How Does the New Instagram Algorithm Work?
We know, we know: everyone hates the new Instagram algorithm. But the fact is that if you want to get ahead as a business on Instagram, you need to work with the Instagram algorithm, certainly not against it!
As an Instagram fan myself, I like to think that I know how to work the system- I’ve got this down to a tee. And so below I have written a list of 5 factors that influence the Instagram algorithm. I’ve ranked them in order of importance, based on my own research and conversations with social media managers:
1. How Much Engagement You Get
In general, posts with high engagement will rank higher on your Instagram feed, meaning that your posts will be right at the top of other people’s feeds when they open the app. When a post receives a ton of likes and comments, this means that you’re getting a lot of engagement and signals to the Instagram algorithm that your post is top quality, engaging content that more people will want to see, so, therefore, the Instagram algorithm will show it to more users, this is why you usually see the celebrities you follow at the top of your feed.
In a way, it’s almost like you are auditioning your post, you have to impress the algorithm before it’ll place you at the top.
But it isn’t always about how much engagement a post receives. In some cases, the Instagram algorithm cares more about how quickly a post receives its engagement! One of the best-known cases of this is trending Instagram hash tags. Even though the amount of engagement you get is really important, it’s slightly less important than how quickly you get that engagement.
Another tip for getting the most engagement onto your page is posting consistently and at the peak times on Instagram. There are a number of particular times during the day where there are more people using Instagram. For example, the average worker finishes their day at 5.30, so to wind down or even on the commute home, they might go for a scroll down their feed. This would be the ‘peak’ time to post, as more people are using the app and therefore more people will see it
This is why finding your best time to post on Instagram and then scheduling posts for those times is so important: if you post when the most people will see it, you increase your chance of getting more likes, quicker, which then helps boost your post in the algorithm.
2. How Long People Spend Viewing Your Post
The Facebook algorithm looks at the length of time you spend interacting with content, and it’s no different with Instagram! The Instagram algorithm uses the amount of time spent viewing a post as a key factor in determining how much to boost your post.
If you want to beat the Instagram algorithm, crafting great Instagram captions might just be the key. If you have an engaging caption, people are more likely to actually read it or click the “more” button, which increases the time spent on your post. So try this next time: Write more on your post, and make sure the first few sentences are really intriguing, maybe use a few questions too. This will encourage your audience to click the ‘see more’ button and spend more time reading your post.
This is also why videos perform so well in the Instagram algorithm: because it takes more time to watch them! If you post and engaging and interesting video, people are going to want to watch it and share it, therefore people are spending more time on your post! Slideshow posts with a call-to-action to “swipe” to view more could be a good strategy to try as well!
3. Your Friends, Family, and Favourite Accounts
The Instagram algorithm is pretty smart! If you engage with a particular account regularly, you’re telling Instagram that you like that account’s content. As a result, Instagram will show you more of that person’s content in your feed! This is why you probably see your mother’s Instagram posts at the top of your feed. I mean, let's face it, your mother is not going to be trending on Twitter, and no body really wants to see your embarrassing baby photos. In fact, she probably only has 20 followers and a few likes on each photo! But that’s how the algorithm works!
The exact same thing goes for people who love your content: if they are regularly liking, commenting, watching your Instagram Stories, or saving your content, your posts are more likely to be shown to them. You should try replying to comments and even comment on other people’s content too, this makes them more likely to reply or even check out your profile!
4. When Your Photo Was Posted
Another factor that the Instagram algorithm takes into consideration is the timeliness of a post- also known as how recently it was posted. The Instagram algorithm will likely show you more recent posts rather than posts from a few days or weeks ago — however, this isn’t always the case.
It really depends on how often you browse Instagram. If you only open the app a few times per week, you’re more likely to see top posts from a few days ago, to catch up on anything you missed. But if you’re like me and enjoy a good scroll through Instagram every couple of hours, then you’re most likely to see what has most recently been uploaded.
In general, Instagram posts today have a longer half-life than they used to, meaning that more people can see your posts over a longer period of time. This is why you’re probably still getting likes from a photo you posted yesterday or the day before!
5. What Type of Content It Is
If the only factor the Instagram algorithm cared about was engagement, then we’d all see the exact same content! Luckily, the “genre” or type of content you engage with plays a big role in what content you see on your feed.
Have you ever noticed that if you engage with a bunch of accounts of a certain genre, Instagram will begin showing you more of that content? This is the relevancy factor at play. If Instagram determines that you like a particular type of content, such as the NBA, it will do its best to show you other similar content that it thinks you will also find interesting, like posts from the LA Lakers.
So if your Instagram account is just about Cats, your account is going to be shared and featured for those who only like to look at posts of Cats. It's simple really!
Now you know the hacks of the algorithm! Take these into consideration when it comes to managing your feed, use my tips and tricks and I bet that you'll be able to hack the Instagram algorithm like a pro!
Tags: Instagram Blogging Instagram Hacks Tips Social Media Digital Marketing
Blog Resource: https://socialtrend.co.uk/voice.html#!/blog/posts/How-Does-the-New-Instagram-Algorithm-Work/10
