Data Shows Decline in Instagram Post Engagement As App Favors Reels – Business Insider

Engagement rates on old-fashioned Instagram photos are plummeting.Average engagement rates for in-feed posts (such as photos, carousels, and non-Reel videos) on Instagram have decreased by 44% since 2019, according to a June study by social media marketing platform Later.These rates are typically calculated on Instagram by taking the total number of likes and comments on a post, and then dividing that number by a creator’s follower count. Engagement rates help influencers and brands set pay rates for brand deals, showcasing just how many followers a creator’s content reaches.Later, recently acquired by influencer-marketing agency Mavrck, analyzed 81 million Instagram posts (excluding Reels and IGTV content) between January 2019 and February 2022 for its study. The company found that in 2019, the average engagement rate for in-feed posts was about 5.6% — but by the end of 2021, that rate decreased to an average of about 2.9%. Reels appear to be the antidote for declining engagement, according to Later’s research.Later, which incorporated Reels into the company’s social media strategy in 2020, also looked at Reels engagement data on its own accounts. In 2020, Later’s average engagement rate on Reels was about 2%. Today, that rate is around 9%.This trend follows Instagram’s heavy-handed approach…
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