If you work in marketing or content creation, chances are you've heard of an "Instagram Pod". But do you know exactly what they are, and - more importantly - whether they will help you gather more followers?
Back in 2016, Instagram made the controversial decision to change its chronological algorithm to prioritise those posts with more engagement. The thought behind this odd move was to show only posts that Instagram judges as "interesting", signalling that it should be shown to more people.
As well as this, in order for a post to do well, it must receive engagement as soon as it's posted. If your post doesn't receive likes and comments in the first few hours after posting, Instagram won't bother pushing it to the top of the feed.
This obviously makes life pretty hard for those who are trying their hardest to get more followers on Instagram. But the truth is this: no matter how many hours you spend perfecting your content if you don't utilise the algorithm correctly your beautiful images will be going to waste.
With this in mind, people are searching for ways to beat the algorithm and make the most of their content - and that's where an Instagram pod comes in.
What is a Pod? An Instagram pod is a group of people (varying in number) that are in a similar industry or have similar interests to yourself. Rules vary, but generally speaking, whenever a user posts an image, they are required to post that image into the pod so everyone present can like and comment on it. Very similar to "comment-for-comment", it's beneficial to all users - as long as they're all playing by the rules.
The Positives
You'll be effectively "beating" the algorithm and getting lots of attention on your posts. This means your posts are more likely to be boosted up the feed, which means you'll be reaching a wider audience. You'll gain followers quicker, and your images will have lots of engagement.
It's a lot faster than the intended way to get followers - which is lots of hard work, with beautiful images worthy of the likes and comments they are receiving.
The Negatives
Using pods is very time-consuming - not only are you expected to engage in upwards of 25+ posts a day, but you are also expected to engage almost immediately (or it won't work). It's a give-and-take scenario - you won't get anything back if you don't give your time, too.
Some people see it as shady as paying for followers or using bots; technically, your images aren't authentically being liked, which makes some Instagram users naturally feel annoyed if they've spent years doing it the organic way.
If discovered, you won't be seen as authentic seeing as you're working around the natural algorithm to get likes/comments on a post that may not be deserving of them.
You're "tricking" the algorithm, which is against their terms of use - so expect repercussions if you're caught using them.
How Do I Join a Pod?
If you've decided you want to have a go, finding a pod (or creating one to participate in) is your first post of call. Don't be fooled - finding a pod is very tricky, as brands will not want to be affiliated with one, meaning the pods are private. Pods can be found on Facebook (though be wary - since Facebook owns Instagram, the group could be deleted at any time). You can also try Telegram, a messaging app that hosts pods within - you'll need to create a username to use it.
Once in, abide by the rules and try not to get caught by Instagram.
Is it Worth it?
So is using an Instagram pod worth it? Well, you will definitely receive more likes and comments, so if engagement is your goal then yes. But don't we want engagement to build our followers? And don't we want followers to, inevitably, make sales further down the road?
Inauthentic likes and comments will skew your data, meaning you won't be able to tell what posts are actually working and what aren't. You won't be able to tell what content works best with your audience, so won't be able to make the necessary changes to resonate and engage with real potential customers.
Ultimately, Instagram pods may give your page a boost but only good, authentic content will gain you the audience you truly want and need.