How does instagram work 2019
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 2022The 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:
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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.
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
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 2022Knowing 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.
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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 2022The 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 2022The 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 2022There 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.
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 ReelsInstagram 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 StickersInstagram 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!
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 PostsAdding 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.
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 WorkingTracking 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 SummaryThe 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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10 Instagram Algorithm Facts You Should Know
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Category Instagram Tips & Resources
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How to Get More Instagram Followers: 2022's Top Tips
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How to Hack the Instagram Reels Algorithm in 2023
By Amanda Demeku
© 2022 Later.
All Rights Reserved.
How to Get Your Content Seen
Congratulations! You’ve crafted the perfect Instagram post! But hold up, your work isn’t done quite yet. Because if you want your content to actually get in front of a wide audience, you’re going to need to appease the all-mighty (and ever-changing) Instagram algorithm.
Understanding the 2023 Instagram algorithm and what it deems worthwhile or important is critical to a successful social media marketing strategy. In this guide, we cover the ins and outs of the algorithm’s ranking signals, important recent changes to the Instagram algorithm, and everything else you need to know to boost your content’s visibility on the platform.
Read on to make sure your lovingly handcrafted social content gets the attention it deserves!
What is the Instagram algorithm?
How does the Instagram algorithm work?
2022 changes to the Instagram algorithm
7 tips for working with the Instagram algorithm
Instagram algorithm FAQ
Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps a fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.
What is the Instagram algorithm?
The Instagram algorithm is a set of rules that rank content on the platform. It decides what content shows up, and in what order, on all Instagram users’ feeds, the Explore Page, the Reels feed, hashtag pages, etc.
The Instagram algorithm analyzes every piece of content posted to the platform. It takes metadata (including captions and alt text applied to images), hashtags, and engagement metrics into account. Based on this information, it distributes content in a way designed to ensure that users have easy access to what they are most interested in seeing.
In simple terms, the Instagram algorithm cross-references information about content (posts, Stories, Reels) with information about users (interests and behavior on the platform) to serve the right content to the right people.
The main purpose of the Instagram algorithm is to make each user’s experience with the platform as pleasant as possible.
“We want to make the most of your time, and we believe that using technology [the Instagram algorithm] to personalize your experience is the best way to do that,” wrote Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri in 2021 in a blog post entitled Shedding More Light on How Instagram Works.
Why does this matter to marketers? Knowing how the Instagram algorithm works and optimizing your content accordingly can lead to Instagram displaying your posts to more users.
How does the Instagram algorithm work?Each time a user opens the app, the Instagram algorithms instantly comb through all available content and decide what content to serve them (and in what order).
The 3 most important ranking factors of the 2022 Instagram algorithm are:
- Relationship between the author of the content and the viewer. Do you follow each other? Do you message each other, or leave comments? If you have repeatedly interacted with a specific user in the past, you are more likely to see the new content they post.
(This is very important for businesses: Active community management (including responding to DMs and comments) can improve a brand’s visibility on Instagram.) - Interest. Does a user typically interact with this type of content? When the Instagram algorithm recognizes that a user enjoys a specific content type or format, they serve them more of the same.
- Relevancy. Instagram decides how “relevant” every piece of content is. This includes an analysis of where it fits with trending topics as well as the timeliness factor (recent posts are considered more relevant than old ones).
Secondary Instagram algorithm ranking factors include:
- Frequency of using the platform. If a user doesn’t open Instagram very often, they will only see the very most relevant content when they do decide to browse the app. This means that businesses might be crowded out of such a user’s feed by family and friends.
- How many users a person follows.
The more accounts a user follows, the more accounts compete for space in their feed. - Session time. If a user spends very little time in the app, they are likely to only see posts from friends and family they interact with most often on the platform, making it more difficult for businesses to surface in their feed.
Beyond these core signals, here’s how the Instagram algorithm distributes specific content formats.
The 2022 Instagram algorithm for the feed and StoriesFor your feed and Stories, the Instagram algorithm sorts through the content of the accounts you follow and predicts how likely you are to interact with a post based on the following criteria:
- Information about the post. How many likes did a post get? When was it posted? Has it been tagged with a location? If it’s a video, how long is it? These signals help the Instagram algorithm determine the relevance and popularity of a post.
