Instagram’s algorithm changes and evolves constantly to ensure engagement and also guarantee the content keeps relevant. Following this vertiginous pace is critical for creators, influencers and brands to optimize their strategies and stay in the digital world’s map.
Next, we’ll expose and analyze the latest updates to Instagram’s algorithm and how you can use them to improve your strategy and your reach.
The algorithm is basically a system that determines the content that Instagram users can see in their feed, either in stories, posts or reels. Instagram platform, instead of displaying content in a chronological order, uses machine learning to post content based on each user’s activity and preferences to ensure a personalized experience and a higher engagement.
During the last few years, Instagram has shifted this algorithm with more information such as likes, comments, time spent and general interactions. The last updates have gone even further based on more specific information like engagement, originality and preferences.
Instagram has experienced some important and impactful updates during this year which have significantly improved the users’ experience and, of course, have also increased the engagement. Among the most important it is worth to mention:
Now, Instagram has a stronger emphasis on originality and, for the same reason, practices like reposting content from other platforms has significantly decreased. This emphasis seeks to promote creativity and encourage original creators.
For these reasons, the best that you can do, as an Instagram content creator, is strive to create unique, high quality content that really impacts your audience instead of recycling content.
Reels are, by now, Instagram’s most important element in its competence with TikTok and, for this reason, the algorithm now prioritize this type of content and, if they are short, entertaining and include audio, will be prioritized over the rest.
If you want to create successful reels, keep them under 30 seconds, use trending music and add captions. By doing this, you’ll have more visibility and a higher engagement.
The algorithm builds the feed based on users’ interactions such as likes, comments, shares and saves but it also considers searches and profile visits to determine users’ interests. For the same reason, the accounts that each user frequently visits and interacts with are prioritized.
If you want to offer more relevant content, you should engage with your audience through comments and stories, keep track of your analytics to identify the type of content your followers prefer and use relevant hashtags and keywords to keep up with your audience’s interests.
Instagram’s search is now wider, which allows users to find content through keywords more than hashtags or account names.
For this reason, it is very important to incorporate relevant keywords everywhere you can (captions, text and bio), keep up on trending topics, create content according to them and include searchable terms in your profile.
This is a relatively new Instagram’s feature that is very favored in the algorithm. It allows multiple creators to share the same post, encouraging partnership and expanding audience reach since it combines all collaborators’ followers.
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It is crucial to partner with other creators, influencers and brands to create joint campaigns. You can also seek to diversify your content to reach new and different audiences.
Instagram now tracks the time each user spends on the platform and, for this reason, posts that encourage a higher engagement like carousel posts or interactive stories are privileged and usually rewarded.
The best you can do is use carousel posts to encourage swiping through multiple images or videos, write detailed captions that hook users’ attention, promote discussion and also using interactive story elements such as polls, quizzes and Q&A stickers.
In addition you can visit the marketing materials section in our website to discover all the resources we can offer you to boost your brand and make a significant impact in your audience. Take a look and start making a difference in Instagram with the best marketing material for brands.
Now that you know the most important Instagram updates and how to use them to boost your content, is time to analyze some other practices that may also help you to increase your presence on Instagram and, of course, your engagement.
Posting consistently will make the algorithm recognize your account as active and trustable. You can post daily, a few times a week or even monthly, in any case, you most stick to a schedule according to your audience’s behavior.
For this matter, Instagram Insights is a very useful resource since it determines the best times to post based on your followers’ activity.
Nowadays, building a community in digital spaces is crucial so it is very important to reply to comments, like other users’ posts and participate in discussions to get more visible.
It is essential to engage with your followers, participate in conversations related to your content’s matters and comment on popular content.
Instagram offers a wide variety of formats which includes reels, stories, carousels and live videos so it is highly advisable to take advantage of all this variety by diversifying your content and, therefore, reach new audiences.
Regarding this, behind-the-scenes-content, trend-based content and educative carousels can be very useful and effective.
Instagram’s algorithm privileges high-quality and engaging content over frequent and low-quality content so it totally pays to create visually appealing content that really impacts your audience.
To achieve this, you should use the best editing tools and resources available to improve the quality of your photos and videos and be consistent about the aesthetic of your content and your profile to build a strong identity.
Through Instagram Insights you can get valuable information about your audience such as demographic data, engagement rates and content performance and you can also use all this information to improve your strategy.
The most important metrics you should track on are engagement rate (likes, comments, shares and saves) reach, impressions for individual posts and audience growth trends.
In addition you can visit the marketing materials section in our website to discover all the resources we can offer you to boost your brand and make a significant impact in your audience. Take a look and start making a difference in Instagram with the best marketing material for brands.
There are some beliefs about Instagram’s algorithm that are, at least most of them, totally false. Next, we’ll analyze two of them and expose the truth that is hidden behind.
This concept refers to a virtual space where Instagram supposedly hides your content for using certain hashtags or violating guidelines and is probably the best-known Instagram myth.
If your posts don’t have a good performance it’s probably for having low-quality content or low engagement.
Although it had a long time-out, chronological feeds are now back but most users prefer to rely on the algorithm feed.
If you want to get visible on the Instagram feed, you must optimize your content for the algorithm.
Instagram’s algorithm will continue evolving to ensure users’ best experience and full satisfaction. Among the most notorious trends to watch for in the next years we can mention:
It is crucial to truly understand Instagram’s algorithm, but also to learn how to take advantage of it to boost your brand. In the same way, it is very important to keep up with the updates to, not only remain in the platform, but also to grow and increase your engagement rates.
It’s totally worth it to be original and create content that really impacts your audience. It will ensure you’ll have a notorious advantage in this platform. Always keep in mind that the algorithm rewards authentic and relevant interactions so always privilege quality over quantity or fastness.
By effectively implementing these strategies you’ll take full advantage of all these platforms have to offer.
In addition, you can visit the social media section in our website to discover all the resources and services we can offer you to improve your marketing strategies in social media including, off course, Instagram. Don’t hesitate and visit us today to take your Instagram campaign further than you could ever imagine
