The Instagram algorithm is something you’ve probably heard about no matter how long you’ve been using the platform. A lot of people talk about it when creating an Instagram marketing strategy, whether they’re praising it or blaming it for their low engagement.
In addition to improving engagement on your Instagram posts, the Instagram algorithm can help you reach more people and gain more Instagram followers. The algorithm is complicated and many businesses, marketers, and Instagram users don’t understand it. To help you understand what algorithms do and why they do it, we will spend today discussing everything algorithm. Additionally, you can impress your friends with your new knowledge as you tailor your Instagram marketing strategy.
What Is The Instagram Algorithm?
A mind-blowing fact is the first to intrigue our interest. The Instagram algorithm isn’t a single algorithm. Instead, it’s a variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes that work together to put the right content in front of the right people at the right time. That’s what the algorithm does. Your posts, business, or reach won’t be hurt or helped by it because it doesn’t have ulterior motives.
Algorithm addition to making sure users enjoy their time on Instagram, the algorithm is designed to make sure they spend more time on it. In the end, Instagram makes more money since they spend more time scrolling and seeing more ads. In short, Instagram’s algorithm encourages users to stay on the platform by allowing them to view the content they want to see so they won’t be tempted to leave the app. Boredom is the worst thing for Instagram, according to their perspective.
Algorithms play an important role in this situation. User preferences are taken into account by the algorithm. The system will sometimes show posts from close friends, connections, or regular users. Instagram shows them posts that it thinks they’ll enjoy or find interesting. In this way, individual posts can reach a broader audience. The Instagram algorithm is made up of multiple processes and algorithms, so let’s find out more about them.
Using 2022 as an example, how does Instagram’s algorithm work?
There are three broad categories that make up the algorithm. Generally, people use other Feeds and Stories. Avoids showing too many posts from the same person in a row.
An important note: as Instagram continues to emphasize accurate information, it’ll rank posts that have been marked as false by third-party fact-checkers lower. If too many seats are marked as incorrect, the algorithm will make that person’s content much more difficult to find on the app.
Unlike the Feed and Stories,
where people tend to want to see posts from people they know, the Explore page is typically full of sticks and accounts that someone might be interested in seeing. This calls for a different set of algorithms, as much of the above information (like your history with a certain person) doesn’t apply.
To begin, the algorithm looks at the posts you’ve liked, looked at, and engaged with to see what you might be interested in seeing. They’re looking at account names, hashtags, locations, and keywords that are used in posts that you consistently engage with and view. The algorithm will suggest posts similar to those, or they’ll look at other posts that other users who viewed and engaged with the same positions as you also viewed. Because you both looked at and engaged with the same bars, you might be interested in other posts that those users also viewed.
As with the Feed and Stories algorithm, the algorithm for the Explore page looks at a few pieces of information:
- Data on the post (how quickly others engage with it, etc.)
- Your history of interacting with the account (it’s unlikely, but if you have interacted with this account before, Instagram will take it into account)
- Your activity (how you’ve engaged with posts on the Explore page in the past)
- Data about the poster (how often people have interacted with this account)
This information helps Instagram rank posts that you would find interesting. It’s also important to note that Instagram avoids promoting potentially upsetting or offensive centres in the Explore tab, and they try to avoid positions that contain information about vaping or tobacco.
Algorithm For Reels
Finally, let’s talk about the Reels algorithm. Reels are designed for fun and entertainment, and at a high level, the algorithm works similarly to the algorithm for the Explore tab. After all, most suggested Reels are from accounts you likely don’t follow. Instagram asks people how they liked the Reels – whether they found it funny or good entertainment. Reels that rank highly on these questions are more likely to be shown to others.
Reels on Instagram
The algorithm tries to predict how likely you are to watch a Reel all the way through and engage with it. Instagram is also looking for whether or not you go to the audio page associated with that Reel as an indication that you might be interested in making your Reel inspired by the one you watched. As usual, this algorithm is looking for specific information:
- Your activity (which reels you’ve viewed and engaged with lately)
- Your history of interacting with the account (unlikely, but any data on your behaviours is important to Instagram)
- Data about the Reel (the audio, popularity, etc.)
- Data about the poster (popularity, etc.)
As with the Explore tab, Instagram has guidelines for what will be promoted in Reels. Political posts, watermarked videos, and low-resolution reels are all likely not to be recommended.
