I think we have all hit a brick wall with Instagram, a lot of the same content being churned out, over-tourism in the prettiest of places, seeing the same old people on our feeds and watching a rapid decline in engagement. All this added together has turned some people against the platform completely. But it doesn't have to be this way... Instagram was launched as a fun app, one to take photos on and play around with filters, share personal photos with friends and family. I doubt the founders ever dreamed of it becoming the commercial platform it is today.

What can we do to make it more fun and support each other?

Sprinkle likes

It's pretty easy, you see a photo you like? Double tap and watch that little heart pop up. Likes are free, why are we so stingy with them?

Share your thoughts

Ever seen a small creator ask a question in their caption and not get a response? Respond to that person! They are reaching out, give them something back and you might make a new friend. Instagram is great for discussion.

Share what you want

Not what you think people want... Instagram becomes SO much more fun when you share new types of imagery! Not only does it freshen up the feed but it freshens the soul, we don't all have to be the same. Who cares if it gets half the engagement? People are still liking what you put out.

Follow new people

Instagram limits the number of people we can follow, and rightly so, there is no way you would be able to keep up with over 7,500 accounts anyway! Actually, I think 7,500 is very generous! But if you are feeling uninspired, change up the people you follow.

Mute, block or unfollow

Love your friend but hate their content? You don't have to unfollow, you don't have to look at their content every day if it makes you feel bad either. Instagram brought in a 'mute' button and it's brilliant! When you see someone on your feed and want to take a break from them, click the 3 dots on the upper right-hand side of their content and click mute, you can mute their stories too. I tend to do this to brands I want to support but not see every day (shopaholic problems...).

Curate your own feed

The Instagram feed is based on what Instagram THINKS we will like, and whilst they don't always get it right, you have a higher chance of seeing the people you engage with regularly. Want to see someone on your feed more? Go to their account and engage with their content, send them a message and say hi! Hopefully the next time you login they will be at the top.

Turn on post notifications

How many of us miss content from our favourite Instagrammers? I definitely do, and it usually takes a while of thinking they have dropped off the face of the planet before you see them ago. Go to the profile of your favourite accounts, click on one of their photos and top the 3 dots in the top right-hand corner, click 'turn on post notifications' and you will be notified as soon as they post! Pretty nifty.

Use hashtags

Who stopped searching through hashtags a long time ago? People seem to be tagging their posts but not actually looking through the hashtags they use! You can find some great content in there.

Engage with others

Why sit back and wait for the world to find your photo? Isn't everyone doing that? Seek out content you love, like and comment as a sign of appreciation. We all know the effort people put in, make them feel good about it, you might just gain a new follower or two!

I hope some of these tips will make Instagram a more enjoyable place for you and make it that little bit more fun! Let me know your ideas in the comments 🙂