How do algorithms work on instagram

How the Instagram Algorithm Works in 2022

What is the Instagram algorithm?

The Instagram algorithm is a set of instructions for how and when to display certain content to any individual user. The algorithm considers hundreds of factors such as user history, location, profile, device, trends, relevance, popularity etc.

From SEO to social media, algorithms are often what determine who actually sees the content you publish and who doesn’t.

As these algorithms change, yesterday’s marketing tactics might become less effective tomorrow. That’s why your strategy on each platform needs to constantly evolve too.

On Instagram in particular, simply posting on a regular basis with the right hashtags won’t necessarily guarantee that your new content always reaches its intended audience.

Instead, you’ll need to consider how you can work with the new Instagram algorithm updates to shake up your approach to Instagram marketing.

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How does the Instagram algorithm work?

The new Instagram algorithm dictates the order of the posts that users see when they’re scrolling through their feed.

Based on specific signals, it prioritizes the best posts, pushing the most relevant ones toward the top and giving them the most visibility, while other content ends up being placed further down.

While it’s important to note that the new algorithm is subject to change, these three main ranking factors can still help inform your Instagram strategy:

Relationship with the user. If a certain user has interacted with a lot of your past Instagram content, they’ll be more likely to see your future content. This makes continual, repeat engagement on your posts important for building a loyal audience.
Interest the user has conveyed. This signal is based on whether the user interacts with similar posts and accounts when they explore Instagram. Users who also engage with similar content are more likely to see your own posts.
Relevancy of the post. When you publish a post on Instagram, the algorithm gives it a relevancy score, which impacts who it shows in the feed.

There were also other, more general considerations that Instagram shared, which you should make note of:

If users follow a lot of accounts, you’ve got more competition for the top spot in their feed.
If users either don’t spend a long time on Instagram or don’t open the app that often, you decrease the odds of having your content seen if you aren’t in one of the very top slots.
On Instagram, business accounts and creator accounts are not immediately at a disadvantage in terms of organic reach compared to personal accounts.
If users’ content doesn’t comply with Instagram’s community guidelines, Instagram will take that post down. If it happens repeatedly, Instagram will suspend that user’s account.
If users post something that is labeled as misinformation, Instagram will put a label on the post and lower it in feed and Stories. If a user posts misinformation multiple times, Instagram may make that user’s content much harder to find.

Instagram Feed and Stories

Most of what you see on your feed and in Stories are the recent posts of the people you follow. Then Instagram’s algorithm further customizes the order you see these feed posts and Stories. The most important signals it takes into consideration are:

Basic Information about the post or story. This means things such as how many likes it’s gotten, what time it was posted, and even whether there are location tags on it.
Data on the account that made the post. Things like how many people have interacted with this account in the past few weeks (i.e., How popular is this account?). The algorithm uses this information to gauge the probability that you’ll be interested in this account’s post.

Your activity. It keeps track of how many posts you’ve liked, shared, and saved, then uses that information to gauge what posts you’ll be interested in.
Your interaction history with this specific account. That means measuring how often you’ve lingered on their posts, commented on them, liked them, saved them, or gone to the account’s profile page.

Instagram takes all this data and then makes educated guesses as to what type of content should be presented on each user’s feed.

In March 2022, Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, announced the introduction of two new features that allow you to view your feed the way you want:

Following, which puts posts from accounts you’ve followed in chronological order in your feed.
Favorites, which puts the posts from accounts you interact with the most at the top of your main feed. You can also see these in chronological order.

Instagram’s algorithm will still personalize your main feed using the signals explained above.

Instagram Explore

Instagram’s Explore page algorithm is designed to help users discover new things. It uses the same signals as the feed and Stories, but uses them to curate and rank engaging content for individual users. The user actions that the Explore algorithm pays the most attention to are likes, saves, and shares.

For example, if an Instagram user is a huge fan of Avengers movies, Instagram may find other popular Marvel content to send to that user’s Explore page, or maybe even superhero content from other franchises, like DC or Image.

To get featured in a user’s Explore page, use strategic hashtags and jump on recent trends. Take advantage of hot topics or news stories to get your posts ranked higher on users’ Explore pages.

Instagram Reels

Like Explore, users usually see Reels from accounts they don’t follow. Instagram uses the same signals as it does for Explore, but focuses on what will entertain that user. One of the main things Instagram focuses on is predicting whether a user will watch a piece of video content all the way through.

To increase visibility for your Reels, share them to your feed first and include hashtags and a location tag. Also, try to interact with Reels that will appeal to your target audience. Reels are designed for users to discover you, so you’ll want to jump on a strategy for maximizing your Reel content as soon as possible.

Read more: How to Use Instagram Reels to Market Your Shopify Store

Now, you might be wondering how all of these facets of Instagram’s algorithm will influence your own Instagram marketing strategy. So let’s take a look at some of the different ways you can adapt your approach to reach more of your customers.

