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Why I Stopped Using Instagram for My Blog

Hey there! Today I want to talk about Instagram and why I stopped using it for my blog. A lot of bloggers use Instagram for growth and as a metric to show their success, and a lot of companies want bloggers that use Instagram for sponsorships/campaigns. Micro-blogging on Instagram has started to really take charge as well, where every Instagram post is a mini blog post. With that being said, I have stopped using Instagram for my blog completely, and I don’t really regret it.

I know many bloggers swear by Instagram, that it’s the bread and butter. You see the big influencers with huge followings and killer brand deals. Instagram is all about the visual, the theme, the experience that you’re showing, or the thing you’re trying to sell. The point is, there’s an appearance you have to keep up on Instagram and it can be too much sometimes. And, I want you to know that Instagram is not a necessity to become a successful blogger.

I was feeling very inauthentic trying to keep up on Instagram

I have a full-time job outside of blogging, and I had a part-time job when I was still in college. Meaning, I have always had a lot on my plate throughout my blogging career. My life isn’t all that exciting or Instagram-worthy, it just isn’t. This isn’t my full-time job, I work on my blog when I have the time, which is on my days off or before I go to work. I was starting to feel like I had to be someone else on Instagram if I wanted to get the engagement and following on Instagram. I’m not good at faking like that, I don’t want to portray an image of my life that isn’t real. I wanted to be authentic and real with my audience and I was feeling like there was nothing worth sharing with them on Instagram.

I felt like my niche didn’t have a place on Instagram

I’m not a fashion or beauty blogger. I’m not blogging about beauty products/makeup or cute outfits (it’s hot AF in the summer here). I also am not a food or fitness blogger. I know I consider myself a lifestyle blogger and that does have a place on Instagram, but I feel like my apartment is messy a lot, it’s not cute or chic. It’s just average and everything from the walls to the doors, to the door jams, to the fireplace, is all the same off-white color. There’s still wedding gifts cluttering the floor, it’s just not something I want to show off on Instagram.

I was over fighting with the algorithm

Haven’t you noticed that many are complaining about the ever-changing algorithm? Or that you’re not really getting the reach and engagement that you used to get with the following of your size? Or even that you can’t seem to grow your Instagram at all? The Instagram game can be pretty rough and demoralizing. After trying to use the right hashtags, post consistently, follow bloggers in my niche, and interact with other bloggers, I was getting nowhere on Instagram. Ever since Instagram took away the chronological timeline, I feel like my engagement on Instagram tanked. And even if I was able to get some engagement, not many people would click through to my website and read my blog posts. That’s really what I wanted, my followers to go through to my blog. This stagnation of my profile was really the final straw in my decision on leaving Instagram.

Final Thoughts

I know Instagram can be huge for some bloggers and there is nothing wrong with that. If you want to continue to use Instagram for your blog, then go ahead. I’m not trying to dissuade you from using Instagram. I just want you to know that I don’t use Instagram for my blog, and my blog does great. Pinterest is my go-to platform for blog traffic. I really like to use Twitter for connecting with other bloggers and followers (you can follow my Pinterest and Twitter too!).