Instagram Long Term Statistics- How I manage my Instagram

Above are the top 5 photos on my page ordered by total engagement, according to Instagram. And below are the next 5.

When I stated my Instagram I never thought it would end up the way it did. I did want to grow my account but I always thought it would be for art or for landscape photography. From the start it wasn’t a numbers game. It was more creating a photo that would leave an impression.

I think I’ll start off by explaining how I run my page, since I’m pretty sure there isn’t much interest in those long term statistics that I took (Mostly made those for myself).

First thing is posting. I know a lot of people have their own strategy for when they post and there is not a right way of posting, but this is what I do and its worked with me so far. I do not post on Friday and Saturday night, they have the lowest engagement for me. My guess is that its because people go out on those days and are not on their phones. I like to post twice a week, this allows a post to get all its engagement before it dies out. I do not post them too close together because the posts then take from each others engagement. Although, if a post is doing well I post another closer. I find that posting two good photos close to each other helps them pull each other up.

My posts usually fall on Sundays and Thursdays. Occasionally, when I do a third post, I post on Tuesdays. Morning works the best for me. This allows people to see it throughout the day and then get another bump in engagement overnight. A good portion of my following is outside of the US, they tend to be more active at night. Sometimes the engagement on my posts doubles overnight just because of this.

The style of photos also helps out. For my following I notice that full body photos do the best. Everyone has their following and what they likes varies. This is what I’ve found does the best for me. Looking at the top 10 photos helps because almost all of them are full body and have low angles or different creative posts. Closer more head-shot style portraits used to do the best but they have been doing worse which is why I don’t post them often anymore.

The next thing I want to talk about is promotions. I do promotions for my presets and to bump my engagement. I don’t do them often because I don’t really believe they work to well. I only do them because I have something to promote where I get money back. I do not think that using them is really helpful. When engagement is low or I don’t have much content, I use promotions to keep the momentum.

I think the real only way to grow a page is to post consistently. Both in the way you post and the content you post. I know sometimes doing things outside the box helps but people like knowing what they’re signing up for. People follow for consistency. I’m not going to talk about stories or captions because I’m not the best at either. I’m controlling about my page because I don’t like to see my work fail. Its a game and I don’t like to lose.

Last month, I wanted to map out my follower growth since I made my Instagram and posted my first photo. Since this is so far after the fact, there was no realistic way of me being able to map out everything from the start I remember there being a point where there was close to 1000 photos on my page. But Instagram didn’t have a way of archiving them so there’s no way for me to bring those back. Or to map out my first 1000 followers (which were honestly the hardest and took the longest). The only way I was able to track what I did was through screenshots that I happen to have of my page and screenshots I had from an app I used to track followers.

The first and probably the simplest graph that I made is the first one. The one above where I tracked the number of followers on my page from the day that I made it. There’s a lot that is not shown. The first thousand followers took me a couple of years, even after I got them I had a long period where it felt like I had a lot less. I changed the content on my page a couple of times that hurt my engagement. It wasn’t until I started to focus more on a single type of content that I really started to grow my page. at the end of 2016 I started taking portraits. Every other post on my page was a portrait and then mid 2017 I focused my content on only portraits. This one is the extended chart that goes from the start of my page but the others only show my engagement since the start of me focusing on portraits.

The red line on all of these charts shows the change in Instagram’s sorting algorithm. I’m not going to write about my opinion on it here because I already wrote a whole blog post on my thoughts about the algorithm. I noticed that since the algorithm took over, my overall engagement became less stable. Although there is not much that I can say about it since my page was not that well established at that point.

The chart above shows the likes and saves on each of my posts (since I started posting portraits). That chart doesn’t really say much. The only noticeable thing on this one is the instability that happened after the algorithm change. Since then there hasn’t really been any stability or any noticeable spots. Large spikes in the chart do not show anything since they are random. They do not help me notice when to post or when something is trending up. Most of the time when they do spike, it isn’t right when I post it. When my posts do better its over the course of a week or two. The posts just continue to get seen through ways that various ways that Instagram doesn’t tell you. When you check where the impressions come from, Instagram just says “other” for most of them.