Tips for working with the Instagram algorithm in 2021

Focus on relationships, not just reach

Audience loyalty and continual engagement from your followers is now more important than ever, especially since it can earn you one of the top spots in their feeds.

Some ways to create these relationships with your content include:

Post user-generated content on your Stories. User-generated content is content about your brand that your followers have posted. Posting it not only inspires more UGC, but users whose content you share may tag you in their Stories and further expand your digital footprint on Instagram.

Share Reels. Instagram Reels are short, entertaining videos your business can post on Instagram. You can record 15-second clips with audio, effects, and different creative tools to amuse viewers and grow your Instagram following. Reels are shared on your feed and can appear on the Explore page to reach more people.

The Instagram algorithm tends to broadly share content from its newer features, which today is Reels. It’s also important to think outside of your own content if you hope to find your customers on Instagram. This is a social network, after all.

Comment on posts from relevant users and brands

You can also engage with users on their posts to build relationships outside of your own content by leaving interesting and involved comments on content from potential customers, relevant influencers, and related businesses.

Posting first on larger accounts that have a big following can help get your comment more visibility and get more Instagram followers for your profile. Think about accounts that your target audience is likely to follow, follow them, and join the conversation.

When doing this, be genuine and add value. Don’t try to just look for opportunities to get in a public sales pitch or leave generic responses. For example, if they tell you to check out the link in their bio about their new product, actually click the link in their Instagram bio, check out their product, and leave a thoughtful comment. Show your brand’s personality and engage in a meaningful way.

Gymshark, for example, can regularly be found in the comments on posts by UFC heavyweight champion of the world Francis Ngannou, among other athlete influencers, where it gets a fair bit of exposure and the chance to build relationships with its target audience.

You can even opt to get notified of new posts for specific accounts so you can comment early, increasing the likelihood your comment will be seen, thanks to the Instagram feed’s focus on recent posts.

To do this, you need to be following the account first. Then, click on the three dots located in the top right hand corner of the app and tap “Turn on post notifications” to start receiving push notifications whenever they publish a new post.

In addition to connecting with similar-minded creators, try following certain hashtags with relevancy to your brand and engaging with posts that use those tags. This is another great way to optimize for higher engagement rates.

Post when your followers are most active

Since timeliness is still a factor in where your content ends up in your followers’ feeds, use it to your advantage. Getting a surge of engagement when the post first goes live doesn’t hurt either and will show Instagram that it’s a post that more of your followers would like to see.

To maximize the potential of every post, try to have your content go up during your peak posting times.

Finding your peak posting times may take a little bit of trial and error, but a good place to start is in your Instagram Analytics report, available to all Instagram Business profiles in the mobile app.

Click on “See all” in your Insights and tap “Total followers,” then scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and you’ll see a small section showing you when your followers are online. You can view this information by days of the week or by the hour on specific days.

You’ll want to test out specific posting times to figure out the best time to post. Maybe posting right before a big surge of activity will work best for your account, or maybe you’ll find that it’s better to post right after a surge starts.

Respond to comments while they’re fresh

Have you noticed a lot of other business profiles responding to as many comments as possible on Instagram?

This creates social proof for your content, increasing your comment count while also encouraging further replies. But it also boosts your chances of earning more engagement while your post’s potential reach is at its peak.

Responding to a comment can also encourage follow-up comments from the original poster, even if it’s just a thank you for answering a question. In some cases, though, this can jumpstart a conversation, giving you significant engagement that will help the reach of this post and future posts, too.

Use hashtags to reach active users

Instagram hashtags can increase your reach by helping you show up in relevant searches.

For this tactic to be effective, however, you need to choose the hashtags that your target audience actually searches through to discover content and other users.

Community hashtags are especially active. These niche hashtags may not have as many posts as the more popular hashtags, but they are already being circulated and searched through by groups on Instagram looking to connect with others who are interested in that topic, movement, or community.

This is where you’ll actually get views that can lead to clicks through to your profile, engagement, and potentially new followers.

While these valuable hashtags will differ by industry, you can generally spot them because they adequately describe your ideal customer and are continually populated with new posts under the same theme:

A merchant selling custom luggage could use the community hashtag #welltraveled.
Online stores selling beard oil could opt for #beardlife.
Store owners that sell health food items might choose #livingfit.

Don’t just add these hashtags to the Instagram captions of your own posts, however. Click through and engage with the posts you see that are using them. A simple like on someone’s post, at the very least, might translate into a profile view or even a follow.

Again, even if your posts aren’t reaching these users, you yourself can.

Learn more: 7 Best Ways to Make Money on Instagram

Repost old content to Stories

If you’re struggling to figure out what to post on Instagram to get traction on the platform or you want to make sure that specific content gets seen as much as possible, repurposing past posts is a good way to go, especially as your following grows.

This brings your best content back to the top, showing it to more people who may have missed it the first time around.

