The Instagram Algorithm Explained (in simple terms)
The Instagram algorithm— just hearing those words can make you feel in over your head!
It can be hard to understand exactly what the app is doing with your content, especially when you’re trying to maximize your impact on your target audience..
Thankfully, Instagram has published some information about its algorithm, and we’re here to tell you the TL;DR on what you need to know if you’re using Instagram to grow your business.
Instagram doesn’t have just one algorithm.
There is a different algorithm for each part of the Instagram app: Feed, Stories, Explore, Reels, and more. People use each part of the app for different reasons, so Instagram ranks content differently depending on how people use each one.
Feed
As you already know, the Feed is Instagram’s “home base.” It shows users posts from the accounts they follow, as well as recommended content and ads.
Before Instagram ranks the content in the Feed, it decides which content will be shown. This includes posts by accounts the users follow and posts the users might be interested in (this is determined by factors including the users’ engagement with other posts).
Next, Instagram considers the traits of those posts, like format, location, popularity, the account that posted them, and users’ own posts and interactions. They will show posts with traits that have gotten users to interact with posts in the past. For more information about what traits or “signals” Instagram looks out for, check out our Reel here!
Quick tip for Feed posts — start your caption with a hook that grabs viewers’ attention. Encourage comments with a bold question or hot take!
Stories
Instagram tailors users’ Stories feed depending on how likely they are to engage with each Story. The main factors they consider are how often users view and engage with an account’s Stories, as well as users’ relationships with story authors. If the app thinks a user is close with a Story author (i.e., you always replying to your sisters’ stories of her kids), it will show that author’s Stories first
Quick tip for Stories — encourage replies on your Stories by engaging with your followers in DMs often. Establish actual relationships with the humans behind the accounts you follow, so people are more likely to engage with your Stories, too!
Reels
Instagram prioritizes reels that users will be interested in and entertained by.
Users are shown Reels they are more likely to share and watch all the way through, determined by interaction history, the Reel’s popularity, and information about the poster.
Quick tip for Reels — make your videos as short as possible. The more full views you get, the more Instagram will share your content.
So what does this mean for you?
Since Instagram tailors its content for its users, consider the variety of posts you’re making. If you post a combination of photo carousels, individual photos, entertaining and shareable Reels, and Stories, you’ll reach more people than if you’re only making one type of post. AKA, Reels aren’t the only type of content you should be making!
