It’s become a common practice for social media networks – the bigger and bigger the website gets, the more likely an algorithm is going to be needed. It happened to Facebook. It happened to Twitter. It even happened to YouTube. And now, it’s Instagram’s turn.

According to recent news reports, Instagram is planning on introducing a new algorithm which will affect what you see on the app. Instead of the chronological order of the photos, your friends have taken, the company will only show you photos that it thinks you want to see. It’s currently being tested by a small percentage of users and a spokeswoman for the company said it could take months for the algorithm to be perfected.

Instagram has been steadily growing since it launched in 2010. Owned by Facebook, Instagram now has 400 million monthly users. Because there are so many users taking a lot of photos, Instagram says people are missing posts. But with the algorithm, you’ll be able to see the content you’re more likely to want to see than another selfie from your teenage cousin.

Ever since the announcement, Instagram users have been bombarding the timeline with messages such as “click here to turn on notifications or else you’ll never see my posts again!” If this is you, relax – that’s not what’s happening. Your posts will still be on the timeline. Just not on the top. “All the posts will still be there, just in a different order,” Instagram said in a blog post.

How will this affect businesses? Just like Facebook, if you post a picture with lots of likes and comments, chances are you’ll be featured at the top of your followers’ lists. But if there’s no action on your photo, it will drop to the bottom. And just like Facebook, if you want to be seen you’re going to have to shell out the advertising bucks.

So once again, the question is asked – if you don’t want to pay to play, is it really worth marketing on social media? Of course, it is! But like with any content marketing you do, you have to have some stellar content that will attract the users to your account. And with Instagram, you’ve got to get visual. Here’s a couple of tips to keep in mind when posting on Instagram.

Ready to make your Instagram shine? We’re ready to help! Contact ENX2 Marketing today for a free 20-minute consultation.