While some will simply delete a post and upload it the same way they’ve shared in the past, repurposing your content is the ideal approach here.

Repurposing content can be a huge time-saver, but remember to do it sparingly, switch things up, and prune your own feed to remove repeat content. Users can still scroll through your gallery, and you don’t want them to see the same photo come up over and over again.

Encourage engagement on your Stories

Instagram Stories get a lot of attention because they aren’t subjected to the same algorithm as posts in your feed. They’re also a great way to speak to your followers and build loyalty, resulting in more engagement on your static Instagram posts and, thus, more reach.

There are several ways you can use them:

Add hashtag stickers with your branded hashtag. When users tap through on your branded hashtag sticker, they’ll be taken to a feed of static posts using that hashtag, whether they’re your own, customer submissions, or both. Add a location tag as well to help your content show up in local searches.
Share Stories from other users. Instagram allows you to not only be notified when someone shares a Story that mentions you, but also to then share their Story directly to your own. You can even encourage or incentivize your followers to share one of your posts to their Story.
Inspire engagement with interactive stickers. This includes poll stickers, the emoji slider, and question stickers. The latter lets you ask users questions and then post their replies to additional Stories later on. This gives you even more content that your followers might interact with.

But did you know you can also share your own Instagram posts to your Stories?

Simply tap the direct message button on one of your own posts and you’ll see the option to “Add Post to Story,” where you can resize it and apply text and other edits.

This is a great way to maximize your social media marketing strategy by ensuring your most important posts (like a new product announcement) will have a better chance of reaching your followers.

Pay for reach with Instagram ads and influencers

The fastest way to solve limited organic reach on any platform is to pay for it instead. Done correctly, this can give you a burst of momentum that can help you drive better organic results later on. You have two main options here: Instagram advertising and influencer marketing.

Instagram ads do cost money, and the ad spend can add up quickly if you’re not careful, but it’s a good investment if you’re having trouble gaining traction on the platform.

Be sure to set a lifetime budget, especially if you’re new to Instagram, so you remain in control of your spend.

Monitor how your efforts translate into results

You can track your progress with these strategies by checking your Instagram Insights for telling metrics. While most people focus on follower count, you’ll learn more about what your Instagram marketing is doing for your business by looking at accounts reached, accounts engaged, and total followers.

The Instagram algorithm may change, but building relationships doesn’t

If you want to get the most out of Instagram, it’s not enough to fixate only on publishing content regularly. Instead, it’s essential that you also focus on overall relationship building and high-quality content while engaging with Instagram users outside of your posts and on them.

Instagram algorithm changes will always happen. But if marketers are willing to change with them, you’ll find surprising new ways to reach your intended audience.

Ready to create your first business? Start your free 14-day trial of Shopify—no credit card required.

Instagram algorithm FAQ

What are the 3 main factors of the Instagram algorithm?

Three things that matter most to the Instagram algorithm is your relationship with the user, interest the user has conveyed, and relevancy of the post.

What is the current Instagram algorithm?

The Instagram algorithm is a mix of factors that helps Instagram decide what content to show users and what not to show them.

How do I fix my Instagram algorithm?

Take better photos.
Publish consistent Stories and Reels.
Publish video content.
Go live.
Post during peak hours.
Use hashtags.

How Does the Instagram Algorithm Work in 2022?

Instagram Tips & Resources

By Jillian Warren

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Updated on June 21, 2022

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14 minute read

We're lifting the veil on the Instagram algorithm 👀

Published November 28, 2021

How does the Instagram algorithm actually work?

In this blog post, we’re sharing how the Instagram algorithm works for feed posts, stories, the Explore page, and Instagram Reels.

Plus, discover our top tips to “hack” the Instagram algorithm, so you can get more engagement for your business or brand.

What Is the Instagram Algorithm?

You’ll often hear the Instagram algorithm referred to as a singular concept, but there are really multiple algorithms at play.

In fact, Instagram describes it as a "variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes, each with its own purpose. We want to make the most of your time, and we believe that using technology to personalize your experience is the best way to do that."

In other words, Instagram's algorithms have one goal: to make you stay on the app longer by delivering content you'll find relevant and interesting.

If you work in social media, knowing about the latest algorithm updates is a huge advantage.

You can tailor your strategy to "hack" what the algorithm is prioritizing — so you can reach more users and build a community of engaged followers.

PSA: Later is a social media management tool trusted by over 4M businesses, creators, and social media managers. Plan and automatically publish your Instagram posts with Later – sign up for free today:

New Instagram Algorithm Changes in 2022

Instagram is constantly making algorithm adjustments to deliver the best experience for app users across the globe.

Here's every major new Instagram algorithm update that's happened in 2022 (so far):

The introduction of "Following" and "Favorite" Home feed views — a new version of the "chronological feed" to provide more customized experiences (with less algorithmically suggested content)
More suggested content in the default Instagram Home feed view (favoring Instagram Reels in particular)
Prioritization of original content (read: the algorithm will favor content that hasn't already been shared by someone else on the app)
De-prioritization of content that contains visible watermarks from other apps
Improved content categorization. Instagram's algorithms are getting better at identifying what an image or video is about based on keywords and content.

