posts on our blog that when you have time you should check out. Plus we have photography tips and decorating topics as well, all geared to help you improve your skills and enjoy the journey you’re on. Thank you for your kind message. We are thrilled to have you join us here. With gratitude, Julie & Jodie
Rachel,
Sweet Rachel! Thank you Little Love, for visiting us on our blog! Can you tell we’ve made changes and reorganized a few things? Well, we are working hard over here and luckily, we are enjoying it immensely. We appreciate you more than words can say. Sending love, Julie & Jodie
I just saw your special giveaway on IG. You said to specify if we want design help or Instagram help. I could use both!!!
I’m working on my IG account and also attempting to transform my family room.
You both were on point with the Green Smoothie Cleanse. I’d love an opportunity to learn more from you both!
Hi Lynsie! Well, we are wishing you the best of luck! I hope you are given the “tough choice” of having to choose! We are so excited to have you on our blog. We really hope you enjoy it and come back often to visit and be inspired! Also, you can come back every day this week and comment for another entry 🙂 With love, Julie & Jodie
So excited to have found your page! For your giveaway I would choose the One- Hour Instagram Strategy Consultation! Thank you!!!
Melissa, You are such a sweetie! We are so glad you found our page!! It’s hard, because we just adore all our sweet friends and whenever we do some kind of giveaway we want everyone to win! EEK! But seriously, we wish you great luck. You can come back every day and read something different and leave a comment…each one will be another entry (if you want). Lots of free Instagram advice in all these posts…Many blessings to you, Julie & Jodie
To be honest, I’m totally torn between which service I would choose if I was the blessed winner! I’d love to hear your thoughts on a few spaces in my home and how I could “fix” them within my budget. On the other hand, I have been researching how to get my own blog with budget-friendly interior design inspo up and running and I need help drawing a following on Instagram, so I would probably pick the 1 hour Instagram assessment service. 😉 Decisions, decisions. Thanks for offering such an exciting giveaway!
Tanya, You are such a cutie!! You are upping your odds quite favorably. We’ve “talked” so often today I feel like we’ve had a nice visit! And I just love it. Since you are working on starting a blog you might be interested in the 2 posts I’m working on and will publish soon about how to start a blog, and how to make money blogging. Keep comin’ back sweetheart and fingers crossed. XO ~ Julie
Jodie and Julie-
I have soaked up every word on each one of your posts. Thank you so much for your transparency and willingness to come alongside to help others reach their dreams! Love your posts on your blog and Instagram! ❤️ Tanya
@smithandsparrow
Tanya, you are a GEM! Just a true gem! Thank you for all that love and support. We are grateful. And it pleases us to no end that you are enjoying our blog. We are enjoying YOU! Truly we are. We love that you are a little “soaked up sponge” for our words…hee hee! Thank you for sharing that with us! We can’t wait to take you on this journey with us…we are in this together…for that is the only way! With love, your friends, Julie & Jodie
Great info, LOVE your LOGO
Thank you Tracy! We worked with a developer/artist to come up with just the perfect logo that would speak of us. It was one of our favorite early blogging activities and we just love how it turned out. XO ~ Julie & Jodie
I know I commented on this post before…but I really want to win that giveaway! A 1 hour Instagram strategy consultation with you both is a DREAM! I know I would learn so much! Fingers crossed!
Hi Julie and Jodie,
This post was an answer to some questions I had about IG. I knew the algorithm has changed about April 2016 and I wasn’t happy about it because all of a sudden, less people were finding my feed and less likes, less everything. And with all that, I see still plenty of robo-messages about fake followers everywhere. I grew disappointed with the IG changes, and instead of posting almost every day like I used to, I’ve been posting here and there. One mistake for sure!
I definitely made a few mistakes listed on your list, and I will work to change that. Thank you so much for taking precious time to teach others about the trappings of IG :-).
Simona, You are so welcome! Your comment was so gracious and very appreciated. The algorithm definitely changed things on Instagram, and it’s a waste of time to complain. We don’t own it, we simply use it. We have no choice but to adapt to the changes or lose our strength of influence. I’m very happy this was helpful for you. And I just love hearing back from you. It’s really very helpful for us to know that what we are presenting is useful to our readers. Blessings to you, Sweet Friend. XO ~ Julie
Great tips !! I just love you ladies and I would love to win your IG consultantion !
