How The Instagram Algorithm Really Works.
Are you asking yourself “How does the Instagram algorithm actually work? Do videos perform better than photos in the algorithm? How do you get my posts seen by more of your followers? Do hashtags help or hurt?” or even “There’s an algorithm?” You’re in the right place.
It’s a question that’s caused a lot of confusion since Instagram moved away from a chronological feed, prompting even more questions. For the most part, Instagram has stayed quiet, leaving its users to guess with trial and error, much to our collective frustrations. Until now. Instagram recently cleared up a lot of rumors and we finally have the answer to how exactly the Instagram Algorithm works in 2020.
Keep reading to find out the facts about the Instagram algorithm, including how it works for feed posts, stories, and the explore page! Plus, get my best tips for beating the algorithm and getting more engagement:
It’s also important to note before continuing that the Instagram algorithm is constantly changing.
According to Instagram, there are 6 key factors that influence the Instagram algorithm for feed posts:
Interest
Relationship
Time
Frequency
Following
Usage
Before, people used to think that Instagram rolled out a new version of its algorithm every few weeks, but turns out - this isn’t true. The Instagram algorithm is actually changing all of the time, based on the huge amount of data it gains every minute of every day. Keep reading for a breakdown of the six key factors!
#1: The Instagram Algorithm Predicts How Much You Care About a Post
Your Instagram feed isn’t just based on who you follow, it’s also based on who and what you like. The more the Instagram algorithm thinks you will “like” that post, the higher it will appear in your feed. This is based on “past behavior on similar content and potentially machine vision analyzing the actual content of the post.”
So basically, what you see in your Instagram feed is a combination of all of your Instagram behaviors. The friends you interact with the most, who’s stories you watch, people you are tagged in photos with, and of course, the type of posts that you like and comment on.
What Engagements Are Most Important to the Instagram Algorithm?
When it comes to feed performance, we know that the algorithm prioritizes content that receives the most engagement.
But what are the most important engagements?
According to Instagram, the most important engagements for feed ranking are comments, likes, reshares, and for video posts, views, which is really helpful to know as you plan your content and captions.
#2: The Instagram Algorithm Determines Your Relationship with Followers
The Instagram algorithm wants to prioritize showing you posts from your friends, family, and accounts that you care about.
So in order to show you what you want (what you really, really want), the algorithm uses interactions from you to piece together who is closest to you.
For example, if you comment on a lot of someone’s photos or are tagged in photos with them, this signals to Instagram that they probably fall into your “friends and family” category.
People whose content you like (possibly including stories and live videos)
People you direct message
People you search for
People you know in real life
This gives you an idea of how your behavior on Instagram affects what content you see in your app. For example, have you noticed that after you recently follow someone, you’ll see a lot of their content in your feed? But if you don’t engage with it, then you’re signaling to Instagram that you might not be that interested anymore.
This is why showing up on Instagram consistently — whether that’s by posting to your stories or feed every day — is so important! It keeps you top of mind with your followers, helps your engagement, and helps your posts be seen by the algorithm.
Tip #1: Spend More Time Posting Consistently To Instagram
When you post consistently good content to Instagram, you’ll not only improve your engagement but it’s a signal to the algorithm that you’re a quality account!
And the more frequently and consistently you post, the more likely your audience will see and engage with your content.
When it comes to how often you should post, your ideal posting frequency will depend on you or your business’ goals and the amount of time you can dedicate to your Instagram marketing efforts.
So it’s important to commit to a posting schedule that you can not only maintain, but also fits in with your workflow so you’re never compromising on quality or posting for the sake of it.
Tip #2: Use Instagram Features Like Notifications and Facebook Page Manager
Treat comments like a conversation — you want to make sure you’re always replying and engaging with the comments on your feed to alert the algorithm you have a “relationship” with your follower. And if the comment doesn’t require a response, show them some love with a heart! We know, keeping track of all your Instagram comments is hard. It’s easy to miss comments in the Instagram app, especially if someone is commenting on an older post.
With Facebook’s new unified Pages inbox, you’re able to respond to messages from both Facebook Messenger and Instagram!
With access to the new feature, you’ll see options for both “Messenger” and “Instagram Direct” when you open your Facebook Pages inbox.
By utilising this feature, you can easily keep track of all comments, DMs, and questions from both Instagram & Facebook in one convenient location.
#3: The Instagram Algorithm Factors in Timeliness
Instagram’s algorithm is starting to care a lot more about when you posted, instead of just the content or engagement on the post, because it always wants to serve you the latest, most interesting posts. This was brought up around the holidays last year when a lot of people were still seeing Christmas posts even though it was past New Year’s.
If you post at a time when most of your followers are online, you give yourself a better chance of racking up those likes — quickly!
Tip #4: Find Out When Your Audience Is Most Active
Using your Instagram Insights, you can use the Activity metrics to work out the times of the day when your audience is most active online:
But these peak times can often vary throughout the week — for example at weekends your audience might be most active in the mid-morning, while during the week it could be on their commute home or down-time after work. There is no perfect, universal time to post which is why this feature in your Insights is so valuable!
#4: The Instagram Algorithm Uses Frequency to Sort Your Posts
How often do you open the Instagram app? If you’re a frequent scroller, your feed will look more “chronological” since Instagram tries to “show you the best posts since your last visit.”
If you check the Instagram app less often, then your feed will be sorted more to what Instagram thinks you’ll like, instead of chronologically.
#5: The Instagram Algorithm Keeps Tabs on Your Following
How many people do you follow on Instagram? If you follow a lot of people, then Instagram has more options to choose from, so you probably won’t see all of the posts from every account.
#6: The Instagram Algorithm Calculates Your App Usage
If you spend a lot of time on Instagram, you’re going to see more posts as Instagram “digs deeper into its catalog.”
However, if you only spend a few minutes in the app each day, then you’re going to just get the day’s highlights from the algorithm.