The bottom shows the percentage of saves to likes. I chose percentage because this matters more than just the numbers. Some posts don’t get viewed as much so it is harder for them to be compared. Newer posts are seen by more people because I have more followers than I had on older posts. This one actually has a bit more of a trend, where newer posts are gaining more attention than older posts. I took a small trip to LA in October and I think that helped fuel my creativity after I was in a small rut (which can actually be seen). All of the times I had a bad time creatively can be seen on here, where there was a drop in my content.

The one below shows the number of likes to number of followers. The most noticeable trend is the high number of followers gained on the high spikes. The number of followers go up because a lot of the times the people that like those photos are not already following. Then when posts get less frequent, there little to no growth. The winter 2018 semester was busier which meant I had less time for photos. Following that I also had a rough start to 2019 which also slowed down my growth.

One of the things that I like to do to run my page is archive photos. I don’t find keeping a high amount of photos on my page really necessary. I keep the number of posts on my page below 300. Having a lot of posts does not help in my opinion. People do not look far back on my page. Even with below 300, I rarely see anyone like photos that are older than maybe half of the number on my page. I remove posts for various reasons, aesthetic, variation, consistency and engagement are some of the reasons. On the chart on the right there are some of the stats for my archived posts to my non-archived posts. Posts that are archived have noticeably worse engagement. That could be because some of them do have worse engagement but more because most of them are older.

Below is the same graph as the previous one, only this one has the archived posts on their own line.

The one below is engagement. This is probably the most important one. This shows that the number of followers you have is actually looking at your content. Although if there is anything that I’ve learned, its that this goes down with a higher following. I’ve always thought that 10% is a good amount of engagement. I’ve been lucky enough to get higher engagement on some posts, even one that is over 100%.

Sorry for the small graphs. There wasn’t a way for me to keep them visible and wasn’t able to find a fix.

Somewhere on the coast

You know, when I first set up this blog I was expecting it to be a lot easier to go out and make these quick posts. In my head, I was going out once a week, getting a set of photos and creating a blog post weekly. I haven’t even come close. Something always gets in the way, or more realistically, I just get lazy. But writing daily is good practice, which is why even now I try and write something, even if its not for here every day. Especially as a below average writer it helps to just write a lot.

I think the other problem with me making these is that I forget to take photos on these drives (or I just choose not to). The drive has always been more important to me than the photos. And even less posting the photos has been the smallest priority. I like the drive because it gives my mind space to run but not so much get away because I need to focus on driving as well. Being still and thinking just moves my thoughts all over the place in a random mess where no thought is every fully completed. Driving gets it right where I can focus on a single idea or thought at a time. Not really letting me jump around in my own mind. I think that’s why I like driving so much. On top of a lot of other reasons like the music, the speed, the views and just the overall freedom to go out and not be stuck inside.

For these photos I think I only had one focus, to get some nice sunset photos of the Martin Beach rock structure. It was the first time I was up there for sunset. Usually its not worth the drive to here risking a bad cloud day. I just found myself attracted to this place for this day. Once I got there it was just like I imagined. A clean sky day with no one else on the beach. The small houses creating the right amount of structure to compliment the beach. The sunset wasn’t interrupted by the fog bank in the distance either. I was happy with how all my photos came out.

The edits on these weren’t too difficult either. The day called for the old orange and teal look. An edit I haven’t been a fan of in the past but I thought would work nicely for these photos.

Not bad for a last minute trip to the beach. And only getting there 20 minutes before the sun dropped below the horizon. It was a much needed trip with a lot on my mind, school coming up and having been trapped inside for a week from being sick.