Brianna, Welcome to our blog! We are so happy you are here, and we LOVE hearing from you! It just makes our day 🙂 Truly it does. We have a tough time when we do a giveaway, especially this one, where it feels so very personal…because we want everyone to win! EEK! Well, it helps me to remember that God has already chosen our winner because He really is in charge. We hope you will come back and visit us often. Blessings to you always dear friend, Julie & Jodie
Thai was such a great ready! I was definitely doing a few of these things myself! So thank you! P.S. I’m looking forward to your giveaway!! ❤❤ I definitely need an hour of advice on growing my page
Hi Robert! I’m so glad you made it to our blog! When you have time we highly suggest reading all our Instagram related posts. For someone like yourself who is trying to build his feed, each of these posts has important information and insights based on our experience and research. We will be turning all of our knowledge into a course in the coming months (FYI). Our advice in these posts is meant to help people spend their time as wisely as possible. Also coming is inspiration for entrepreneurs like yourself. Stay tuned! Wishing you great success, Robert! Fondly, Julie & Jodie
Engagement=Growth. HUGE for me to learn this early. Thank you! In November 2016 I made my IG public and have started dreaming with my family to create The White Barn Farm. This includes a blog/website and we are working on selling home decor and apparel soon as well. We’ll see! This IG post has been super helpful as I learn the ins and outs of the decor community. It’s been a great ride thus far, and I am confident it will continue to take us on a wild rodeo through the year(s)! Thank you, as always, for your advice and wise counsel from the lessons you’ve learned in the rodeos you’ve rode!
Tarah, I’m thoroughly enjoying your comments. I feel like we are just hanging out together tonight. I’m just thrilled to hear how our posts have helped you…thrilled. It makes my heart rejoice. I just followed you on IG and watched you and your darling family on your Insta-story. So I guess I watched your very first story! You are just so cute. Now we really are friends. We hope you come back and visit us often. XO ~ Julie
Thanks for sharing this. I have had an Instagram account for a long time, but have only really recently started using it for decorating my house. Previously it was mostly my four kids on there ☺ I was hoping that joining the community would give me a network of other decorators to get advice from. But before growing my followers, I have no-one to ask advice! Do I just message someone whose style I love (you both btw!) and ask for advice? Or do I first have to grow my followers to ask them? It feels like a chicken and egg thing to me ?
Elizma, One way that people get advice is to post a picture of their area in question and include the question in the post for any and all to comment their advice. I don’t know how many followers you have, but assuming you have a bunch (you don’t need a ton) you can get feedback for those who are willing (like taking a poll…people often like to put in their two cents!) You are always able to DM someone but I know many people don’t answer…if people are professional decorators you are asking for free what they get paid to do. It’s like asking a lawyer for free advice…you can try but you might not get it. Jodie and I are asked via DM several times every day. We really don’t have time to answer every personal design question we receive. That’s why we now have it offered in our services. Hope that helps clarify a bit. XO ~ Julie & Jodie
I love reading your blogs! You both are so positive. I am brand new to the Instagram world. I have always had a passion for decorating and just recently stepped out of my comfort zone. Thank you for inspiring me with all your talents! Maybe one day I will receive some of that “Happy Mail!” Love you guys!!!
HaHa You are so cute! “happy mail”…who invented that term? It’s so funny…Jodie and I find ourselves speaking in “IG speak”…my teenagers just look at us like “For Real!?” Welcome to our blog and Welcome to IG. Since you are to IG and it sounds like you are interested in growing we highly recommend reading all 7 or 8 of our Instagram Insights posts. We pour all our experience and research into these articles, and they should help you a lot. It’s going to be a great month. XO ~ Julie & Jodie
I am new to IG and that was a very informative article. It showed me any things that I am doing incorrectly. Hashtags I guess are the hardest one for me. Knowing what hashtag to put. So, today I am going to follow others and see what hashtags are put on their feeds. Also make sure I use that hashtag in my pics as well. Thank and I really look forward to following your blog. I want to start one so that article is on my list for down time this afternoon. Have a wonderful Wednesday. Janice
Janice,
We are so glad you are finding helpful information in what we are writing! IG is tricky…but it can be so much fun and so rewarding so we think it is worth trying to figure out!
Thank you for taking the time to give us your feedback. It is very useful and we appreciate it so much!
With love and gratitude,
Jodie & Julie
Very informative post! Totally agree about being consistent! I find more interaction happens when I try to post every day or other day! Excited for your March Madness contest!
Phyllis, Yes, that’s right. Consistency is key. I can’t overstate that one. We suggest reading our other Instagram related posts to give you more insights into growing your feed; each one makes different points. March is a great time to read one blog post a day so you have the added benefit of having a chance to win from our 31 giveaways! It will be like a win/win situation. Wishing you all great things! With gratitude, Julie & Jodie
This is a great read! Maybe I’ll do better on IG implementing these during March Madness!????
Hey Lucy,
Thanks for coming over for a visit! I doubt you are making many of these…but even Julie and I make these mistakes. Most of the time it’s all about time. Even if you KNOW what to do there isn’t always time to do it! Thanks again for your love and support! Good luck with the giveaway!
Love and hugs,
Jodie & Julie
Great tips!!! Thank you Twins. Its March Madness 🙂
Jovita,
We’re so glad you’re here. Good luck!
