How to Make the Instagram Algorithm Work for You?
Are you posting business content on Instagram or are you planning to do so? Do you actually know how the Instagram algorithm works? We recommend that you understand the “behind-the-scenes” first before applying! Here we will show you how you can make the Instagram algorithm work for you instead of being limited by it. After reading this blog post you’ll know exactly how you can run your Instagram marketing strategy!
Table of Contents
What Is the Instagram Algorithm?
How Does the Instagram Algorithm Work?
What changes have been made to the Instagram Algorithm in 2023?
Tips and Tricks to Help you Work with the Instagram Algorithm
What Is the Instagram Algorithm?
Male hands holding a phone that shows the Instagram logo because the person is opening the app.
Like every other social media platform, Instagram uses an algorithm when showing content to their users. Such algorithms track the user’s data and are used for showing them personalised content (photos, videos), based on what they’ve already seen. In a blog post on Instagram’s website, Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, expressed that the platform uses “a variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes, each with its own purpose”.
The overall purpose is to rank the content according to the user’s interests and keep users on the platform as long as possible. That’s why there are different algorithms for the different parts of Instagram - for the feed, for the explore page and for reels. Mosseri says, “People tend to look for their closest friends in Stories, but they want to discover something entirely new in Explore. We rank things differently in different parts of the app, based on how people use them”.
This means that understanding how Instagram and its algorithm work is crucial for your Instagram marketing strategy. Only once you know which facts you should pay attention to will you be able to present your company, products, services, etc., appropriately on Instagram.
How Does the Instagram Algorithm Work?
Although there is no official statement explaining the algorithm in detail, there are a few facts we were able to collect for you to get an overview. As we already mentioned, Instagram’s algorithm actually can be split into three areas: the reels, the explore page and the feed of a user. Having a look at Instagram’s blog post clears up the total mystery of the algorithm. We see that they’ve written expanded sections that explain the algorithm for every part (reels, explore page, feed), but if you look closely enough, you’ll see that all the explanations are very similar for each part. We can therefore presume that there are some key factors the algorithm works with:
Information About the Post/Content
The Instagram algorithm uses two kinds of information about a post. On the one hand it looks at how popular the content is - how much people have liked it, shared it or commented on it. In this matter, how fast people started engaging with a post is especially important for the explore page algorithm. Captions, tags or hashtags are also used as indicators for the popularity of a post.
On the other hand the algorithm notices information such as when and where the content was posted. It tracks the kind of content, and if it’s a video, the length of it. If the content is a reel, the algorithm will detect the music/sound it contains. This means that if content is popular and/or the user seems interested in the topic (noticed especially when the user has searched by hashtags), the type of music, or the people that were tagged, the algorithm is very likely to show similar content to the user in the future.
Interactions of a User
Interactions - meaning likes, comments and shares - give information about how interested a user might be in a certain topic or videos of a particular account. The Instagram algorithm uses that information to offer new content which the user might like because it’s similar to the other content that a user already liked, shared or commented on.
When looking at the explore page and reels, it can be especially important to know that the algorithm uses interactions to evaluate if a person likes certain content. Additionally, the algorithm checks if a user interacts with certain accounts and shows content accordingly: if a user interacts with an account in particular, the algorithm is very likely to show more of the content from the account that is creating it.
Information About the Person Who Posts
Besides looking at the user itself and the content they might be interested in, the Instagram algorithm looks at the person who is posting. It collects data like the number of followers or the interactions of this person. Based on that data, the algorithm evaluates how interesting this person or account might be for a certain user and suggests it to them accordingly.
To put all of that into simple words: Instagram’s algorithm collects information about the user seeing the content, the creator of this content, as well as details about the content itself. If you want more detailed information about how the Instagram algorithm works, you can have a look at the newest blog post of Adam Mosseri on Instagram.
What changes have been made to the Instagram algorithm in 2023?
A group of co-workers sitting at a table with notebooks, pens and laptops discussing a certain topic.
When following Adam Mosseri on your socials, you might already have heard of some of these changes, because he keeps his followers updated about what’s going on at Instagram.
“If you create something from scratch, you should get more credit than if you are resharing something that you found from someone else.”
The first and - we think - most important fact Mosseri pointed out in early 2022 in a reel is that original content will be ranked higher by the algorithm than reposted content. He justified that based on the effort of the person creating the content. So your key takeaway here: Be original and your content will be seen by more people because it will be ranked higher.
“I think we were overfocused on video in 2022 and pushed ranking too far, and basically showed too many videos and not enough photos.”
In an article published in early 2023 the author relates to one of Mosseri’s weekly Q&A-Instagram stories where he points out that the Instagram algorithm will be more focused on photos in 2023. This does not mean that videos will be shown less, but rather that photos and videos will be ranked equally. Noting that some of Instagram’s competitors like Snapchat, Pinterest or (one of the newest) BeReal are focusing on photos as well, this makes a lot of sense. Nevertheless, looking at TikTok as one of its biggest competitors, Instagram will continue placing importance on short videos.
“We bring people together over the things that they love.”
In a reel posted at the end of 2022 Mosseri takes a look at 2023 and talks about what they will focus on in the new year. Saying “Help people discover things they love” one could assume that they will work to improve the algorithm in order to show users even more personalised content. He also states that they want to “Spark connections between people” which could result in ranking such content higher that will lead to some kind of conversation. Although these are very vague assumptions there could be something true in it to consider when creating your content.
Let’s have a look at how you can work with and not against Instagram’s algorithm.
Tips and Tricks to work with the Instagram algorithm
Two women in front of a laptop while they point at the screen and one is explaining something to the other
Looking at how it works and what changes have been made, meaning what the algorithm is focussing on in 2023, here are some things we recommend you to have in mind when creating content for and posting it on Instagram.
Create original content - Based on the fact that original content will be ranked higher, try to create your own photos and videos, instead of just reposting stuff others have already shared.
Use trending sounds - Since the algorithm also looks for popularity, it will rank this content higher that is very popular. By using trending sounds you can help ensure your video or photo is considered popular and get more people to see your content. It will be shown especially to users that don’t already follow you yet.
Tag your location - Tagging your location means that your content will pop up whenever someone looks up this location on Instagram. In the best case, they will save your post and then the algorithm will show it to even more people! The algorithm will show your content to people in your area as well - so work with it!
Use relevant and trending hashtags - Generally, hashtags are used as labels that help users quickly find content on social media. You should use them because your content will be shown whenever someone searches for these hashtags. In addition, users are likely to spend time on a topic they are interested in and will specifically look for more videos and photos relating to that content. By using hashtags, you will help your content be suggested to those people that are interested specifically in the content you are offering.
Don’t only concentrate on videos - Since Mosseri announced that the algorithm will focus even more on photos in 2023, you should definitely jump on this bandwagon and post some photos as well. Mix up the types of content you’re posting. There are lots of possibilities like photos, carousels, stories, and of course - videos. As we’ve mentioned, remember to use hashtags, tag your location and write an appealing caption.
Engagement is everything - Post content with which users can engage. It will attract their interest in your account, and hopefully they will have a look at your profile and follow you. Post photos and videos that will make people like them and interact with them. Post something that will create a reaction, like commenting and sharing, from your users. Most importantly, promptly respond to comments (and DMs) to keep your audience engaged with your account. Last but not least, keep in mind that carousels will keep your users engaged even longer with your content.
Are you curious about getting information about other algorithms, e.g. How TikTok’s Algorithm Works? Or maybe you’d like to know about Tips and Tricks for Creating Reels for Your Business? You can find those topics and other interesting articles in our blog.