Rest In Peace Dad (July 6, 1963- January 6, 2019)

I want to write this to share my experience was over the month that my dad was in the hospital. Ive always turned to art over the most difficult times of my life. For this I thought of placing it all into a photo or maybe a drawing but really there is no other way to put everything that happened in any form other than words. And I won’t talk about any specifics about the actually problems with his health because I want this to expose the feelings that I felt going through it.

When my dad first checked in, it was nothing major. He was as good as I could remember him being. Prior to this, he had just passed his one year anniversary after his lung transplant. Fully out of recovery and back working like before, well at least almost like before. I wasn’t able to visit him during the first few days in the hospital because of school. I was going into finals and had plenty of projects and assignments that I needed to complete.

I had planned to visit him the first Monday after being checked in at the hospital. The Sunday before I had a meeting with a for a group project at my school. I decided to make the drive on up to Stanford to visit him after. I crying all the way on the drive up. I was thinking about last year and visiting him in the hospital before. The year before he had checked in for problems with his breathing due to his pulmonary fibrosis. When I walked in that time, I remember seeing him in the bed and crying. Not sure what was going on and if everything was going to be ok. This single memory played back in my head as I was driving. I remember trying to tell myself that everything was ok, it was a year past his transplant and his lungs were doing amazing. “As good as if they were his own” was was the doctor said to us. When I arrived at the hospital I took my time in the car, to compose myself. After a few minutes I got out to go and visit him in his room. When I arrived I saw him on his bed. Good as ever. No indication of what was to come over the next few weeks.

Over the next week, the original problem improved but some other minor problems arose. But still everything was being treated and there was no major reason to be concerned. Slowly, he went from taking walks every day to taking smaller walks to eventually being stuck in bed for the remainder of his stay. I wasn’t able to visit much over the next week due to my finals and final projects, but I still did when I could.

I don’t think the reality of it really set in until I had to tell someone else. A little after a week after my initial visit he was stuck in bed with his health slowly deteriorating. I remember the doctors coming in various days in a row explaining that the results from their test would come soon and that they were close to an “answer”. They never used the words “solution” or “cure”. Looking back I think it’s because as time passed and his condition got worse they were seeing that everything wasn’t pointing to an answer we’d want to hear. I remember on this reticular Wednesday, things were getting even worse. He spent a lot of time asleep and drowsy at this point. Conversations were short, if any. I called a friend to cancel plans I had for the following day. This was the point where it really set in. I found myself crying more than I thought I would. I think that sharing it with some else made it real and that’s also why until this point I hadn’t shared it with anyone else. Although at the same time it did help knowing someone else knew about it. I had posted various times my location tag being at Stanford, hoping someone would ask why I was there. No one ever asked and in reality I didn’t expect them to.

At the end of the day I decided to drive home through the mountains. Driving here always helped in the past and I thought maybe it could help this time, even if it was just a bit. Below is the only photo I took and posted from that drive home. Taken, edited and posted as I did that day.

Everything got worse after that. When I went in to visit him the next day his condition was worse. Nothing that hadn’t been going on already but everything getting progressively worse. This was also the last day that I saw him while he was in the right state of mind. This was one of the last goodbyes that I got. As I left the hospital, I knew there was a chance that he would be moved to another area of the hospital, but it would not happen on that day. Late in the night, we got a call, he was moved to the ICU. It was expected news but still hurt. I remembered him being in there after his transplant and I knew this time it wasn’t going to be good.

Throughout this whole month I hated seeing my phone. It seemed like every call, every message was more bad news. I remember feeling a pain in my chest every time I heard my cell phone. Thinking “is this going to be that phone call?” You hope that its anything that brings up your day. And you can’t silence it because you know that it could be something important.

That Friday was one of the worst days. I visited him in the morning and saw him in the ICU for the first time since he had been moved. I remember walking in and not being able to say anything. I couldn’t bring myself to say a word. I couldn’t even bring myself to hold his hand. I was just stuck thinking about everything going on. Thoughts about what was happening and what could happen clouded my mind. I looked at all the medical devices he was hooked up to. All the IVs with their hanging tubes all around his bed. The ICU nurse constantly updating charts on the computer, checking each IV, checking his comfort, and his breathing pattern. I could see that he was much worse than the day before. Hopefully he’d be better now that he had someone checking him and his condition constantly.

