Instagram is the social media game everyone wants to win these days and why not? Every follower you get on Instagram is your new potential client, your new potential biggest fan, your new potential sponsor. So yeah, Instagram growth matters. Especially to people whose job involves dealing with the internet on a daily basis. The Instagram algorithm is the main thing which decides who gets to see what posts on their feed.
That is why you should understand how the Instagram algorithm works to make the best of it and reach as many people as you can.
Till March 2016, Instagram’s algorithm was nothing but a reverse chronological order of posts of people you followed. It showed you the latest post first. But later on, they introduced changes to it and gave powers to the algorithm to decide the order of the posts. Ever since then, insta users have been trying to figure out what triggers the Instagram algorithm to show their posts first.
So what exactly triggers the Instagram algorithm?
#1 Engagement
The more people are interested in your post, the more it moves to the top. Simple as that. When users engage in your content in the form of likes and comments, they are telling Instagram that they want to see more of your content.
#2 Recency
Instagram has recently announced that they are trying to “ensure that newer posts are more likely to appear first in the feed”. This means that you cannot expect a mind-blowing post from two months ago to go viral. Keep your feed fresh.
#3 Connection
Instagram’s algorithm in 2018 has also started to observe the relationship with the people you follow and even with people who follow you. If you keep liking posts of one particular person more, then their posts will show up more frequently on your feed. Try to develop an organic relationship with your followers. Post content that they would most likely like, comment and engage more with so that they see more of your posts.
Instagram Algorithm Myths You Should Not Believe:
There are a lot of myths about the Instagram algorithm that are being circulated under the name of tips and tricks to make your post go “viral”. Honestly, most of them are made up by random people. Here are some of the myths about Instagram algorithm –
#1 Videos have more potential to rank higher
Instagram has clearly stated that this is not true and the algorithm treats both photos and videos equally.
#2 Using Instagram stories will boost your reach
No. Nope. Nada. Instagram stories are just a way of interacting with your followers and posting more Instagram stories will not boost the reach of your posts.
#3 Posting frequently will down-rank my posts
Instagram will not down-rank your post just because you post multiple times a day. If you are posting many times, your posts will not show up in a continuous row. There might be other content that comes between your posts.
Here is what you should do to make the algorithm work for you:
Create awesome content-
This is the most obvious tips of them all. We are all on the platform to look at some amazing content, aren’t we? So, give your followers something great to look at in their feed through your content, and they will automatically be interested more.
Understand your audience
The most important thing about Instagram is engagement. So, know your followers, understand what kind of content they are more inclined towards. Understand what kind of captions and photos make them like and comment under your posts and try to post similar content.
Stay engaged
Let your followers know that you are not just another Instagram profile. Add a human touch to it. Keep engaging with your followers from time to time. Reply to their comments. Respond to some of their messages. Instagram is a social media app. Be social.
Encourage followers to engage
There are ways in which you can encourage your followers to interact with your content.
- Captions – Put up captions under your posts that push them towards commenting or liking the post.
- Notifications – Let your followers know the way they can turn on the notifications and be the first ones to see what you post.
- Questions – You can try and make your post in the form of a question. It can be a yes or no question or about their favourite clothing brand. And when they do comment, reply to their comment. This way, your followers will know you are indeed interested in their responses.
Although the Instagram algorithm seems to be ever-changing, it’s possible to stay on top of it by better understanding how it works. This will help you connect with like-minded people and reach more people. Understand the algorithm, make it work for you and grow your audience.
