High school calculus is probably the last time you had to think about algorithms—if you’re lucky, that is. But for performers and content creators alike, there’s a new algorithm to worry about: Instagram’s algorithm. With billions of Instagram users vying for attention daily, unlocking the method to the madness is key for anyone who wants to expand their reach and grow their personal brand.
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The Instagram algorithm is a complex, ever-evolving system designed to personalize each user’s feed based on their interests, interactions, and relationships. No more chronological feeds—instead, the platform uses a sophisticated algorithm to curate content tailored to individual preferences.
Cracking the algorithm is key to making sure you’re seen amid the sea of posts flooding the platform, reaching an audience that could potentially cast you in your next show, and landing that influencer brand deal.
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While no one but the people behind the platform understands the specifics of how the algorithm works, we do know that several elements shape the visibility of posts:
User engagement: High engagement tells the algorithm that your content is valuable and deserving of a wider audience. Likes, comments, shares, and saves all contribute to increased visibility. Want your content to be shown to a wider audience? Encourage your already-existing audience to interact with your posts.
Relevancy: Instagram promotes content it believes users will find relevant and engaging. Factors such as past interactions, search history, and content preferences inform the algorithm’s decisions.
Timeliness: Although the platform no longer adheres to a strictly chronological feed, recency still plays a role. Fresh content is favored, especially from accounts users frequently engage with.
Relationships: The algorithm prioritizes content from accounts users have strong connections with, including friends, family, and accounts they regularly interact with.
Content types: Different content formats, such as photos, videos, stories, and Reels, may receive varying levels of visibility based on user preferences and engagement trends.
How does the Instagram Reels algorithm work?
With the explosive rise of short-form video content, Instagram introduced Reels as a direct competitor to platforms like TikTok.
As of April 2024, Instagram announced that there will be a “new way to rank recommendations to give all creators an equal chance of breaking through.” Now, every Reel is shown to a small audience that will likely enjoy it, regardless of whether they follow the account that posted it. As this audience engages with the content, the top-performing Reels are shown to an increasingly wider audience.
While they operate within the broader algorithm framework, there are nuances to consider when making Reels:
Engagement metrics: Similar to regular posts, a Reel’s visibility is influenced by likes, comments, shares, and saves. Creating engaging, high-quality Reels is essential for maximizing reach.
Duration of views: Instagram measures how much time users spend watching Reels to gauge their interest and relevance. The longer someone spends viewing your content, the more the algorithm will prioritize you.
Audio and effects: Incorporating the latest viral audio tracks and effects can also increase discoverability since the algorithm boosts trending sounds.
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To maximize your impact on Instagram and reach the widest audience, keep these tips in mind.
1. Diversify your content
Populate your feed with a mix of content types including photos, carousels, text-centric posts, and more. This variety keeps your audience engaged and intrigued.
2. Engage your audience with Stories
Use Stories to foster interaction by incorporating stickers, polls, emojis, and question boxes. Despite—or perhaps because of—their fleeting nature (only 24 hours before disappearing!), Stories are highly engaging.
3. Genuinely interact with other users
Instagram encourages smart, efficient engagement. Focus on building relationships by promptly responding to comments and direct messages. Authenticity and transparency resonate particularly well with Gen Z, so ensure your interactions are sincere and represent the real you.
4. Prioritize Reels
Reels are currently Instagram’s favored format, prominently featured on the Explore Page. Videos naturally capture more attention than static images, making them less likely to be swiped past. This is your cue to ramp up your video content. Consider creating how-to videos, behind-the-scenes glimpses, or brief user-generated content (UGC) ads to keep your feed dynamic. According to Instagram, reels over 10 seconds generally perform best.
5. Use keywords and hashtags
Strategic use of relevant hashtags can significantly increase your visibility. Research indicates that incorporating even a single hashtag can boost interactions by 29%. Posts that include around 20 hashtags tend to perform the best. However, avoid overly generic hashtags and instead opt for specific, niche keywords to stand out in searches.
6. Embrace longer-form content (with words!)
Instagram allows for 2,200 characters in captions, so take the opportunity to be creative and informative. Users are increasingly inclined to read longer captions, so share personal stories and relatable content. This approach can deepen connections with your audience and encourage more engagement.
7. Become a crowd favorite
Encourage your followers to interact with your content by liking, sharing, saving, and commenting. Additionally, they can mark your account as a favorite, which places your posts in a prioritized feed of up to 50 accounts, significantly boosting your content’s visibility and engagement.
8. Optimize for interest
Before creating any sort of content, the most important question to ask yourself is why. Will you be providing value to your audience with this picture or video? If you’re not educating or entertaining your audience, why would someone stop scrolling and watch?
9. Use analytics
All great creators check their insights. These performance indicators can reveal the optimal times to post, the most effective content types, and detailed audience demographics. What’s making your content more shareable, savable, and engaging? Check for a common thread.
10. Stay updated with new features
Instagram constantly evolves, introducing new features and updates. Don’t hesitate to experiment with different tools and formats as they get rolled out.
By consistently sharing a variety of content and leveraging all the features Instagram offers, you can build a more engaging and dynamic presence on the platform.