After leaving the hospital, I had to go into work. I cried on the way home from the hospital. I didn’t really want to go but I also did’t want anyone to know why. I was just hoping that no one would know. I had only told one other person until then and I was hoping that they didn’t let anyone else know. I composed myself after getting home and then tried to keep myself together on the way, telling myself that I can make it through the shift without breaking down. After walking in, I knew no one knew, and I was relieved. Because for just this shift I would get my mind off of everything. And it took a lot to keep myself composed. I managed to get through, taking lot of moments to hold myself up throughout my shift. It all came back after getting home though.

The following week ended up being the same. With his condition improving but them not telling us anything. Each day got harder to say the lease. My visits became more frequent but did not get easier. When he woke up for the first time after being moved to the ICU, we were finally able to interact with him a bit. Some of them will be difficult for me to forget. With all the IV’s he had, I wasn’t sure exactly what they were giving him to help. I do remember seeing one specific machine to monitor and help his breathing.

His condition continued to improve very slowly to the point where he was moved into another room. He was still being monitored heavily but it was the first time that I felt he would be able to pull through everything. He still wasn’t himself though. Walking in his new room, he could recognize who I was but couldn’t at the same time. Physically he did look better than he had looked when in the ICU. I was only with him for a short time on that day. They were preparing him for more procedures to help him. I don’t think he understood it was me leaving. I didn’t know it at the time but that was the last time I said goodbye where he was able to say it back. But he couldn’t. I was hopeful leaving that day. He seemed to be heading in the right direction when I left. Nothing pointed at it getting worse. But it did get worse.

Later that night, we got a call telling us that he was moved back into the ICU. This time he was move into a clean room to protect him from any further infections. After that, it was never ending bad news. There were less answers and more problems every day. I remember spending Christmas in the hospital. None of us were expecting to spend it there. Every step of the way were had some hope that we would be home “soon”. The next week came and it was just as bad. I remember being there on New Years. That was the last time we took a photo as a family of 5.

I tried to pretend that everything was ok or was going to be ok. A part of me knew it wasn't going to be ok, but even then I had to pretend it was. I didn’t want anyone to ask me how I was. I was afraid. I didn’t want to cry. I was already on the edge of breaking down at any moment. Anyone asking me how everything was or how I was going would just tip me over the edge.

After new years it got to the worst. I had a few days of being ok but then by the end of the first week it was at its worst. It wasn’t the call I was expecting but it was just as equally bad. Finally the bad news. No more pretending, no more hope. My family had talked about what might happen the night before but it hit just as hard. I remember I was at work. I got the call. Hung up then left. On the drive home it was raining. I remember focusing so hard on the small drive I had home. Anything to stop myself from crying. I put on my sunglasses just to cover my eyes to hide my crying as best I could.

Its getting closer to a year since he passed. And its still just as difficult to write about what happened now. We met the night before he passed at the hospital with various family friends. It was a horrible feeling being in the waiting room knowing what was going to happen. I found it hard to cry. That day was the last time I saw him awake. I remember the exact look in his eyes. That was the last I ever got to communicate with him. Just one last look.

My dad passed on a Sunday night. Sunday January 6th 2019. It was the longest day of my life. The feeling of having to disconnect what was keeping him alive was unreal. Knowing that every second was moving me one step closer to losing my dad was explainable. The beginning of that day was similar to how many others before it were. A late start to the day, a long drive to the hospital followed by long waiting periods. I spent that day getting ready like I usually did only that I didn’t know how to act. How do you know how to dress to something like this, how do you know how to do everything as if nothing were going to happen. How do you drive to the hospital knowing what is going to happen.

