What REALLY ruined Instagram!
This is the REAL reason why your reach has dropped drastically and how Instagram manipulates us to make money.
For quite some time now, I have been testing everything I can on Instagram, trying to understand how they generate revenue.
Facebook before 2012 and Instagram before 2018 were quite different from what they are today. 2012 was the year Facebook introduced ads to the platform, and 2018 was the year Adam Mosseri – a close friend and loyal co-worker of Zuckerberg – became CEO of Instagram.
Before these dates, these platforms had virtually no limits on reach. We only had to make a post, and within the next hour, we would have tons of new followers, even more comments, and even more likes. Receiving 500 comments, shares, and likes was quite normal. We had gigantic reach.
But that story ended. Long ago!
So what happened?
Artificial Scarcity is what happened!
Meta wants to make money. Billions of dollars, preferably. Shareholders, you know. They have to make money for their shareholders because shareholders invest in the company.
What is Artificial Scarcity?
I’m glad you asked! Artificial Scarcity is the manipulation of users, and Instagram is constantly finding new ways to limit our reach.
They created an algorithm, praised it, and promised us it was in our best interests because this algorithm would ensure our posts reached the right users.
But guess what? It already did BEFORE the algorithm!
What the algorithm REALLY do is limiting our reach!
On Facebook, our tests show that our reach was reduced to 1/100th of what it was before 2012, and by late 2023 on Instagram, it had been reduced to 1/50th of what it used to be. I’m sure they are aiming for 1/100th, just like on Facebook.
Other forms of Artificial Scarcity
- Images with too much skin will reduce your entire account’s reach.
- If your content has anti-DNC content (pro-Republican or pro-Libertarian).
- If your content is perceived as sexually suggestive by the AI algorithm or has sexual undertones.
- If your content contains words that could be perceived as too violent. Don’t post “Nice A$$!!” – I tried it! It was deemed hate speech, and escalation was impossible. Don’t post lyrics like the famous song “Video Killed the Radio Star.” They will limit your account or remove your post!
- Sometimes the Insta AI will misunderstand your post as hate speech even if it is far from it, and limit your entire account’s reach.
Instagram used to claim it would ONLY reduce the actual post’s reach, but repeated tests have shown that they reduce the ENTIRE account’s reach to 1/3 of what it could have been. And 1/3 means practically no reach. So they are outright lying!
As of August, they introduced a new Control Panel, and in there, we can read the new scarcity rule: they want to limit entire accounts based on only one post ‘violating’ their ever-changing rules.
Why Adam Mosseri has to lie
All updates on Instagram serves only ONE purpose. Make money for the shareholders! That’s why every update since 2018 has introduced one limitation after another. You probably noticed your reach has tanked and you have probably also noticed that you pretty much can’ do anything without some kind of repercussion or limitation in your reach.
- They have limited how many accounts we can follow.
- They have limited how many comments we can post.
- They have limited how many posts we can upload.
- They have limited how many Likes you can do.
- They have limited what you can post (skin, politics, weapons, violence, hate speech – many of which probably is OK)
- They have limited how many DM’s we can send
It is all part of their scarcity strategy!
Introducing the algorithm and these limitations, meant that Meta HAD TO come up with a narrative to explain why our reach tanked. They didn’t want us to figure out that the algorithm’s limitations were real. So Adam always tries to cover up the fact that the algorithm is the main culprit.
They basically make it seem like it’s our own fault that we have no reach.
- They claim our content isn’t engaging enough.
- They claim we post at the wrong time.
- They claim we target the wrong niche.
- They claim our followers are no longer interested in our content.
- They claim we’re not using the right hashtags.
- They claim our text is boring and our images aren’t appealing enough.
- They claim we’re not being consistent.
- They claim we’re not patient enough.
- They claim we’re not posting quality content.
- They claim we don’t have a marketing strategy.
- They claim we don’t use trending music in our reels.
This means that we can no longer rely on our creativity alone and trust the platform to deliver our content to our audience. NO! As of now, we ALSO need to be SEO specialists and marketing specialists—at least, that’s what Meta claims. So scarcity makes it a hell of a lot harder for us as creators!
The worst part is that this isn’t over yet! Once in a while, they turn the knob a little further to increase this Artificial Scarcity even more. The latest significant squeeze came in summer 2024 and August.
Ways to increase Artificial Scarcity
This is just one way to increase Artificial Scarcity, but the overall goal is to LIMIT our reach! Posting an image like this can make your ENTIRE account’s reach plummet – to almost NO reach! And they don’t announce it anywhere. They probably hope we’ll give up and buy ads. I’m certain that’s their intention.
The strange thing about this image, along with four other similar ones deemed too sexual, is that when we check Account Status on a PC, everything appears fine – NOTHING is flagged as wrong. However, when we check on a phone, five images are shown to violate Instagram’s so-called business rules! These five images caused the ENTIRE ACCOUNT’S reach to drop from 19,700 to 7,000!
Before August 2024, only the specific post would get limited. After August, it’s the entire account. This means even more Artificial Scarcity!
But it’s not surprising. Anyone watching Adam Mosseri’s videos will notice how deceptive he appears. His body language reveals everything.
Everyone can sense a lie. Everyone can pick up on mixed signals. Most people react with unease, even if they can’t explain it. Many hear that tiny voice inside telling them they can’t trust this man. Others, like me, get a nauseous feeling. Listen to your instincts!
Below is a screenshot from a PC showing everything is fine, and a screenshot from a phone showing that it’s not. Instagram actually runs TWO DIFFERENT systems: one for phones and one for PCs. This is one reason why Instagram has been nominated for the “Most Bugged Platform in the Universe” award.
You can’t see any intimate body parts in these images – they’re covered with blur. Earlier, this wasn’t an issue. But since August 2024, it is. Now your ENTIRE account will be penalized if just ONE post is found to be ‘violating’ their Company Policies (and don’t EVER call it Community Rules! Meta IS a COMPANY, and they are in it for the money. It has NOTHING to do with community – it’s a BUSINESS. But hey, at least it sounds good…).
So, what is the point of Artificial Scarcity?
Well, it’s simple. It follows the classic Problem-Solution-Reaction formula: Create a problem, offer a solution, and make money!
When Meta creates Artificial Scarcity, they are creating a problem. Not for themselves – for US! We can’t reach our clients anymore.
The solution to this problem? Ads. Meta has built a massive ad machine that can give us our reach back – if we pay for it!
And that’s how Meta makes money. Don’t be mistaken about the shareholders – they aren’t giving Meta money for free. It’s an investment! And the money Meta makes from us is what pays the shareholders.
Conclusion:
Instagram’s strategy of Artificial Scarcity reveals a deliberate effort by Meta to control content visibility and increase ad revenue. By artificially limiting reach, Meta creates a problem for its users, offering paid ads as the only viable solution. This manipulation benefits shareholders at the expense of creators and users. Understanding this dynamic allows users to see through Meta’s tactics and approach the platform with a more informed perspective. Ultimately, creators must navigate a platform designed to prioritize profit, requiring not just creativity but also marketing and SEO expertise to maintain visibility.