Is Instagram Still Worth It? In 2024 and Beyond

With all of the social media platforms out there, you may wonder if Instagram is still worth it. The answer is more complicated than yes or no.

A lot goes into deciding where to spend your time marketing your business. So keep on reading to learn if it’s still worth it for you.

But first, this post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy to learn more.

Why Instagram Is Still Worth It

While I have scaled back my posting on Instagram, I still have my account. There are a few reasons for this, even if it’s not my main focus.

Build a Community

Instagram is one of the best social networks for building a community around your business. You can connect with your followers in the comment section and through DMs.

Even if you don’t have a massive following, you can build a loyal one. That way, whenever you share a new post, you know it will get engagement.

And when you decide to launch a product or service, you’ll have people ready to buy. You won’t have to fight against the competition for those sales.

Get Brand Deals

Another reason Instagram is still worth it is if you want to work with brands. Along with YouTube, IG is one of the top platforms brands use to work with creators.

There are a lot of features that allow brands and creators to collaborate. That can make the posting process a lot easier, and not every platform offers that.

Sure, you can get brand deals elsewhere. However, if you want to work with brands, you should maintain an Instagram and attempt to grow a loyal audience.

Works on Your Phone

Working on your phone can be a good thing and a bad thing. But if you’re on the go, you may not always have time to break out your laptop and work on something in a few minutes.

However, it’s easy enough to share your latest post on Instagram. You can also spend a few minutes replying to comments and messages or engaging with prospective clients.

So think about your schedule and what you can do to grow your business. Instagram could be an extra way you can promote yourself.

Why Instagram Is Not Still Worth It

I may still have an Instagram account, but I’m taking a step back from it, and you may want to as well. Here are some of the drawbacks of the platform.

It Takes So Much Time

If you want to see a good amount of growth, you can’t just “post and ghost.” You have to spend time creating and posting content on Instagram, sure.

But you also have to engage with the people who like and comment on your posts. You need to be social with other creators and businesses in your niche.

And you have to be ready to respond to people when they message you. All of this takes a lot more time than you may expect.

What’s more, you can’t take a break when you’re on Instagram. The algorithm is notorious for “punishing” accounts that take a break, and it’s even harder to get back to where you were.

As someone with a full-time job, I have limited hours to work on my business. I need to focus that time on things that will actually bring me the results I’m looking for.

Growth Is Much Harder

In years past, growing on Instagram was fairly easy. Over time, it’s gotten harder and harder to gain new followers and stand out from the crowd.

That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but it’s going to take a lot of time, effort, and strategy. And at least from what I’ve seen, it’s becoming a lot like Facebook in that it’s basically pay to play for businesses.

If you’re not willing or able to sink money into ads, good luck getting visibility. You’re going to have to be patient and consistent to see growth these days.

It Doesn’t Drive Traffic

Consider what your business is and what your business goals are. For me, my main goal is to drive traffic to my website so that I can thus generate revenue.

Like it or not, Instagram isn’t the best way to generate website traffic. So far in 2023, Instagram makes up less than 1% of my overall website traffic.

Therefore, if I spend more than 1% of my time on it, I’m wasting that time. I’d rather spend it on things that will get me the website views I want.

What I’m Doing Instead

Instagram is still worth it for some businesses, but not for mine. Instead, I’m focusing on the things that bring me the traffic and revenue I need.

Those two things are SEO and Pinterest.

The majority of my website views come from Google and other search engines. So I’m focusing on publishing new SEO-optimized blog posts and optimizing my existing posts.

I’m also sharing these new and existing posts on Pinterest as pins. Unlike other social networks, Pinterest encourage users to leave the app or website, which helps me (and you) get more website traffic.

Why Am I Losing Instagram Followers?

I’ve had a net loss of followers on Instagram for the past few weeks. Yes, part of that is that I haven’t posted as much as I used it.

But another part is likely due to Instagram cracking down on bot accounts. The algorithm has also likely had updates that have kept new people from following me.

All of that could be affecting your account as well.

Why Is Instagram Reach So Low?

Like the question of losing followers, lower reach could be due to many things. Of course, if you stop posting, you’re not going to reach many people.

But the Instagram algorithm may keep you from reaching more accounts. Consider trying a few other strategies to see what works for you.

So, Is Instagram Still Worth It?

Instagram is still worth it for certain things, like building a loyal community. However, you’re not going to see exponential growth like you might have seen a few years back.

Does that mean you should give up the platform? Not necessarily. You have to think about your goals and how much time you have to dedicate to it.

If you want to put in the work to grow on Instagram, enroll in The Instagram Marketing and Sales Academy. I learned a ton of strategies in there that can work if you’re willing to implement them.