Short on time? We're sharing everything you need to know about the new Instagram algorithm updates in this quick video:

How Does the Instagram Algorithm Work in 2022?

As mentioned, there are multiple Instagram algorithms at play — each one for a different part of the app, whether it's feed posts or Reels.

In a recent post by @creators, social media strategist Laurise McMillian broke down some common myths:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Later: Visual Social Marketing (@latermedia)

The major takeaway? Instagram algorithms rely on three key signals:

Who: Whose posts are you interacting with? If you frequently like or comment on someone's content, you're more likely to see their posts in your feed.
What: What type of content do you engage with? For example, if you love beauty content, the algorithm will continue serving that type of content to you.
When: As Laurise explains, "This focuses on when a post has been posted to decide if it's relevant to you." It also takes into consideration how often you scroll on the app — so it will pick and choose what to prioritize.

Keep reading for a more in-depth breakdown of how each algorithm works, depending on the content type.

How the Instagram Algorithm Works for Feed Posts in 2022

The Instagram feed algorithm has changed a lot over the last five years, pivoting to a model that favors interest.

It takes into consideration the likelihood of five main interactions when deciding how to rank a post on someone's Home feed. These are:

Time spent: Are you going to spend time on the post?
Likes: How likely are you to like the post?
Comments: How likely are you to comment on the post?
Saves: How likely are you to save the post?
Taps on Profile: How likely are you to tap on the profile after seeing the post?

“The more likely you are to take an action, and the more heavily we weigh that action, the higher up you’ll see the post," says Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Later: Visual Social Marketing (@latermedia)

But how does the algorithm know what content you're most likely to interact with?

According to Mosseri, it's a complex process. "We add and remove signals and predictions over time, working to get better at surfacing what you’re interested in.”

These signals include:

Information about the post: Is it a photo or a video? When was it posted? How many likes does it have?
Information about the poster: How interesting are they to you? Are they your friend? How often do people engage with their content?
Your activity: Do you tend to watch a lot of videos? What type of content do you typically engage with?
Your interaction history: Do you typically like or comment on the poster’s posts?

The takeaway? The Instagram algorithm monitors every interaction you make on the app, from the posts you like to who you interact with, in order to serve you content it believes you will interact with.

What Else Can Impact Feed Post Ranking on Instagram?

There are some additional factors, beyond the interest score, that can impact where a post lands in someone's Home feed. These include:

Image or video quality
Originality (i.e. whether the post has been already shared on Instagram)
Watermarks
Violations to Instagram's Community Guidelines
Reported content

What Engagements Are Most Important to the Instagram Algorithm?

Engagement is key, especially when it comes to the Instagram algorithm.

It considers how likely you are to comment, like, save, spend time, or tap on a profile.

Keeping this in mind, as you plan your content and captions — ask yourself these questions:

Is this post likely to be liked or commented on?
Is this a post someone would save and come back to?
Does this post include a CTA (for example, “Click the link in my bio”) that will prompt someone to tap on your profile?

Creating content that will encourage this type of engagement can help you “hack” the Instagram algorithm for your benefit.

TIP: Use Later's Instagram Analytics to understand which type of posts typically deliver the highest engagement for your account. You can easily filter your posts by engagement rate and get a visual overview of what's working.

How the Instagram Reels Algorithm Works in 2022

Knowing how to "hack" the Instagram Reels algorithm can be a huge advantage for anyone looking to grow on Instagram.

Much like with Home feed posts, Instagram prioritizes Reels based on what it believes a viewer will be most likely to interact with, and uses a set of signals to help rank content.

According to Instagram, brands and creators should create Reels that are entertaining, inspiring, or experimental and use creative tools like text, camera effects, or filters.

You should also avoid posting Instagram Reels that are low-resolution, too blurry, have already been shared elsewhere, or are visibly recycled from another app.

These types of Reels will be deprioritized — meaning they’ll be less likely to appear across the app.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Later: Visual Social Marketing (@latermedia)

For an additional boost, we recommend sharing your Instagram Reels to your main feed, using hashtags to increase discoverability, and including captions to make your content more accessible.

Ready to level-up your Instagram Reels strategy? Bookmark this post for everything you need to know: The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Reels.

How the Instagram Stories Algorithm Works in 2022

The Instagram Stories algorithm typically prioritizes content from the accounts you interact with the most, rather than the specific content of a story.

Due to their short-lived nature, timeliness is less important for stories — but it can have a slight impact on ranking once a story gets to 10+ hours.

With this in mind, it's a good idea to regularly share Instagram Stories that encourage engagement — poll, question, and quiz stickers are all great ways to drive interactions.

ICYMI: You can visually storyboard your Instagram Stories with Later — so you never miss a chance to drive engagement with your audience!

