2025 social media content calendar: Key dates marketers need to know
Luke McCarthy
December 16, 2024
Whether you’re a brand, creator, or casual user, knowing how the algorithm operates will help you navigate the platform effectively. In this guide, we’ll break down how the Instagram algorithm works, covering its key factors, updates, and actionable strategies for 2025.
Instagram’s algorithm has evolved to prioritise user experience and ensure relevant content reaches the right audience at the right time. With new updates focusing on AI-driven recommendations, the platform now offers even more personalised interactions. Mastering how these updates influence content distribution can give you a competitive edge, whether you aim to grow a personal account or scale a business presence.
The Instagram algorithm is a complex system designed to personalise each user’s experience on the platform. It decides what content appears on your feed, Stories, Reels, and Explore page based on your behaviour and interests. Rather than being a single algorithm, it’s a collection of algorithms tailored to different features within the app.
The more you interact with certain types of content—likes, comments, shares, saves—the more the algorithm prioritises similar posts in your feed. Actions signal interest, making these metrics critical for boosting visibility.
Content from accounts you frequently engage with will take priority. This includes DMs, tagging, and profile visits.
The algorithm learns what formats you prefer (e.g., Reels vs. static posts) and ensures you see more of what you enjoy.
Newer posts are favoured to ensure content is fresh and relevant.
Instagram prioritises high-quality, original content over reposts or low-effort creations.
Posts with high engagement within a short timeframe are more likely to be promoted.
The feed ranks posts based on:
Likelihood of interaction: Posts predicted to get your attention.
Recency: Fresh content scores higher.
Relevance: Tailored to your past behaviour.
Top relationships: Stories from accounts you’re close to are prioritised.
Completion rate: If you consistently watch someone’s Stories, Instagram ensures you see them first.
Entertainment value: Instagram measures how much of a Reel you watch, whether you re-watch, and if you engage (e.g., share or comment).
Trending content: Reels with trending audio or effects often gain a boost.
Discovery potential: Focuses on helping users find new creators or accounts.
Interest matching: Content is selected based on topics you’ve engaged with.
While Instagram denies shadowbanning, poor content performance can result from not adhering to community guidelines or inconsistent posting.
Hashtags still matter but serve to categorise content rather than guaranteeing visibility.
While temporarily boosting engagement, pods can harm long-term reach as Instagram flags unnatural patterns.
AI-enhanced recommendations: Instagram’s algorithm increasingly relies on AI to recommend niche content.
Original content push: Reposting without added value will have lower visibility.
Interactive elements: Polls, quizzes, and other interactive stickers in Stories improve performance.
Instagram continues to prioritise video content, especially Reels. Invest in short, engaging, and mobile-friendly formats.
Develop a posting schedule and stick to it. Consistency signals reliability to the algorithm.
Encourage DMs, use polls in Stories, and include strong CTAs (calls-to-action) in your captions.
Research niche hashtags that are relevant and not overly saturated. Combine popular and less-used tags for optimal reach.
Use Instagram’s Insights tool to monitor performance and refine your strategy.
Ads and paid promotions are treated separately from organic posts within Instagram’s algorithm. Using paid promotions can boost visibility for specific content, but it doesn’t directly influence how your organic posts perform. However, if a paid promotion leads to increased engagement, such as profile visits or follows, this activity can positively affect the performance of your future organic posts by strengthening your account’s engagement signals.
Follower count itself doesn’t directly affect how the algorithm ranks your posts. Instead, what matters is the engagement rate relative to your follower count. For example, accounts with high engagement rates, even if they have fewer followers, are likely to see better performance in the algorithm. The focus remains on delivering relevant content to users based on their preferences, not the popularity of the account.
Negative actions, such as reporting a post or hiding it, send strong signals to the algorithm that the content isn’t relevant or appropriate for certain audiences. These actions can decrease the visibility of your post across feeds, Explore, and other surfaces. Repeated negative signals on multiple posts may impact your account’s overall content distribution, emphasising the importance of adhering to community guidelines and creating engaging, audience-appropriate content.
To succeed on Instagram, think of the algorithm as a partnership rather than a challenge. By creating high-quality, engaging, and consistent content, you’ll naturally align with the platform’s priorities. Keep experimenting, stay updated with trends, and always put your audience’s preferences first.
Ready to boost your Instagram strategy? Start implementing these tips today and watch your engagement soar.
