How do Instagram algorithms work?

Looking to get your brand noticed on Instagram and attract more followers? Instagram aims to show its users useful and interesting content that they care about. This means it’s important to offer up this kind of content if you do want to achieve success on the platform. Luckily though, as an agency we know how to get you noticed and have years of experience growing brands on Instagram. How? Well, we understand its algorithm.

What exactly is “the algorithm”?

Many people presume Instagram has a single algorithm that determines what people do and don’t see when they use the app. However, it actually uses a range of algorithms, processes and classifiers, and each of these has its own specific purpose.

Instagram made big changes to its service in the late 2010s. One of the big reasons for these changes was that users were missing around 70% of the posts that should have appeared in their Feed. They were even missing almost half of the content posted by their closest connections. As a result of this, a new Feed was launched to rank boasts based on what users were the most interested in.

The Instagram app has three main parts. These are Feed, Explore, and Reels. Each of these has its own algorithm. Research carried out by Instagram has found that users tend to head to Feed and Stories to see content from their closest connections.

How does Instagram determine what its users are likely to be interested in?

Instagram uses signals to determine how interested a user is likely to be in certain content. These signals include information on how often a user has interacted with someone, how many of their posts they have liked, and when the content was posted. It also makes predictions on how likely someone is to interact with a post. In Feed, Instagram decides how likely a user is to spend more than a few moments looking at a post, whether they are likely to comment on it, and the likelihood of them saving the photo. If a user is deemed likely to act on a post they see, it should feature highly in their feed. Posts are likely to be less visible if the user has posted misinformation on a number of occasions.

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How Instagram ranks Explore

Explore was designed to help Instagram users to find new things they might be interested in. Its grid is made up of photos and videos that a user is likely to be interested in. To decide what someone might be interested in, Instagram looks at what users have previously liked, saved and left comments on. If a user has interacted with one company several times, Instagram can see who else has been interacting with them and what other accounts they are interested in. If a substantial number of people are interested in content posted by another company, these businesses posts are likely to feature in a user’s Explore feed.

When Instagram has identified a range of images and videos a user is likely to care about, these posts are ranked in how much they are likely to be interested in them. Signals used to determine which posts you’re most likely to enjoy include the popularity of the post, whether you have interacted with the poster in the past and what kind of posts you have liked in the past.

How are Reels ranked?

Most of the content a user sees in Reels is from accounts that they aren’t following. If Instagram thinks someone is likely to watch a clip all the way through and find it entertaining, it’s likely to include it in their Reels feed. Again, important factors include a users’ past activity, their history of interacting with the poster, information about the Reel itself and details about the person or company posting the Reel.

What is “Shadowbanning”?

Many brands and individuals presume they have been “shadowbanned” after seeing a drop in the likes and comments generated by their posts. It says one of the reasons users’ posts aren’t seen by everyone is because most people only view half of their Feed. Instagram also states that it is working harder to let people know why their posts have been removed. It also claims it’s looking at new ways of informing them when the guidelines have been violated.

What are users doing to manage their Feed?

Users are taking charge of what appears on their Feed by choosing their Closer Friends so their content appears highly in Feed and Stories. They can also mute posters who they are not interested in and mark recommended posts as “Not Interested” so Instagram shows them fewer similar posts going forward.

How to hack the algorithm

The content users see can depend on the brand itself and whether the company is sharing interesting, informative content Instagram thinks users will be interested in. Carrying out a content audit is a highly effective method of improving the quality of your content, and reflecting trending topics is another great way of boosting the visibility of your posts. Paid promotion can also help you gain better visibility on Instagram.

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With paid Instagram ads, you can benefit from more precise targeting, increase brand awareness, connect with your audience more effectively by communicating with your audience and take advantage of the new features Instagram frequently launches for paying customers. Instagram offers many exciting features for brands using paid ads including IGTV, enhanced targeting and insights. You’ll also be able to track the progress of your campaigns in real-time, use the service even on a restricted budget and use your paid ads to complement other parts of your marketing campaign.  

At Mighty Social, our social managers and strategists have years of experience growing brands on Instagram. With so many brands battling for attention having a deep understanding of how to work the algorithm and produce content that your fans, existing and new, will engage with is our bread and butter.

Get in touch today for a discovery session to see how we can help you be MIGHTY!