With Later, you can plan your stories, add captions or links, and set your publish time.

When it’s time to post, you’ll receive everything you need delivered straight to your mobile — so you can share your content in seconds.

Ready to improve your Instagram Stories ranking? Start planning and scheduling your Instagram Stories with Later today.

How the Instagram Explore Page Algorithm Works in 2022

The Instagram Explore page algorithm delivers content that it thinks you’ll be most interested in, based on your prior interactions.

While your Instagram Home feed is mainly made up of content from accounts you already follow, the Explore feed consists almost entirely of content from new accounts.

According to Instagram, “the most important actions we predict in Explore include likes, saves, and shares.”

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A post shared by Later: Visual Social Marketing (@latermedia)

The Explore page is constantly evolving, with new topic categories and advanced search functionalities being introduced all the time.

For example, you can now search by keywords, as well as hashtags, to discover feeds of relevant content:

This suggests that the Explore page algorithm also considers the actual visual content and words in your caption, rather than just the hashtags you use.

Fortunately, getting your posts onto the Instagram Explore page isn’t as hard as you might think.

Remember: the Explore page algorithm is essentially trying to serve people the best, relevant content.

So by continually sharing engaging content with strong captions and niche hashtags, you’re optimizing your posts for Explore page potential.

PSA: Write your Instagram captions in advance, on desktop, with Later's Instagram Scheduler. Get started today — it's free!

How the Instagram Algorithm Works for Business, Creator, and Personal Accounts in 2022

There have been rumors that the Instagram algorithm better serves certain accounts, with business accounts being favored.

However, it can be officially put to rest as Instagram confirmed in a series of Stories on the @creators account, that all account types are treated equally when it comes to the algorithms.

This means that regardless of whether you have a personal, creator, or business account, it won’t make any difference to how the Instagram algorithm ranks your content.

That said, switching to an Instagram business account does come with its own set of perks — including the ability to Auto Publish your posts with Later.

6 Ways to "Beat" the Instagram Algorithm in 2022

If you want to improve your ranking with the Instagram algorithm, the best thing you can do is drive as many interactions (likes, comments, saves, and clicks) as possible.

And by building momentum with your existing community, you’ll soon find your content surfaced to new audiences.

Here are six ways to improve your algorithmic ranking and reach new audiences:

#1: Consistently Share Instagram Reels

Instagram Reels are still being heavily promoted by Instagram across the entire app experience.

Plus, Reels get twice as much real-estate in the Instagram Explore page – making them a major tactic for discovery and growth.

#2: Encourage More Interactions with Instagram Stories Stickers

Instagram Stories stickers are a great way to encourage audience engagement — and the more engagement your posts get, the higher they’ll be boosted by the Instagram algorithm.

There are lots of Instagram stickers, but the best ones for driving engagement are the poll, emoji slider, and question stickers.

Poll and emoji slider stickers are a quick and easy engagement win, and can work for almost any business or brand.

Question stickers may not be as quick to take part in, but they can be just as good at driving genuine engagement with your audience, which is highly valuable for the Instagram algorithm.

TIP: Include a sticker on your first story for an added boost!

#3: Drive Conversations with Engaging Captions and Comments

Instagram has confirmed comments and likes are important when it comes to feed ranking — so it’s a great idea to encourage as many as possible for your posts.

One of the best ways to do this? Write good captions that drive engagement.

This could be as simple as asking your followers to share their thoughts, double-tap if they agree, tag a friend in the comments, or click the link in your bio.

Want to write more conversational captions? Check out The Ultimate Guide to Writing Good Instagram Captions.

#4: Add Hashtags and Keywords to Your Posts

Adding hashtags and keywords to your posts is an effective way to reach more people on Instagram, which means more “views” for the Instagram algorithm to take into account.

And with a good hashtag and keyword strategy, you won’t just reach more people — you’ll reach people who are relevant to your business, and most likely to engage with your content.

In a recent Later study, we discovered that feed posts with 30 hashtags get the highest level of engagement on average.

30 hashtags may feel like a lot, but one way to discover new hashtags for your brand is by using Later’s Hashtag Suggestions feature.

Hashtag Suggestions works by automatically finding relevant hashtags for your posts based on other hashtags you use.

All you have to do is know one relevant hashtag, put it into Hashtag Suggestions, hit “Suggest,” and the feature will immediately generate 30 other hashtags, sorted by relevance.

Once you’ve found the best hashtags for your brand, you can use Later’s Saved Captions feature to curate ready-made lists of hashtags that you can add to your post captions in seconds.

When it’s time to schedule, simply select one of your Saved Captions to add it to your post.

#5: Cross-promote Your Instagram Content

If you’re looking for a quick and easy engagement win to help boost your algorithm ranking, cross-promoting your Instagram content is a great place to start.

As Instagram has grown, so too has the number of channels that you can share content: feed, stories, Guides, and Instagram Reels.

