Whether you've been on Bookstagram for years or just a few months chances are you've seen this term floating around as well as various opinions on why should or shouldn't use them. In this post I'll try my best to answer any questions you may have about them and write about my own personal experience using them.
What are engagement groups?
Engagement groups are Instagram profiles (usually private) ran by individuals for the benefit of a number of content creators, in my experience usually between 50 to 300 however I know there are larger groups out there.
Once you have agreed to the rules and been given permission to enter the group you will usually have to follow the individual(s) who run it, and then like any posts which the group is tagged in. In exchange all the other member of the group will like any posts which you tag the group in.
How do I find & join them?
They're usually pretty easy to find the first way I'd recommend is by looking at another bookstagrammers post and seeing who they've tagged in it. Another easy way to find them is to search any combination of the words "booksta", "bookstagram" & "engagement" and a several should come up. Sometimes pages or individuals who have just launched their own engagement pages will reach out to you if they are looking for memebrs.
Most will say whether they are closed or accepting applicants in their bio and ask you to message them if they are accepting. I would cast a wide net while doing this as some just don't ever get back to you or it could be several weeks/months before they do.
What kind of rules do they have?
This really does vary from group to group but will usually include a few constants;
- Timescale - you will have to like any posts the group is tagged in within a set timescale. From my experience it's usually between 24 and 48 hours.
- Content - Most groups will stipulate that the post they are tagged in must contain a book or some other bookish content/items. Some do not allow follow trains, giveaways or shout outs so it's always best to check before you post.
- Following Admins - You will usually need to follow the personal or bookish accounts of the individuals who administrate/moderate the group and you may be removed if you do not.
- Strikes & checks - Groups routinely do random checks to ensure all members are liking all the posts the group is tagged in. If they find that you have not been liking them all you will be given a strike. Rules vary but generally it's a "Three strikes and you're out" situation.
- Number of tags - You will only be able to tag the groups a set number of times a day.
- Breaks - If you're going on holiday don't stress! Most groups will allow you a break of at least a week once every few months if you message the admins and let them know.
Positives
Engagement groups can be a great way to quickly boost the number of likes, saves and even comments your posts receive. They can also be a brilliant networking tool to help meet like minded creators whether just for conversation or collaborations.
Negatives
Depending on the size and number of groups you enter it can be very time consuming to go through and make sure you are meeting the requirements for every single post.
You're insights will be slightly skewed as it is not showing how well your post would be doing naturally without this artificial engagement.
Some brands may not choose to work with you if you are using groups as they cannot see the true engagement level on your posts. (I know this isn't everyone's goal but thought it worth including.)
My thoughts & why I left all my engagement groups
When I first discovered them I absolutely LOVED using engagement groups and the more I joined, the more I loved them as I saw the number of likes on my posts steadily climbing. However now that I've been at it for just over a year the constant pressure to check all these groups at least once a day began to grow and I found that it was beginning to suck the fun out of creating and posting content for me. I work a full time job and between that, creating content, engagement groups and my other hobbies and commitments it was just getting a bit too much.
The more I learned to use the different features that Instagram offers, in particular insights, I began to realise that by using these groups to gain superficial likes I was conditioning myself to expect them and any time a post didn't perform as well or I forgot to tag a group in it I got really annoyed with myself.
At the height of my usage of the groups I was in seven and since leaving them the likes on my posts have fallen from an average of about 700 to around 50, while any reels I post are still reaching around 100 +. It is quite a big jump and it took me a few weeks to adjust but for myself I think it's definitely a step in the right direction.
I don't judge anyone who does decide to use engagement groups but they're just not right for me.
There are a number of hugely successful bookstagrammers both with huge and smaller followings who use engagement groups and that's great, but they're just not for me anymore.
It was a bit scary when I left them all but I've found that since I have I've been able to devote more time to genuinely interacting with my own followers and the people who I follow which I find ultimately more fulfilling and enjoyable than sitting for ages multiple times a day making sure I'm liking every single post a group is tagged in!
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