8 Best Practices That Will Land You On The Good Side Of The Instagram Algorithm
So now that we’ve talked in detail about the Instagram algorithm and how it works, let’s talk about how you can use this information in your favour to stay on its good side and be promoted.
1. Improve Your Hashtag Strategy
Hashtags are generally important on Instagram, especially if you want to increase your reach. When people search for hashtags, you want them to be able to find your post. But that’s the basic understanding that most people have about trending Instagram hashtags. Hashtags can also help you win the algorithm game.
2. Instagood trending Instagram hashtag
Earlier, we said that the Explore algorithm largely works by looking at other people who look at and engage with the same posts as a particular person. Then, they’ll show that person other posts that those other people have looked at and liked. Many times these posts are linked by hashtags. The algorithm can also pull directly from hashtags that someone has engaged with and use that data to promote your posts to them.
Try Our Free Hashtag Generator 2. Post-High-Quality Posts To Get More Likes
One of the data the algorithms are looking for is how quickly people are engaging with it and the overall engagement rate versus people who just looked at the post or scrolled past. When you take the time to create excellent posts that people want to engage with, it helps your chances with the algorithm. As your followers see your posts, they’ll be more likely to engage with them. This will signal to the algorithm that your post is interesting and they’ll be more likely to promote it.
3. Respond To Comments
Responding to comments is generally a good idea, even outside of appeasing the Instagram algorithm. When you respond to comments, you’re adding more words to your post, which immediately increases your engagement rate. Then, you’re also showing the algorithm that you’re present on the app and taking the time to engage with people who write comments for you. This is much better than simply scheduling the posts to go out and never looking at them again.
4. Post Consistently
When you post regularly, you’re showing the Instagram algorithm again that you create content regularly. They’ll be able to see how often you post, along with your engagement rate, and that’ll help you land on people’s feeds, Stories, Explore tabs and Reels. Remember, you don’t have to post every single day to post consistently. Instead, create a schedule that you’ll be able to stick to and post according to that calendar.
5. Take Advantage Of Instagram Trends
Trends are popular for a reason. When people view a video or post that covers a particular direction, chances are high that they’ll want to see more posts about that same trend. So, if you create a post taking advantage of that trend, you will likely land on someone’s page.
6. Apply Best Practices For Viral Marketing
There are many tips for creating viral posts, but there isn’t a hard-and-fast rulebook to follow that can guarantee you a viral post. Some things you can try, though, include posting infographics, riddles, or motivational content, just to name a few. You want to create easily shareable content that people will want to repost to their Stories, save and share with their friends. This will help spread your posts organically, and then the algorithm can step in and help from there.
7. Run A Contest Requiring Participants To Like, Follow, And Comment
Remember that a large portion of the data the algorithm uses to boost and recommend posts is based on engagement. If you struggle with getting likes and comments on your posts (or even if you don’t), consider running a contest. If you give something away and ask entrants to engage with your post, you’re likely to get a significant uptick in engagement. Add “follow” to the requirements. You can also generate additional Instagram followers, which means there will be more people to see your feed and Story posts, and, therefore, more chances to generate engagement to impact the other algorithms.
8. Determine The Best Time To Post
The time a post is shared is used as a signal for the ranking algorithm. So when is the best time to post on Instagram? Generally, it depends on your industry, audience, and time zone. The general rule of thumb is to post when your audience is active on the app. This means they’ll be able to engage quickly and indicate to the algorithm that your post is interesting and worth recommending to others.
Timeline Of Instagram Algorithm Updates
The algorithm hasn’t always worked this way. Instagram is often making changes and updating the algorithm process. Here’s a brief history of the Instagram algorithm updates.
- 2010-2015: There wasn’t an algorithm – posts were shown chronologically.
- 2016: The initial algorithm showed the “best” posts first.
- 2017: The algorithm evolved to better balance data like engagement, time spent, and timeliness.
- 2018: The algorithm began to feature highly visual Stories.
- 2019: The algorithm focused more on timeliness to posts published on the same day and within a short window before the user opened the app.
- 2020: Previous interaction with accounts becomes important for the algorithm.
- 2021: Instagram shares that they have separate algorithms for Feed and Stories, the Explore tab and Reels.
Moving Forward With The Algorithm
You should now strongly understand the Instagram algorithm. Now you know how it (or they) works and what you can do to stay on the algorithm’s good side. Before you create your next post, think through the eight tips we included here and see if your post meets . Then, hit publish and start engaging with your followers. From there, it’s time to see what happens.