Instagram Collabs feed posts (with co-shared authorship) are also an incredible new way to reach new audiences.

Thanks to these different publishing channels, you can strategically use them to drive different audiences to your most recent content.

This could be as simple as sharing an enticing preview of a Reel to your feed, or even adding a feed post to Instagram Stories with a “Tap Here” GIF.

#6: Use Instagram Analytics to See What’s Working

Tracking and monitoring how your content is performing on Instagram is one of the most reliable ways to take on the Instagram algorithm.

Having a better understanding of what’s working (and what isn’t) will help you come up with a finely tuned marketing plan, saving you time and effort in the long run.

But diving into your Instagram Analytics means more than just finding out which photo, video, or stories performed best.

Truly understanding how your content performs – by tracking key metrics over time – is vital to knowing what helps improve your ranking.

The easiest way to do this? Later’s Analytics feature.

With Later’s Instagram Analytics you get a visual overview of how your posts and stories are performing – all in an easy-to-use dashboard.

You’ll find all of the must-have analytics from Instagram in a digestible format, as well as several extra data points — including your Best Time To Post (available on all paid plans).

In Summary

The best way to gain an advantage with the Instagram algorithm?

Know your niche and create engaging content — the algorithm will do the rest.

Being consistent and building a genuine relationship with your followers is the most powerful way to “hack” the Instagram algorithm — and it will work wonders for your brand too.

Ready to plan your Instagram content in advance? Start scheduling with Later, the #1 visual marketing platform – for free!

About the Author

Jillian Warren

Jillian is Later's Editor. A go-to expert in social media strategy and content marketing, she has worked in both London and New York. Next up? Lisbon and Paris! You can reach out to her on Instagram here: @jillwrren.

Plan, schedule, and automatically publish your social media posts with Later.

Category Instagram Tips & Resources

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7 min read

10 Instagram Algorithm Facts You Should Know

By Jillian Warren

Category Instagram Tips & Resources

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12 min read

How to Get More Instagram Followers: 2022's Top Tips

By Jillian Warren

Category Instagram Tips & Resources

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4 min read

How to Hack the Instagram Reels Algorithm in 2022

By Amanda Demeku

How the Instagram algorithm works and how to get maximum reach

Instagram explained how the news feed generation algorithms work. Previously, the platform had never published such data, and there were many rumors about the social network among marketers. The site also answered the most common of them.

Read more: Understanding Instagram's algorithmic feed will help you get the most out of your posts and engagement.

Timeline was not more convenient

This is not said by the representatives of the social network (and certainly not by users), but by the numbers: users missed 70% of all posts, and 50% of friends' posts, when the results were formed in the order of publication of posts.

Users now see up to 90% of their friends' posts, according to Instagram. Recall that in recent months, Facebook has been paying attention to maintaining contacts between friends and family within the social network.

Top Factors for Instagram Ranking Algorithm

Instagram uses machine learning to analyze your social media behavior to create a personalized feed for each user. Even if two people follow the same list of accounts, their newsfeeds will differ depending on interactions with those accounts. Next, let's take a closer look at what affects the work of the feed on Instagram.

Interest

Instagram predicts whether a post will interest you based on your previous activity with similar content. The similarity of publications is also determined by machine vision.

Relevance

Priority is given to publications made recently.

Relationships

Instagram determines how close you are to the author of a post. Comments under his photos and marks on joint photos are taken into account.

Three additional ranking factors

Instagram representatives also identified three additional factors affecting the display of posts in the feed.

Frequency

How often you visit Instagram: the algorithm tries to show you the best posts since your last visit.

Number of subscriptions

If you follow a large number of accounts, the algorithm has a wide selection of posts to add to your feed - so you see the posts of a particular person less often.

Behavior

How much time do you spend in the app, and how do you view the content: quickly scroll through the feed or go to your account and see the posts there.

Myths about how Instagram algorithms work

The Instagram team has debunked well-known user misconceptions about how Instagram works, especially how the feed is displayed.

1. Instagram has no plans to bring back the timeline. This will complicate the use of the service. However, the company listens to user dissatisfaction with the current algorithm. Gradually, changes will be made to its work.

2. Posts in the feed are not hidden, but only ranked. If you scroll for a very long time, you will see posts from absolutely all the accounts you follow.

3. The Instagram algorithm doesn't prioritize posts with videos as well as posts with photos. It analyzes what content the user watches more often, and it is in his personalized feed that posts with this type of content are more likely to get.

4. Instagram does not rank above users who post Stories, Live, or use any other features of the app. It's a myth that using Stories affects reach.

5. Users who post content too often are not demoted in the feed. But if posts are published one after another with a small time interval, Instagram will in most cases add posts from other users between them.

6. Account type does not affect reach in any way : Switching from a business account to a personal account and vice versa will not give any results.

7. Shadow ban (hiding posts in search results by hashtags) does not exist v.

How to improve the performance of your Instagram account knowing the feed ranking factors?