With love and gratitude,
Jodie & Julie
Happy March! March Madness!????
Happy March Madness! I love following both of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being so real with us! Thank you for sharing your love of Jesus with us too. Your light shines for ALL to see!
Natalie, You are so welcome. We are completely guided by Jesus, so we are so happy you feel that from us. He is at the core of our direction, our decisions, our words, and our love. We are because of Him and for Him in all things. So grateful to be connected. We hope you will continue this journey with us because only great things can happen in His care. With love & gratitude, Julie & Jodie
Thank you to two of my favorite ladies! I want to grow my IG account and have, but I have also made almost every mistake ???? It’s a fine line to walk, being true to your own self and style, but yet calculating in the ways to gain followers. Can you do both? I get lost in it all somrtimes and have to refocus. I appreciate the info on your blog and the way you share your knowledge! You are on to something ladies!! ???? Sharon
Yay March Madness. Great post. I recently started an Instagram sharing posts of my young adult son with Down Syndrome. Hoping to be a positive impact on parents with babies and small children born with Down Syndrome. dantheman_1295 is slowly growing followers and I could use all these tips. But on one hand I like when I get more followers but on the other I get a little freaked out with all these strangers following it!???? Thank you for your great posts!
Had a great time reading about your tips. Thank you! March Madness!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for sharing Happy March Madness.
Great information! Love all your pictures. March Madness
I knew the algorithm changed but I didn’t realize how much. I am so outdated on “playing the IG game” as some call it.????
Julie & Jodie, thank you for sharing how you have built your Instagram following. These are all actionable and I’ll try all of them. I do a lot of DIY that doesn’t translate well to the pretty world of Instagram, so I continuously wax and wane with my presence on there, but I’m making an effort to be more consistent and loved reading what has worked for you and what you’ve learned. Many thanks!
Lisa, Welcome to our blog! We are so glad to see you on here, even happier that you enjoyed this post. The challenge lies in translating who we are and our message and “packaging” it most effectively…all while maintaining authenticity. It is a juggling/balancing act for sure! We are all learning as we go. What works for some doesn’t work for others etc. But we can generalize a bit and glean from each other’s experiences. Wishing you many blessings sweet friend, Julie & Jodie
I’ve really enjoyed going back and reading your very informative IG posts. Thank you so much for taking time to keep us up on the latest happening.
Both of you are a blessing.
Patty, We appreciate your support so much! Thank you for being a continued source of kindness and friendship as we journey together. You are a blessing right back to us, Sweetie! With love and gratitude, Julie & Jodie
Hey Jodie and Julie, You put a great effort here in explaining all these points. I really appreciate it and agree with all of them. Poor quality images, irrelevant content, over posting or no posting and incomplete bio are the major reasons of your decreasing follow count.
Thank you for your reply. We are so happy you made it over to our blog and found this post helpful. Be sure to read our other 23 or so blog posts on the same topic for a full picture on all the topics. And we hope you will continue to look to us for updates as IG continues to evolve. With gratitude, Julie & Jodie
Seriously can’t get enough of all of these awesome Instagram posts! You two have learned so much and are just laying it all out there for all of us! Thanks again for your wisdom and making it easier for us to learn!
Mallory, thank you honey. Your effusive replies are like gifts! So happy you are learning and indeed inspired by what we are teaching. Have fun on your Instagram journey! XO ~ Julie & Jodie
Thank you for all these tips about Instagram. Where is the best place to share another account? I have been taking a screenshot of the person’s page I want to share and I use #onetofollow and then tag that person and post in my highlights. When I do that the writing will be on the post. I than make an adjustment to the size of the scripts to make it so you can see it but not too large where it covers my post.
Great advice, thanks!!
Linda,
You’re very welcome sweet friend. Glad to hear you found this post informative.
Lots of love,
Jodie & Julie
Thanks girls! Good tips and def I needed this lol! Hope y’all are well! So glad I finally was able to meet you both in person this year!
Hugs!
Sue
Sue! Back at you my friend! What a blessing to finally meet you. It was extra special for sure, especially after the year we had. Thank you for being here. We love to hear that you are learning. Always more to learn, right? All the best, Julie & Jodie
Thanks for sharing.
You’re so welcome! Glad you enjoyed. Best, Julie & Jodie
Wow… Interesting blog…this blog is important for all those who is managing social media for business
Thank you James. We are glad you found our article interesting. Best, Julie & Jodie
I don’t under stand the hashtags how you know what to use and how many?????????????????????????????
Hi Mary,
It’s not an easy question to answer. And it doesn’t help that IG is always changing. But our most recent information is that Instagram recommends using 15 hashtags. Stating what to do in a nutshell: Choose your hashtags based on what your ideal follower would be searching based on the content you are posting. Good luck, Mary. XO ~ Julie & Jodie