Instagram’s algorithm was implemented to ensure that each user is presented with the most suitable and qualitative content every time they access their Instagram feed. The inquiry at hand is – how does Instagram decide which content satisfies these metrics?
How does the Instagram algorithm work
1. Interest: How much Instagram predicts you’ll care about a post
Upon introducing the algorithmic timeline, Instagram stated that it would prioritize showing you content that matches your interests.
Your feed will display photos and videos in an order that takes into account the possibility that you might be interested in them, your connection to the individual posting them, and the relevance of the posting time.
Your past activity on Instagram is taken into consideration to determine your potential areas of interest. Thus, if you tend to engage with content of a particular genre more often such as food, Instagram may prioritize content related to that genre, such as food and restaurants, on your feed.
Instagram stated to Business Insider that the order of posts is not based solely on popularity, as posts that are more pertinent to you could be prioritized at the top of your feed despite receiving lower engagement.
The timeliness factor refers to the freshness of the posts.
The next key ingredient in the Instagram algorithm is timeliness. Instagram wants to show you posts that are recent and, consequently, more relevant.
As per a discussion by Thomas Dimson of Instagram, the Instagram algorithm rearranges solely the latest posts that have been published between your last login and your current login. To illustrate, if you browse through your Instagram feed at 11 pm and revisit it at 9 am the next day, Instagram will only organize the posts that were uploaded during the gap between your logins.
3. Relationship: The accounts you regularly interact with
It is suggested by Instagram that valuable posts from loved ones such as your friend’s engagement announcement, do not go unnoticed, and thus, posts from your closest friends appear more prominently on your feed.
In order to identify your closest companions, Instagram’s algorithm analyzes your previous engagements to determine which accounts you interact with frequently. Additionally, according to a Business Insider report, Instagram considers profile searches as a ranking factor when organizing posts in your feed.
4. Frequency: How often a user opens Instagram
Upon each instance of a user launching the app, the Instagram algorithm endeavors to display the most exceptional posts since their previous access.
When you access Instagram every day, you are presented with the posts that are most significant on that particular day, as determined by Instagram’s algorithm. In contrast, if you log in to Instagram every hour, the application endeavors to display you the most pertinent material that you have yet to view.
5. Following: Content from all accounts a user follows
The Instagram algorithm has to sift through a greater amount of content when you are following a large number of accounts, resulting in fewer posts from each individual account being displayed when you open the app. Conversely, users who follow only a few chosen accounts are more likely to see more content from their preferred accounts or closest acquaintances.
6. Usage: How long a user spends on Instagram
The algorithm on Instagram takes into account a user’s browsing habits, whether they tend to use the app in brief intervals or extended periods, to determine the content shown. Users who prefer quick visits will be presented with the most pertinent posts, while those who opt for longer sessions may receive a more diverse range of new material.
Ways to make the Instagram algorithm work for you
1. Embrace the latest features
Instagram places greater emphasis on newly introduced features in the app as it deems it crucial to encourage their uptake.
It is significant to mention that the Instagram algorithm does not have a preference for any particular post type. Nevertheless, it does prioritize new features by placing them in prominent locations, like positioning Instagram Stories at the top of the screen or relocating the Instagram Reels icon to the center of the menu bar.
2. Vary your post types
To effectively navigate the Instagram algorithm, it is essential to utilize different types of posts such as single images, carousel posts, Reels, IGTV, Lives, and Stories.
Many people believe that Instagram’s algorithm gives preference to videos over photos. However, the reality is that the algorithm prioritizes the content that a particular user engages with the most. If an individual frequently likes and comments on Instagram Reels, the algorithm will favor this type of content for that person.
3. Post at the best times for your business
The timing of your Instagram posts is an important consideration for algorithm rankings. However, there is no universally optimal posting time that applies to everyone on the platform. To ascertain your ideal posting time, you must take two factors into account:
- When your greatest number of followers are active on the platform
- When your brand is most relevant for them.
Emma Ward, the marketing manager of The Juicery in New England, has mastered the tactic of utilizing two methods simultaneously.
Emma plans to share updates on promotions and news during the time when her followers are mostly active online. Additionally, she intends to make the first post about The Juicery’s products early in the morning at around 7.30-8 a.m., which is the time when the posts are most relevant to the daily routines of the followers.
Buffer’s Answers feature provides three recommended posting times tailored to your business to help you schedule your Instagram posts for optimal reach.
4. Create a hashtag strategy
Including hashtags in your posts boosts the likelihood of reaching more people since users can search and follow them. Additionally, research has indicated that posts that contain hashtags receive greater engagement compared to those without them. The Buffer Hashtag Manager can help you save time by enabling you to save sets of hashtags and effortlessly append them to your posts later using Instagram’s first comment feature. With our tool, you can devise distinct groups of hashtags for recurring themes. Let’s say Luna Sneakers was a shoe company; they could create varying hashtag groups for their running and fashion sneakers.
Using branded hashtags, such as #lovemylunas and #lunarunning, is an effective approach for enhancing brand recognition and keeping your business in people’s thoughts. In addition to improving brand awareness, the use of branded hashtags can simplify the process of locating content that is created by your customers.
Create Instagram captions that have an SEO angle. Incorporate appropriate keywords in these sections to enhance your visibility:
- Captions: Your captions should be compelling as it is. Add natural keywords and terms that will help searchers find your post.
- Alt text: Alt text is a given for social media accessibility. Add relevant keywords to make your content more likely to appear in Explore.