1. Publish regularly

You need to catch the eye of your followers to stay in their feeds. Some marketers and bloggers advise making at least one post per day. For some, this is too much - sometimes creating content takes time and effort. Three posts per week will be enough.

2. Communicate with the audience

Yes, those same questions “How will you spend your summer?” actually work on Instagram too. Ask your audience open-ended questions, and if you run a brand account, try to engage subscribers in a conversation - not only about your product, but also on abstract topics.

3. Interact with similar content

Browse accounts similar to yours, reply to friends in direct on Stories, participate in discussions relevant to your profile topic.

4. Study the audience

Determine what your subscriber likes: photo or video, long or short text, useful information or beautiful pictures.

To do this, ask them directly - for example, through a survey in Stories, or analyze the account's old posts. You can quickly do this in Popsters.ru: it will show the most popular and discussed posts of all time, determine the days of the week and hours when subscribers are most active, show on the charts the optimal text length for your audience - and many more metrics that will help you improve content in the account.

Terminals

Three main factors of new algorithms for ranking the news feed in Instagram: interest, relevance, relationship with the author of the publication.
Three additional factors: posting frequency, number of subscriptions, user behavior.
Ranking algorithms do not hide posts, but only arrange them, if you scroll through the feed for a long time, you can find any publication from subscriptions.
Instagram algorithms do not consider account type and content type.
To increase the effectiveness of posting, you need to publish content regularly, communicate with subscribers and participate in discussions in other people's comments yourself.
To find out what your audience likes, ask them through polls, or analyze past experiences with Popsters. Advanced analytics on Instagram will help in the rapid development of your account.

Useful articles on a similar topic:

Finding the best time to post on Instagram;
How users perceive content in Instagram Stories and feed;
15 facts and figures about Instagram that a marketer should know;
How to write an effective description on Instagram.

Instagram told how algorithms actually work - Social networks on vc.ru

This day has come! On June 8, Instagram officially spoke on its blog about how Instagram algorithms actually work. This publication will be of interest not only to marketers, SMM specialists, bloggers, but also to everyone who uses Instagram. I share a full translation of the official article of the head of Instagram Adam Mosseri.

71 380 views

What is the Instagram "algorithm"?

Instagram doesn't have a single algorithm that keeps track of what people do and what they see or don't see in the feed. Instagram uses many algorithms, classifiers and processes, each with its own purpose.

We want to make the most of your time and believe that these technologies help the social network to personalize the user experience and make the time spent more efficiently.

Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram

When we first launched Instagram in 2010, it was a single stream of photos in chronological order. But as more people joined and shared content, it became more difficult for them to see everything that appeared on the social network. By 2016, people were missing 70% of content, including almost half of messages from friends. Therefore, Instagram has developed a “smart feed”, in which posts are ranked depending on what excites and interests the user.

Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram

Each part of the social network - Feed (tape), Stories, Explore (Interesting), Reels uses its own algorithm, adapted to the experience of a particular user.

How does the feed and stories algorithm work?

The feed and Stories ranking algorithm can be broken down into .

In the first step, Instagram chooses what to show the user first - these will be all the recent posts shared by the people they follow. There are, however, a few exceptions (such as ads), but the vast majority of what he sees is content from subscriptions.
Instagram then collects all information about the user's preferences and what was posted by whom. The social network calls these “signals”, and there are thousands of such signals: when the post was published, whether the person uses the phone or is on the site, how often they watch the video, and so on.

Here are the signals in the feed and Stories that move posts higher in the search results in order of importance to the user:

Post data. This is both an indicator of the popularity of a publication (how many likes it was given) and a technical one: when the post was made, how long the video lasts in Stories, what geotag was set.
Notice, Instagram first said that geolocation is also taken into account when ranking posts!

Information about the author of the content. Instagram looks at how many user interactions there have been with posts and Stories of an author over the past few weeks. This data allows the social network to understand how the account and its publications can be of interest to a person.
User activity. The social network studies the number of likes, comments on other posts in order to assess the activity of a person and better understand his interests.
History of user interactions with the content author. The social network looks at how often and to whom the user writes comments and likes posts and Stories.

From these signals, Instagram creates a set of predictions - these are the probabilities of user interactions with content. There are many such predictions. There are five of them in the tape:

watch time,
commenting,
like,
save,
go to profile.

The higher the likelihood that a person will perform these actions, the higher the content ranking. Over time, signals and forecasts change - this is how the social network tries to better understand the interests of the audience.

There are a few restrictions. First example - Instagram tries not to show too many posts from the same person. The second example is reposting posts in Stories from the feed. Previously, the social network believed that the audience was only interested in viewing original content, and therefore the ranking priority for reposts was low.

The World Cup and other public events have shown that the authors want to be heard. Therefore, Instagram “does not want to interfere” with the distribution of important content.

