Assuming you’ve been using Instagram for a while, you may have noticed that the order of posts in your feed isn't always chronological. Posts are sorted and distributed based on an algorithm that takes various factors into account, including how often you interact with a post, how often you interact with the person who posted it, and how many people have liked or commented on it. In this post, we'll explain what the Instagram algorithm is and how to use it to your advantage. Stay tuned!
What is an algorithm??
An algorithm is like a set of instructions based on specific signals. It decides on how and when to display certain content to any individual user based on nearly hundreds of factors, - such as device, history, location, trends, popularity etc.
For instance, when you scroll through your feed on any social media platform, it’s the algorithm that dictates the order of posts the users see. The posts shown to you are the ones that the platform thinks you're most likely to engage with.
Similarly, when it comes to something like online shopping on Amazon, you’ll find the products are sorted and displayed in an order of what Amazon thinks is most likely to convert to a sale, considering specific factors like previous buying behavior and keywords you’ve been searching for.
On Instagram in particular, simply posting on a regular basis with the right hashtags won't necessarily let your content reach its intended audience. Rather, you need to understand and work WITH the algorithm to become truly successful on Instagram as an influencer.
Back in 2016 Instagram changed the way its feed operated by implementing a new algorithm. As Instagram has grown it has become hard to keep up with all the pictures and videos people share.
This meant its users were missing out on content – on average, they were only seeing around 30% of the posts from people they followed. The logical consequence? A new update.
How does the Instagram algorithm work in 2022?
The algorithm is designed to show users more of the content that interests them, based on their interactions and engagement with other posts. This means that if you want to be successful on social media, you need to create content that people will find interesting and relevant. If you can do this, you’ll be more likely to appear in people’s feeds and generate more attention as an influencer.
Figure out what content your audience is most likely to engage with and make sure that's what they see.That way, you'll keep them coming back for more.
Instagram Algorithm factors
The Instagram algorithm is complex and subject to constant change, however here are a few tips you can utilize in your favor to help boost your rankings.
Perceived relationship
As this is one of the most important ranking factors the algorithm prioritizes content based on the relationship you have with the accounts that follow you. If a user interacts a lot with your past content, they’ll be more likely to see your future content as well. To put it practical the more likes, comments and interactions you receive the higher your content is ranked on their feed. This means it’s essential for you to inspire engagement in your content.
Interest
This signal is based on whether the user interacts with similar posts and accounts when they explore Instagram. Users who also engage with similar content are more likely to see your own posts on their feed. This signal helps Instagram to show users more content that they're interested in and less of the content they most likely don’t care about.
Notice: If you've been following someone for a while but never really interacted with their content, there's a good chance that Instagram has decided you're not interested and stopped showing you their posts to you altogether.
Relevancy
When you publish a post on Instagram, the algorithm gives it a relevancy score. It looks at a variety of factors to determine how relevant a post is, including overall interaction and the amount of time people spend looking at your content. Another significant metric is how “fresh”and up-to-date the content is. This means that newer posts are more likely to be seen than older ones. The best way to make sure your content is being seen is to post regularly and keep your profile fresh.
Have you noticed a common thread in this article?
Engagement is key, as this is one of the driving factors the algorithm uses to determine how many people see your post and the reason is simple.
Every social media platform does their best to entice its users to feel connected and spend as much time on it as possible.
Practical tips to increase engagement and watch-time:
- Carousel posts require people to swipe and can be an effective way to increase watch-time
- Videos with compelling content that encourages replays
- Find creative ways to incentivize people to tag you in their post as this feeds into your relevancy score.
- Post controversial opinions or deliberately add misspelling to your post
- Understand your audience and create content you they enjoy interacting with
Additional ranking factors
There are some additional factors, behind the signals we mentioned above, that can impact where your post lands in someone's feed.These are:
- Image or video quality
- Watermarks
- Reported content
- Violation to Instagram's guidelines
- Originality (i.e has the post already been shared on Instagram?)
