Do you randomly have some Instagram Stories that have a LOT more views than others?

Me too, boo boo.

>>Truth is, this sudden rise and fall in your Instagram engagement is  actually not as random as you think, so let me explain.<<

A few months ago, I saw a spike in my story views (and so did a lot of other people), that made me silently question Mark Zuckerberg, saying, “Yo, what’s going on?!”

As it turns out, people were using services to artificially “view” stories on behalf of their profile.

In layman’s terms, people were using bots to grow their followers.

I’m not a fan of the word, but there really is no better way of describing this high-tech follow-for-follow method than STUPID.

Let me offer some advice, which is 100% free, unlike the bot service:

>>If anyone comes to you and says that they can grow your account by the thousands organically, RUN AWAY!<<

That is BS in the highest regard, Buttercup. *Ohhhhh man, I’m feelin’ EXTRA sassy today!*

But really, I can’t help but get an attitude when people want to take short cuts for their business.

There is no better way to grow your following than by having conversations and putting in the work yourself.

>>No amount of money or bots can beat hard work.<<

The good news is that Instagram has put a stop to mass viewing, and accounts that used this sketchy method were penalized.

Now you might be thinking, “But Jasmine, how is it good news that my views have plummeted?!”

Because you have a higher chance of engaging with the few people that watch your stories compared to the hundreds of bots.

>>Don’t be bummed out that you’re not getting as many views anymore, be happy that the people watching your story are the people who actually want to engage.<<

My creative director, Tami, had the perfect analogy for this situation. She said, “I thought I was walking into a party with a thousand people, but I then realized there were only ten people and 990 mannequins. But I’m not going to get sad because the mannequins weren’t talking back to me.”

I LOVE this perspective, because it challenges us to get our numbers back up without the “help” of bots.

Here’s what you can do:

• Pay attention to the people at your party.
• Have a real, authentic, engaging conversation with the real person on the other end that can move your business forward.
• Download my free Instagram Marketing Guide to help you figure out how to market your business when you’re having those conversations. Find it >>HERE!<< 

Have you experienced this engagement rollercoaster? Shoot me a message on Instagram! I’d love to hear about it!

Bye bye, bots! Helloooo, party people!