Adapting to Change: My Journey as a Creator in the Wake of Instagram’s Death
The Beginning
In 2021, I posted my first picture on Instagram as a creator. It was a modest start, an amateur shot of my desk setup while I was studying for an exam. And a year later, I stood in a community of 60,000 people which even led me to quit my job and become a full-fledged Instagram creator. Instagram was my job.
The Decline
It all happened gradually, not at once. On the first of December 2022, when I had 62000 followers, I took up a challenge to post every day to improve my consistency. I was also trying to make up for the fact that I quit my well-paying job to pursue content creation full-time. My reels started getting low engagement, I started losing followers and no matter how much time, effort, and strategy I put into my content, it was going nowhere (literally on no one's feed)
All my earnings come from Brand Collaborations (a risky proposition for any creator tied to a single platform) but I got comfortable with it and thought the only way would be up. But I was wrong...
I realized it wasn’t just me, other creators voiced similar concerns. Changes in the algorithm, and trying to sell verification badges, were just some contributing factors.
The Impact
This change hit me hard. I saw a significant drop in engagement on my posts, and my follower growth was at a standstill. It was disheartening to see content I had spent hours creating, disappearing into the ether without much notice. Less & Fewer brands started approaching me for paid partnerships. My motivation to create suffered, and I found myself questioning my worth as a creator. The platform that was once a source of creative fulfillment had become a source of anxiety and stress.
I regret not expanding to YouTube and other platforms, especially with TikTok being banned in my country. However, this situation nudged me towards resuming writing. I started a newsletter called “Cold Brew Chronicles.” Thankfully, some of my Instagram community members began subscribing to my newsletter and even to my YouTube channel, where I’ve yet to post anything.
Today, I stand at a crossroads as a creator. While Instagram remains a part of my creative journey, it’s not the only path I tread. I’ve learned to adapt, to pivot, and to embrace the inevitability of change. As for the future, who knows where the road will lead? All I know is that I’ll keep creating, keep adapting, and keep growing, no matter the platform.
Are you an Instagram creator and relate to this? Let me know in the comments!