- Information about the person who posted, and your history of interaction with them. Instagram tracks how many times you’ve interacted with any given person (with comments, likes, profile views, and so on) to try to get a sense of how interesting a person might be to you.
- Your activity across the platform. The quantity and content of posts you’ve interacted with gives Instagram a clue as to what kind of other posts you might be interested in seeing.
For the Explore tab, the algorithm looks at previous posts that you’ve liked or interacted with, and pulls in a collection of photos and videos from related accounts that you don’t follow (yet!).
These photos and videos are then ranked by what the algorithm thinks you’ll be most interested in, based on how likely you are to like, save or share a post.
- Information about the post.
When curating content to share via the Explore tab, Instagram looks at the overall popularity of a post, using signals like how many people are liking, commenting, sharing, and saving, and how quickly these activities happen. - Your history of interacting with the person who posted. Most of the content on Explore will be from new-to-you accounts, but accounts you have interacted with get a bit of a boost here.
- Your activity. What posts have you liked, commented on, or saved in the past? How have you behaved on the Explore page previously? Your activity history impacts what Instagram assumes you might be interested in seeing more of.
- Information about the person who posted. If an account has lots of interaction with users in the past few weeks, it’s a signal to Instagram that there’s some compelling content going on that others might like, too.
With Reels, the algorithm pulls from both accounts you follow and accounts you don’t follow, trying to entertain you with content it thinks you’ll watch all the way through.
It evaluates this by looking at the following:
- Your activity. Signals like which Reels you’ve liked, which you’ve commented on, and which you’ve engaged with all help Instagram understand what kind of content could be the most relevant to your interests.
- Your history of interacting with the person who posted. With Reels (much like Explore), you’re likely to be served up videos from creators you haven’t heard of… but if you have interacted with them in some way previously, Instagram takes that into consideration too. That’s probably why you see lots of content from creators you know of, but haven’t pulled the trigger on following yet.
- Information about the Reel. The Instagram algorithm tries to guess what the video is about based on the audio track and analysis of the pixels and frames, and takes into account the video’s popularity, too.
- Information about the person who posted.
Is the original poster someone with an engaged audience, or whose content receives consistent likes and shares? Instagram takes this into account too.
If you’re more of a visual learner, check out our video explaining the Instagram algorithm for beginners.
Now that you’re armed with all this information about what Instagram values from its creators and users, it’s time to use it to your advantage.
2022 changes to the Instagram algorithm
In 2022, Instagram re-introduced the ability to see your feed chronologically, as well as the ability to view a curated list of recent posts from your favorite accounts. Find more details on the latest Instagram feed viewing options here.
While these are important updates, it’s safe to say that the Instagram algorithm as described above still impacts how content is displayed to most users and in most placements on the platform.
Testing Feed Changes 👀
We’re starting to test the ability to switch between three different views on your home screen (two of which would give you the option to see posts in chronological order):
– Home
– Favorites
– FollowingWe hope to launch these soon. More to come. ✌🏼 pic.twitter.com/9zvB85aPSp
— Adam Mosseri (@mosseri) January 5, 2022
Video content and AI-driven recommendations have also become visibly more prominent on the platform since the beginning of 2022. So prominent, in fact, that they triggered a Make Instagram Instagram Again movement in July, supported by casual users and A-list celebrities (including a few Kardashians) alike.
7 tips for working with the Instagram algorithmAt a glance, this list of variables may seem extensive or complicated… but ultimately, the algorithm rewards quality, engaging content.
So really, the best way to get a little Insta-boost is to just do the same things you would do to delight, entertain, or inform your audience.
Here’s how to grow your reach and optimize the power of the latest Instagram algorithm(s).
Respect the community guidelinesWhether you’re posting on the Feed, in Reels, or to Stories, Instagram’s algorithms limit the visibility of content that goes against the app’s Community Guidelines. If you’re sharing misinformation, posts that are political in nature, content that’s potentially upsetting or sensitive, or even just low-resolution media, you may find your content less widely distributed.
(Hot tip: if you think you’ve been shadowbanned, this is probably why!)
Get creative with ReelsEmbrace the opportunity for visibility by adding Reels to your content calendar.
Reels are one of the newest features on Instagram, and the platform still seems to be promoting the format.
