Navigating the Social Media Recession: Why Instagram Feels Like It's Dying and What to Do About It
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Hey everyone, Chris Michael Harris here. Welcome back to the blog version of The CMH Show.
If you’ve been tuning into the podcast, you know I love diving deep into these topics, and today we’re tackling something that’s been buzzing around lately—the social media recession.
I’ve heard folks like Sean Cannell and others chatting about it: reach is tanking, growth is flatlining, and even if you’re not shadowbanned like I have been for years (looking at you, Instagram and YouTube), things just feel off. Let’s break it down and figure out what’s really going on.
Shadowbans, Algorithms, and Staying True to Your Values
First off, if you’re in the same boat as me—getting hit with shadowbans left and right—it’s frustrating as hell.
We’ve tried running ads on Google for YouTube, and every time we get slapped with declinations for “election advertising.” Spoiler: We’ve never touched election stuff.
My hunch? It’s because we’ve been upfront about our values and positions. That probably flags us in the system.
But here’s the deal: We’ve decided it’s pay-to-play from here on out. Your content has to punch through the algorithm’s barriers. For us, that’s the tradeoff for living our values loud and proud.
Kim and I aren’t bending the knee to any platform. If we have to, we’ll find another way or bow out altogether. This is a mission for us, not just a game.
I know a lot of you might freak out about losing followers or customers when you get real like that.
Kim and I have an episode coming up on dealing with haters and that exact question—don’t you lose business?
Without spoiling too much, the cost-benefit is hugely in our favor. Sure, shadowbans suck, but when we break through, we create superfans who love our authenticity.
So many creators filter themselves to please the algorithm, but that’s not us. We’ll adapt, but we won’t compromise.
That said, this recession isn’t just about shadowbans. Even accounts in good standing, with no quality issues, are struggling. So what’s the real story?
The Life Cycle of Platforms: Lessons from Facebook and Instagram
This is classic market cycle stuff. Think back to 2013 with Facebook.
Kim has this killer visual on platform cycles I wish I could pop in here, but I’ll paint the picture:
A new platform pops up, people spot the opportunity, get insane organic results—leads, sales, audience growth. Then everyone piles in, and boom, saturation.
Facebook started in 2005, but by 2013, organic reach was garbage. You had to pay for ads. We were early adopters using it for advertising before it was mainstream.
A few years of stagnation followed, then Instagram exploded around 2016-2017. People were crushing it organically—growing audiences, signing clients, the works.
Do the math: That’s about an 8-year cycle for Facebook. Now it’s 2025, and Instagram’s been the hot spot since 2016-2017.
We’re right at that 8-9 year mark where things start to dwindle. Early penetration, mass adoption, results peak, then stagnation. The platform either innovates or attention shifts elsewhere.
Facebook bought Instagram because they saw it coming (and tried to buy Snapchat too, but got told to kick rocks). Snapchat’s still around, but not the beast it could’ve been.
My bet? TikTok’s already in that shift phase—maybe year 3-4 of its mass adoption cycle, especially across demographics.
TikTok’s Rise and the Splintering of Audiences
Demographics play a huge role here. Some age groups might stick with Facebook forever because they don’t vibe with Instagram or TikTok.
If your audience is older folks who barely know how to swipe, Facebook could still be gold for you.
But overall, we’re seeing silos form based on psychographics—what people care about, their interests, values.
B2B folks are hanging on LinkedIn, which has morphed from a resume hub to a full-on content platform. Pinterest for certain behaviors, X for news, and even political leans splitting between X/Gab and Bluesky/Threads.
My hope? We exit the Instagram frenzy without a total collapse. A lot of users have already jumped to TikTok or LinkedIn, or stayed put on Facebook.
Instead of one big shift, audiences are fragmenting into these tailored silos. Things might normalize, but right now, yeah—it’s an Instagram recession.
Why Instagram Specifically Feels Recession-Proof No More
Simple: Too many creators fighting for algorithm spots. Everyone rushed in chasing organic gold, like 49ers to California. Now, impressions are down even for big accounts.
Your content has to be breakthrough-level to cut through.
If Instagram’s been your lead machine, pivot to ads there now. Same for us with YouTube—it’s our bread and butter (Kim’s been building hers for 10 years).
Post-pandemic, everyone’s online: More creators, more consumers, but also more competition. People who never touched content creation are now pros, using it as their slingshot against big brands.
It’s democratized, which is awesome, but it means the field’s crowded.
My hope is it cools off—some folks will bail when the easy wins dry up, chasing the next shiny thing (like people leaving Austin for Nashville or St. Pete now that it’s not “trendy” anymore).
AI’s Role in Discovery and the Future of Content
This ties into AI too. Content marketing might evolve to optimizing for AI recommendations.
People are ditching Google for ChatGPT, Grok, etc. If you’ve pumped out tons of content, you’re golden—AI can curate and recommend you.
Case in point: I was eyeing Bitcoin-backed loans for a dream house (I’ve been HODLing since 2016, never sold a sat). Grok recommended a guy doing forward-thinking mortgages.
I called him, and he said he doesn’t even market because AI sends him leads. Why? Differentiated offer. But once big players copy, he’ll wish he’d built a moat.
AI’s core is curation, like Google was. If it nails relevant answers, you win; if not, users bounce. So, in this recession, people might discover businesses via AI instead of scrolling feeds.
Your Strategy: Chase People, Not Platforms
Bottom line: Be a content machine and follow your audience. Where are they? Podcasts? YouTube? TikTok? We’re tribal—people pick platforms that fit their vibe.
My sister-in-law (in her 20s) is ditching Instagram/Facebook for TikTok overload. Good if you don’t target her demo—less competition. Bad if you do, and you’re stuck on dying platforms.
Always chase people, not platforms. If video’s your jam, go there. Audio?
Podcasts. I’m a writer, so blogs are my speed. I record pods on the go with my Rode mic, clean ’em up in Descript, turn ’em into blogs—boom, discoverability.
Narrow your focus: One community platform (social) and one long-form search (blog/YouTube).
Repurpose—blog to Instagram carousels, YouTube to Reels. Gary V’s “every platform” era is over; go deep on 1-2.
Wrapping Up: Hang In There and Double Down
History says platforms either evolve or fade—Instagram might stabilize like Facebook (where some clients still crush groups).
Social media ain’t dying, but some are exiting for offline wins (local events, summits).
We all rushed to the “Disney World” of platforms—Facebook, then Instagram, now TikTok.
Hang tight, chase your people, do fewer platforms deeper. Be a content beast—AI will sell for you by crawling your stuff.
If you’re navigating this uncertainty and want help spotting trends or tweaking your marketing, check out our group coaching program. DM me on Instagram @heyCMH (that’s “hey” like hello, Chris Michael Harris) for details and to see if it’s a fit.
See you in the next one!