Instagram pods are a new way in which influencers are gaming the algorithm. In 2016, Instagram changed its algorithm and eliminated a feed full of chronological posts. From that day till now, it decides the placement of the post on engagement.

The algorithm change is useful for individuals who want to share and engage with their friends and family. However, it is less helpful for brands who are trying to leave their footprint in this cutting edge competition.  Plus it is likely unfair for brands who produce great content but don’t have tons of followers at the moment.

Well, there are few shady tactics like using bots, buying out followers but none of these can earn a long term loyal audience. Hence some creative people came out with bots.

What is an Instagram pod?

An Instagram pod is a direct message between a group of about a certain number of people who might or might not be from a similar industry as of yours. Such pods have specific rules, and most likely of them is when a member posts something through a direct message and every member is obligated to like or comment. This leads the post to rise on the top of a user’s followers’ feeds. Hence, pod creates a win-win situation as everyone has to like or comment or both to the other’s post.

Instagram Engagement Groups

To join an Instagram pod, you can check on Facebook where an ample number of such group are flourishing. You can also create your group. However, since Facebook owns Instagram, there is a high number of chances that your group might get deleted. In addition to this, you might also try telegram, a messaging app that hosts pods inside the app. The catch here is, it takes much time to find a pod and then engage with every other post. Since no brands want to get caught; such pods are often kept secret from the public. Getting caught may give a lousy name and reputation to your brand as it implies that your engagement isn’t authentic. Also, this leads to our next point

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Are Instagram pods good for businesses?

According to a report by BuzzFeed, Facebook recently suspended ten groups which were dealing with unethical practices like trading like for likes or encouraging users to join pods on Telegram. Ultimately, these tactics are used to trick Instagram’s algorithm, violating their terms of use.

While Instagram pods themselves haven’t been formally restricted, it’s reasonable that Facebook and Instagram don’t excuse them, which makes them precarious to discover and join.

Also, it’s dubious whether pods are a valuable extended haul methodology. Indeed, they get you a lift in engagement on the post you send on your group, however that doesn’t mean the sort of engagement you need – people who can buy products from you in just one post are your best brand advocates.

Your engagement metrics will likewise be skewed, and you’d be unable to comprehend whether your substance is reverberating with your potential clients.

For example, I used to request my friends to like my pictures after I’d posted them – my very own form of a pod. After a while, I’d stopped doing that. I understood that if I’ll not allow my post to reach organically, I’d never comprehended what was working and what wasn’t. If one of my posts doesn’t get a considerable amount of attention, I accepted it as a sign I ought to modify my technique, instead of endeavoring to trick the framework.

At the end of the day, pods may be useful for an initial boost; however, they can’t substitute credible engagement, particularly in case you’re trying to perceive what sort of content works best with your audience. For the long term, sustainable growth, you’d want to concentrate on making content that grows naturally. Won’t you?

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Author Bio

This is Sharon Winget, Staff Writer with GoodFirms, a review and rating platform of top IT companies & software. A tech geek at heart, I firmly believe technology can transform societies. I enjoy blogging about web design, email marketing, and content marketing.