Instagram wants to let people express themselves, but when users post content that could compromise another person's safety, Instagram intervenes. After all, there are “Community Guidelines” that apply not only to the feed and Stories, but to all of Instagram. Most of these rules are aimed at ensuring the safety of users. If you post something that goes against the Community Guidelines and Instagram sees it, of course, the relevant content is removed. A systematic violation may eventually lead to the blocking of your account. If the user believes that Instagram has made a mistake, an appeal must be filed.

How does the Instagram algorithm in recommendations work?

The Explore tab has been designed to help users find something new. The grid consists of recommended photos and videos that Instagram itself finds for people, which is very different from the feed and Stories. Earlier, representatives of the social network have already talked about the operation of the algorithm, but now there is more information.

The first step the algorithm takes is to determine the set of posts to rank. To find photos and videos that might be of interest to a person, he looks at the signals: what posts he liked, saved or commented on in the past.

For example. If you are subscribed to dumplings, then the algorithm looks at who else is subscribed to the profile with dumplings and what those who read this dumpling profile are interested in. From here, a kind of cloud of topics related to dumplings is created that may potentially interest you and will be shown to you in the recommendations section.

Once it finds a group of photos and videos that you might be interested in, the algorithm sorts them by how interested the soulless algorithm thinks you are in each one, much like Feed and Stories are ranked.

The best way to guess how interested you are in something is to predict how likely you are to react to the content in some way. The most important actions predicted in Explore include likes, saves, and shares.

Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram

Post information. Here the algorithm looks at how popular the post seems to be. These are signals, such as how much and how quickly other people like, comment, share, and save a post. These cues matter much more in Explore than they do in Feed or Stories.
Your history of interaction with the author. The post is most likely shared by someone you've never heard of, but if you've interacted with them, it gives the algorithm an idea of how interested you might be in that content.
Your activity. These are signals such as which posts you have liked, saved or commented on, and how you have interacted with posts in the recommended past.
Information about the author. These are signals like how many times people have interacted with this person over the past few weeks to help find interesting content from a wide range of people.

In addition, Instagram tries not to show questionable content in Interesting. For example, scenes of tobacco smoking or vaping. Yes, such content can be shared in the feed and Stories, but the chance of it getting featured is low.

Shadowbanning Pro

"People often accuse us of 'shadowbanning them' or silencing them. It's a broad term they use to describe the many different experiences they have on Instagram. We acknowledge that we have not always done enough to explain why we hide/remove content when we do, what is recommended and what is not. As a result, we understand that people will inevitably come to their own conclusions about why something happened, and that those conclusions can be confusing for people.”

Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram

Instagram cannot promise you that you will consistently reach the same number of people when you post and Stories. The truth is that most of your followers won't see what you share because most of them watch less than half of their feed.

Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram

But the head of the social network notes that the social network is trying to be more transparent and is developing an improved notification system in the application so that people know why their message was deleted, and is exploring ways to tell people when what they post is contrary to the recommendations.

My opinion on the shadow ban

Shadowban is a strange item. It seems to be there, but it seems to be not. This is the only way I can explain the existence of this term. No one can prove its existence and action, but many believe and fear.

You have probably seen how many social network users ask questions in Stories: “Did you see my post in the feed?”, “Little likes on the last post, it seems no one sees it?”. One gets the impression that everyone brings their own meaning to this concept, thereby causing confusion. In my opinion, Instagram explains everything logically: if you break the rules, copy other people's texts, make posts on prohibited topics, use cheat services, you get less in the feed, your coverage drops, and there can be no talk of impressions in the recommendation. Everything is logical and understandable!

Many people like to subscribe to hundreds and even thousands of accounts, so it's simply impossible to see the entire feed. Due to such subscriptions, those accounts to which the user is subscribed suffer. Conclusion - subscribe only to those pages that you will actually read every day, and everyone will be fine!

I have never encountered a shadowban and neither have my clients. However, if you break something, it will affect your account, reach, and so on, whatever one may say.

The shadowban is just a myth created by the users themselves to force the audience to like and comment. But why does no one think that the problem may be in your content, which is not relevant or interesting?

Julia Toloknova, Content Marketer, SMM Specialist SMM360.RU

How can you influence what you see on social media?

Choose your close friends. You can choose your close friends for Stories. This feature was designed to ensure you can only share with the people closest to you, but Instagram will also prioritize those friends in both the feed and Stories.
Turn off people you are not interested in. You can restrict other people's accounts if you want to stop seeing their content, but don't dare to unfollow them.
Mark suggested posts as Not Interested. Every time you see a featured post, you can indicate that you don't like it. The social network will do its best not to show you similar recommendations in the future.

Providing more context on how content is rated, displayed and moderated on Instagram is only part of the equation. We can do more to help you shape your Instagram experience around what you like. We also need to keep improving our ranking technology and of course make fewer mistakes. Our plan is to actively explain our work on all three fronts from now on. Keep for updates.

Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram

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