(Check out our Reels engagement experiment here!)
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A post shared by Hootsuite 🦉 (@hootsuite)
According to Instagram’s @creators account, Reels currently has live humans sifting through them to feature the best ones. Official tips for posting Instagram Reels that will get noticed include:
- Do not recycle watermarked TikToks
- Shoot in vertical
- Use the bells and whistles: filters, camera effects, music, etc.
Keep videos short and sweet, and above all, fun. The algorithm ranks Reels for their entertainment value.
Schedule your posts at the right time for maximum reachAudience interaction is an important signal across the board on Instagram, so posting your content at the right day and time is going to make a huge difference to your organic reach.
Luckily, Hootsuite’s dashboard helps crunch the numbers and offers suggested best times to post, based on your audience’s unique behavior.
Start your free trial. You can cancel anytime.
Here’s our guide to how to schedule Instagram posts, and another on how to schedule Instagram Stories.
Encourage engagement
Engagement is HUGE for the algorithm.
Not getting the engagement you want though? It’s often as simple as slapping on a sticker. With Instagram Stories, question stickers, emoji sliders, and polls are direct ways to ask your fans and followers to weigh in.
Similarly, on posts, directly asking questions or encouraging commentary with the caption (or within the image or video itself) is a surefire way to get the conversation going.
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A post shared by Instagram for Business (@instagramforbusiness)
After all, comments are the best way to signal engagement to the algorithm (though we’re not going to turn our nose up at a like, share, or save), so prompt your audience to speak up whenever you can.
For reference, the general benchmark for “good” engagement on Instagram is somewhere between 1-5%. But the average engagement rate on Instagram for business accounts was 0.83% through 2021.
If you’re looking to improve your own engagement rate, here are a few action items for your list:
- Define your audience so you know what they want from you (a.k.a. research your target market)
- Respond to comments and DMs (if you have a lot, we have a tool for that)
- Create an ongoing Story where you can share posts you’ve been tagged in (yes, we’re talking about UGC)
Here are some more tips for increasing your Instagram engagement.
Or, you can find inspiration for your next Instagram caption, dive into our guide to social media engagement more generally, and brush up on how to write an effective social media call to action.
Embrace the power of hashtagsThe Instagram algorithm can’t understand and admire that cute picture of a cat in wire-rimmed glasses the way the human brain can (tragic), but it can understand the #catsofinstagram hashtag.
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A post shared by Benson (@a_street_cat_named_benson)
Employing accurate and descriptive hashtags is a great way to label your content for maximum reach. If the algorithm can compute just what your photo or post is about, it can more easily share it with people who are interested in that particular topic.
Bonus: Download a free checklist that reveals the exact steps a fitness influencer used to grow from 0 to 600,000+ followers on Instagram with no budget and no expensive gear.
Get the free guide right now!
Plus, unlike Instagram ads (the other way to expand reach past your existing audience), hashtags are free.
To use hashtags correctly, don’t just slap #loveandlight and #instagood on everything. Instead, dig around in your niche, do your research, and use hashtags that actually describe what your post is about.
Hone your hashtag skills with our ultimate guide to Instagram hashtags.
Post consistentlyThis is key whether you’re looking for help with reach, engagement or follower growth. (Because, of course, those three things are related.)
On average, businesses post 1.6 posts to their feed per day. If that sounds like way too much for your mom-and-pop operation, rest assured that just showing up consistently (every weekday, for instance), is enough to keep the ball rolling.
During Instagram’s Creator Week in June 2021, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri revealed that a posting cadence of 2 feed posts per week and 2 Stories per day is ideal for building a following on the app.
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A post shared by Instagram’s @Creators (@creators)
Pro Tip: Consistency requires planning. This is where having a social media content calendar becomes crucial, as well *ahem* as scheduling your posts in advance with Hootsuite.
Look at how nicely planned out your Instagram posts could look in Hootsuite’s planner — for weeks or months in advance!
Start your free trial. You can cancel anytime.
Track (and understand) your analyticsA good Instagram analytics tool will go beyond vanity metrics and help you zero in on your audience and identify the kind of content that they’ll keep coming back for.
No matter how busy you are, getting automatic analytics reports will help you with almost all of the above tips.
Taking the time once a month, for instance, to look at the numbers and see what’s working in terms of content, posting time, and hashtags, will save you a lot of wasted effort.
