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The algorithm determines what will appear on user feeds, the Explore page, Reels page, Hashtag page, and Stories. Most importantly, it ranks content in order of what should be most appealing to the viewer. If you’ve ever wondered why certain content appears at the top of a page while other content is miles down, that’s the Instagram algorithm at work.
While it sounds like a thing of mystery, the Instagram algorithm actually makes perfect sense. It’s basically a system that analyses how people behave on Instagram, crunches the numbers, and uses the data to decide what kind of content users are likely to enjoy.
If you want to grow your following on Instagram, you have to learn how to hack the Instagram algorithm because it’s your passport to increased visibility and engagement.
While you’ll often hear the term ‘Instagram algorithm’, there are actually various algorithms involved when it comes to ranking content. All have a singular goal – to prolong the time people spend on the platform by giving them relevant and interesting content.
Below is a breakdown of the algorithms you need to pay attention to:
These algorithms monitor everything users do and crunch the findings to show content that’s likely to tick viewers’ boxes. Learn how to harness these algorithms and you can make sure your brand’s posts are shown to users who are likely to find them interesting.
Why do you see what you see on Instagram? 🧐
Here’s a breakdown of how the rankings work ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/e9TGKsBNa8
— Instagram (@instagram) May 31, 2023
The Instagram Feed algorithm uses a complex process to predict the type of content a user is likely to engage with. It takes a post and monitors the following:
There are also factors that can cause the algorithm to look upon a post less favorably, namely:
1. Feed is like your personalized home base 🏠 and what you see depends on things like what and whom you’ve followed, liked or engaged with recently. pic.twitter.com/hlsT5vtZ0i
— Instagram (@instagram) May 31, 2023
If you want to grow your brand on Instagram, hacking the Reels algorithm is a must. As with the Feed algorithm, the Reels algorithm seeks to give users videos that they’re likely to engage with.
This means that your Reels should be entertaining, inspiring or quirky, and high quality. Don’t post Reels that are grainy, recycled, or lack that creative spark because the algorithm will penalize you for it.
Here are some key factors to boost the ranking of your reels:
And here are some best practice guidelines you should stick to if you want to maximize engagement:
4. Something similar happens with Reels — we find ones we think you might like, then order them based on how interesting we think they might be to you 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ihMG0PgVBj
— Instagram (@instagram) May 31, 2023
The purpose of the Explore Page is to help users discover new content and accounts that may interest them. The algorithm customises each user’s Explore Page so it looks different to anybody else’s.
It’s the one page on Instagram that’ll deliver content from accounts the user doesn’t already follow, and will rank the posts according to how interesting the user is likely to find them.
3. Your Explore grid shows content from accounts you don’t follow based on the type of content you’ve interacted with before, plus post info like shares, saves or likes 🤝 pic.twitter.com/FQMmrQGSw8
— Instagram (@instagram) May 31, 2023
The Instagram Stories algorithm is a little different to the others as it prioritises accounts that the user already regularly interacts with. The user’s behaviour determines what shows up. The one thing you can influence as a brand is recency as this is another important determining factor. Newer posts appear first on Stories.
2. When it comes to Stories, we rank them based on factors like how often you look at an account’s Stories or send a DM as a reply 💌 pic.twitter.com/fL9x9BJZlr
— Instagram (@instagram) May 31, 2023
When it comes to the Instagram algorithm, engagement is key, which means that comments, likes, saves, time spent, and profile clicks are all important metrics.
Having analyzed the user’s behavior on the platform, it delivers content that they’re likely to engage with. As a brand, your goal is to create content that encourages engagement and is, therefore, going to rank well.
When you plan content, try to create posts that will do the following:
For more information on boosting your brand on Instagram, check out our guide to Instagram ads and our insights into Instagram marketing, plus find out how to sell products on Instagram.
Use Vamp to kickstart your influencer campaign and ride the algorithm all the way to success. We have all the tools you need to create a fantastic digital marketing strategy from one place. Take a look at our prices and find the right package to suit your brand.