We had the time set. We knew when it was going to happen. We know what was going to happen and what to expect. We were surrounded by everyone close to us. All of his closest friends were there when they disconnected him from all his medicine. When they finally disconnected him I couldn’t help but think, it’s not like the movies. Its not sudden after he’s disconnected. The room isn’t completely empty with only his family around. The machine doesn’t continue to beep to the beat of his heart. And the room is cold. Not a physical cold but an emotional cold. Something that just takes over any feeling you might have.

Our close ones stayed with us for the first few hours. Once disconnected there is no exact estimate to when it might happen. It could be minutes, hours or days. Sitting there at his bedside I was focused on being there, being completely present. Something in me told me to look at my phone, a feeling of not wanting to be alone. Hoping that someone would send me something, even though this was something I wanted to keep to myself. I don’t know why I tried but I just didn’t know how. To my surprise there was a message, from the only person I chose to confide in. And when I needed it the most. That small hour turned into hours. We were just there waiting.

And when it finally happened, it finally hit me. All of the emotions I had been holding in finally let out. There was no hiding this amount of sadness. No holding it back. The feeling of losing a parent is unparalleled. To lose the person who raised you. Who was there for you. Who would be there for you. All the thoughts of everything he did for me rushed in. And how he wouldn’t be there anymore. He wouldn’t be there with me when I finished my next art piece. To be with me at the movies. On a hike. On my graduation.

I don’t want to talk about the events following his passing. The memorial service, the mass or the funeral. As I said in the beginning, I don’t want to talk about what happened as much as I wanted to talk about how I felt and how I dealt with it.

I think the hardest part was the part that I knew I needed to do. Move forward. Trying to accept what had happened, know it was something completely out of my control and move forward. On the outside it was easy but on the inside it was the hardest thing. It was easy to tell every one that I was doing fine. That everything was ok. But on the inside its still something that catches me all the time. I was used to telling people everything was fine when it wasn’t. I had already been doing it for the past couple of years, even more in the last month. It was easy at this point. To stretch the truth. “We’re doing ok”. “i’m fine'“. Knowing completely that I was not ok. Every time someone would ask would put me on the edge of crying but I wasn’t going to allow myself to do that.

Talking about it was the worst. Sharing it online was close to impossible. Anything that would contribute to the reality that my dad was not longer around felt like something hitting me directly in my chest. Making me stress, hurt, depressed, uneasy and many other feelings. I remember multiple times where a single moment of realization would set me off to long hours of thinking of it with on and off crying. Posting every cemetery visit helped me slowly get used to the idea of talking about it.

As I had mentioned before I a dam of emotions flooded over me after he passed. This continues even now. I was always someone who was able to control their emotions. Able to hold back the sad and moderate the happy. But after this everything hit harder. My sad moments sent me into deeper moments of depression and the happy felt stronger than before. Everything was escalated. Slowly I’ve been trying to even them out and to be able to get a hold of them at the same level that I used to have. Prior to knowing what was going to happen I had decided to start a project where I would track my emotions throughout the year. In this project, I could see visually how my emotions have been stabilizing out throughout the year, but that’s a post in it of its own.

Almost a year later now, I can say that time really does heal all wounds. As difficult of a time as that was, I can say that I do see myself moving forward. Its also taught me to appreciate those around me. The time between him being completely healthy to his passing was less than a month. You never really know what will happen when and all you can do is appreciate what you have while you have it. I remember my dad saying the same thing following his lung transplant. Being so close to losing everything changed how he saw everything around him. I only wish that I would have followed his lead in that year following his transplant and appreciated the time that he had with us more. Only now after his passing can I really look back and learn and really live by all the lessons he tried to teach me.

I wrote this for myself. I’ve written this over 10 months because a lot of the time I didn’t want to think about it because I knew I was close to breaking down. I tried to write in order to process what I went through. It’s been difficult and even now I still refuse to read it. But I’m posting it regardless because it’s shaped me and I want to share parts of my life that have shaped me.