Wednesday 4/20, I noticed that the “Recents” tab was missing from my Instagram account on my phone. Only “Top” and “Reels” were available for viewing hashtag search results. I googled and discovered that Instagram is testing a new “feature”, or rather, removing one, in an effort to drive more content creation to videos as it competes with TikTok.
This means that if you tag something relevant in a non-video post, users will not see your post even if they search for that hashtag- unless you happen to have enough reach to put your post quickly into the Top category. Most small retailers, let alone craftspeople, have no chance of exposure through hashtags now.
The effect for me was immediate. I had created a photo post showing a product I had created tied to a hugely important annual event in my community, the Merrie Monarch hula festival. It’s going on this week- yet for users without the Recents tab, the hashtag #merriemonarch only shows a couple of recent posts, and mostly posts from past years. Anyone looking for posts from all the activities of the last few days, and related photos, is just out of luck.
I typically get about 1/2 to 2/3 of my Instagram impressions from hashtags. A good post result helps me reach out to potential customers whose interests align with my products. But if Instagram decides to roll out this (dis)feature to all users, I just won’t bother. As a crafter and businessperson working 50+ hours a week, I am not interested in spending time making videos just to try to compete with “influencers”.
Has anyone else noticed this change, and how do you plan to cope with it?