- Hashtags: Remember, Instagram hashtags are searchable, too.
- Your bio: Your handle helps people find your brand. But your Instagram bio can help people find your account when they search by industry, or when they don’t know your handle. Notice that Figo uses “FigoPet” as their handle. But their name, Figo Pet Insurance, includes “pet insurance” as a keyword.
4. Focus on authentic engagement
Rather than focusing on Instagram algorithm hacks that provide temporary benefits, prioritize the relationships you develop with your audience as the algorithm values engagement.
It is important to respond to direct messages and comments on your posts. By engaging with your fans more, your interactions will improve.
It can be quite challenging to identify new comments on Instagram amidst the flurry of notifications for likes, follows, and mentions. However, Buffer offers engagement tools that highlight any unaddressed comments on your Instagram posts and enable you to respond promptly to multiple comments.
Using interactive stickers, like polls, questions, and sliding scale rankings on Instagram Stories, is an easy method to promote engagement. Additionally, incorporating user-generated content is also beneficial as individuals enjoy seeing their own posts featured on brand pages.
5. Use analytics to see what’s working
Delving into your Instagram analytics data is one of the most effective methods to comprehend the type of content that resonates with your audience and captures their attention.
With Instagram Insights, you can view your posts with the highest interactions and sort them by the most comments, likes, and saves for a more detailed analysis of engagement metrics.
After having a list of your Instagram posts that receive the most engagement, you can begin recognizing any similarities they share. As an instance:
- What types of posts are they?
- What’s the style of the creative?
- How is the caption structured?
6. Post content consistently—with a focus on video
Keep in mind that the Feed algorithm has a limit on the number of consecutive posts it displays from a single account. Additionally, it places great emphasis on the frequency of user interaction with an account during the preceding weeks. If you post too sporadically, you risk going unnoticed.
Consistency is crucial. Begin by following the standard practice of posting once or twice a day, and then evaluate whether increasing or decreasing your posting frequency is more effective.
Conduct an experiment to determine the ideal combination of content formats. Carousels are an effective tool for boosting engagement as they compel users to spend more time on the content and interact with it, while Reels continue to excel in expanding reach.
The Feed now places greater importance on Stories. Utilizing Stories allows you to maintain a prominent position in the Feed throughout the day, without bombarding your followers with excessive posts and spam.
Although Instagram is emphasizing photos again, it’s still important not to disregard video content. The Sprout Social Index™ indicates that 66% of consumers find short-form video content to be the most captivating. Therefore, it is recommended to keep utilizing Reels to cater to consumers’ preferences.
Here’s a helpful tip: Share your Reels again on your Story to outpace the Feed and increase your view count. Remember, the views of your Story also contribute to your overall Reels views.
Maintain a balanced publishing and formatting schedule by implementing a content calendar. Moreover, pre-plan your posts for improved time management.
7. Spark conversation and engagement
There is no denying that engagement holds great importance on Instagram. It determines the popularity of your post, from the number of likes and comments to its overall ranking on the platform. Although achieving high engagement might seem challenging, there are methods to boost it and cater to the algorithms.
Here are a few creative ways to spark conversations and encourage engagement:
- Ask your audience questions: Create a post or caption that encourages audience members to comment with their takes. For example: What are your goals for the year? What do you want to see from us more? What are your biggest questions about…?
- Post trivia: Use your caption or post to quiz your audience and encourage them to comment with their guesses.
- “Tag a friend:” Use your caption to encourage fans to tag a friend that the post reminds them of.
- Use Story stickers: Encouraging engagement in your Story wins you points with the algorithm. Use stickers to encourage people to tap through, test their knowledge with a quiz, comment with questions or react.
- React with an emoji: Ritz recently created a viral trend doing this on Twitter.
8. Post when your followers are active
The significance of timing cannot be overlooked in any feed. While its importance is obvious in the chronological feed, it also plays a crucial role in the Home feed. Posting when your followers are active can result in more initial engagements, which in turn sends a signal to the algorithm indicating your content is popular.
Share your new content at a time when your audience is actively scrolling and highly likely to come across it.
You can access information about when your followers are most active on Instagram through the platform’s built-in analytics. To view this data, go to your profile within the app, click on “professional dashboard,” select “See all” beside “Account insights,” choose “total followers,” and scroll down to “Most Active Times.”
Elevate your game by timing your posted content appropriately.
Sprout enables you to schedule your posts when your audience is most active every single time. By utilizing Sprout’s Optimal Send Times feature, you can determine the seven most suitable times to publish your Instagram content each day.
9. Lead with your audience
In order for the algorithm to benefit you, it is necessary to produce content that motivates your audience to participate. Ultimately, your content is intended for your audience, and therefore, should be crafted with their interests in perspective.
By delving into your data, you can discover the topics, types of content and posts that your audience prefers and desires to see more of. Instagram’s inbuilt analytics furnish you with fundamental information about your audience’s demographics, as well as your most popular posts within the last three months. However, to gain a deeper insight into your audience’s preferences, you must conduct more extensive research.
Instagram’s algorithm is all about providing the best experience
When you prioritize creating excellent content and establishing connections with your followers, Instagram algorithm changes and updates shouldn’t concern you.
The Instagram Creators account emphasizes that cultivating authenticity and openness is crucial in establishing enduring engagement on the platform. Although attempting to manipulate the system might yield short-term advantages, it is not a viable strategy for long-term prosperity. It is essential to produce captivating content that maintains the interest of one’s followers and community.
