Something you need to know!!!

[View this email in your browser]( [A Beautiful Mess]( [Podcast]( [Courses]( [Blog]( [Printshop]( It’s a regular Tuesday and I’m scrolling through my Instagram stories. Another one of my friends is asking their followers “can you please save my post?!” They heard it’s a way they can boost themselves in the algorithm and they want to see if it works. The truth is, and I know this may be disappointing, these tricks don’t work. Even if you could find a way to hack the algorithm in the short term, you’re not going to be able to do that for every post or in any way create a long-term change. And here’s the thing: you don’t NEED to hack the algorithm, you need to adjust your content! Today I am excited to give you a sneak peek at one of the lessons in my [Elevate Your Instagram course]( below! There are so many random rumors going around about the algorithm. Most of them aren't true, but they can still be interesting conversation starters. For example, a few years ago everyone was saying the algorithm favored iPhone photos over SLR photos, so your photos would automatically perform better if they were taken by a phone. While this rumor was totally untrue, I thought it was interesting to think of how it got started and why! I'm assuming it originated from someone who had amazing SLR photos but was getting better engagement every time they posted a phone photo. Makes sense. I also imagine that the real reason their iPhone photos performed so much better is that they were more interesting. A person who posts mainly SLR photos really values that quality level. So for them to sacrifice the quality and post a phone photo, well, it's going to be a REALLY special phone photo. What I'm saying is, their phone photos performed better because they were pickier about which ones they posted. This makes sense! Next time you hear an algorithm rumor, try to think about it from all perspectives. Instagram's goal is to keep people on the app longer, so the only thing they care about is putting what stats prove people want up top. Here are a few of my favorite tips: What doesn't work with the algorithm - Posting too much. (alternate title: More is Not More Anymore) In the past, it was a good thing to post many times a day, all day long. In the current algorithm, it seems to work better to focus your energy on just one very special post per day, or even less. - Perfect feeds. Pre-algorithm, a big key to a growing account was a feed that matched really well, with a strong color scheme and a lot of different types of photos that looked good together. I think this level of perfection no longer sustains as much growth. It's so common now that it's become almost boring. Finding your own unique way to mix it up is absolutely essential. - Minimal captions. While it's not necessary to have a long caption on every post, I think it's extremely important to put thought into your captions. Most of the feeds I follow with amazing growth put a lot of time into their captions, almost like mini-blog posts! - Filler photos. It's time to move ALL your filler to your stories. One of the most important tips for growing your ranking in the algorithm is to only post your most engaging photos in your feed. What works - Reels & Videos. Look at your explore page and see what's featured ...it's reels! The current algorithm features reels posted in your feed as well as IGTV and live videos. I know a lot of people are afraid to post video and will only post them in their stories, but what if you found out you're "wasting" your most engaging content in your stories? Posting reels in your feed may seem awkward at first as you try things out to find what works for you, but it's worth trying. This year, we began posting much more reels on both @abeautifulmess and @elsielarson and the results were incredible! - In addition to the algorithm perks, I believe videos can add a lot of human connection to your feed. If that's one of your goals, video is the best way to achieve it. If one of your goals is teaching, educational videos is one of the number one ways to achieve that. - Posting thoughtfully. Post your most engaging photos to your feed. Be thoughtful about your captions. You don't have to do a long caption every time, but in my experience, really quick (i.e., not thoughtful) captions can really hurt my engagement. Start a conversation for your followers to engage WITH. If you enjoyed this little peek into Elevate Your Instagram, the course is packed full of useful information like what you read above, but more importantly, it shows you how to put that knowledge into action and helps you to find your purpose for posting — what I call your "why". You'll learn to hone your aesthetic, edit photos and videos like I do, how to get reels and stories working for your engagement, how to utilize the most important tool on Instagram when it comes to growth, how to network authentically, how to monetize your Instagram (it's easier than you think!), and how to plan your content like a pro. It's 50% off for a very limited time and I don't want you to miss out on this amazing deal! Click the button below to learn more about the course. :) Xo, Elsie [Learn More about Elevate Your Instagram]( [A Beautiful Mess]( [ABM Pinterest]( [ABM Instagram]( [ABM Facebook]( [A Beautiful Mess]( 137 PARK CENTRAL SQUARE | SPRINGFIELD, MO 65806 US [UNSUBSCRIBE](