Use an Instagram analytics tool to find out:
- when your audience is online (so you can schedule your posts during that window)
- which hashtags are performing well
- what posts are earning real engagement
Meanwhile, a truly great tool (like Hootsuite) will give your brand the low-down on everything from audience sentiment analysis to campaign click-throughs to customer service response times.
Here’s a peek at Hootsuite Analytics, which shows you the most Instagram important metrics to track alongside performance stats from your other social networks for easy comparison.
Start your free trial. You can cancel anytime.
Bonus: Notice any big dips or spikes in your stats recently? Analytics is often the first place a social media manager can tell if something has changed in the Instagram algorithm — and start adjusting their strategy accordingly.
Of course, social media platforms are always evolving, so there are certainly more Instagram algorithm changes to come as the years go on. But whatever specific signals, features, or top-secret-AI-recipes the future may hold for the app, creating engaging Instagram content is always a winning strategy.
Instagram algorithm FAQ
What is the Instagram algorithm?
The Instagram algorithm is a set of rules that rank content on the platform. It decides what content shows up, and in what order, all across the app (users’ feeds, the Explore Page, the Reels feed, hashtag pages, etc.).
How do I fix my Instagram algorithm?
- Create relevant content (keep up with trends)
- Post when your audience is online
- Use the right hashtags
- Post carousels to your feed
- Frequently post Reels
- Try out new content formats and features as soon as they come out
- Write long captions
What are the 3 main factors of the Instagram algorithm?
The Instagram algorithm has three main ranking factors: relationship, interest, relevancy.
How do you get picked up by the algorithm on Instagram?
- Respect community guidelines
- Get creative with Reels
- Schedule your posts at the right time for maximum reach
- Respond to comments and DMs
- Use the right hashtags
- Post consistently
- Check analytics
Beat the Instagram algorithm and save time managing your social media using Hootsuite. From a single dashboard, you can schedule and publish content, engage your audience, and measure performance. Try it free today.
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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 determine 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 Algorithms 2021 - how ranking works in the feed, stories, Explore, Reels
500 million people go to Instagram daily, put more than 4 billion likes and view 400 million stories. In-app ad revenue only as of 2019year amounted to 20 billion dollars. So the second most popular social network in the world has long been interesting for business. But does everyone understand the laws by which it operates? How does a post get into the feed and get more coverage? The company first decided to tell about it in its blog. Carefully studied the Instagram ranking rules to share with you.
Instagram doesn't have a single algorithm
In 2010, a continuous stream of photos in the app was in chronological order. But there were more users, and by 2016, up to 70% of all posts in the feed passed by users. Therefore, the company has developed a system of priorities so that the most important publications are on top.
The priority system is based on the technology of interaction personalization.
If Facebook talks about a complex but single feed ranking algorithm, Instagram does not have such a single algorithm. There are many of them - all kinds of classifiers and processes. And each serves a specific purpose.
Ranking content in the feed and stories
The creators of Instagram came to the conclusion that people want to see the posts of friends and relatives in the feed and stories.
The system first identifies a number of priority factors:
- All new posts published by accounts from the user's subscriptions. Advertising may be an exception. But, in general, most of what you see is the recent publications of those who are subscribed to.
- Next, the algorithm evaluates these posts for certain signals and predicts how the user will interact with them.
There are thousands of such "signals" - be it the time of publication, the device from which you entered Instagram (phone or web version), likes.
The most significant signals for feed and stories:
- Information about post .
Post popularity (how many people liked it) and technical details:
- publication date;
- if this is a video, its duration;
- location details, if available.
- Information about the person who posted . How the author can be interesting to the audience. Including how many times users interacted with it in the last few weeks.
- User activity. Helps to draw a conclusion that a person may be interested, it takes into account how many posts he liked.
- The history of user interactions with the account that published the post. Based on this data, the system determines how interesting the posts of individual authors are. For example, do you comment on each other's posts.
Signal priority is in that order.
Next, the platform predicts the likelihood of interaction with a particular post. There are about ten such assumptions.
For tape, there are five interactions that are considered most closely.
What is the probability that the user:
- spends a few seconds posting;
- will comment on it;
- likes;
- will save;
- will click on the profile photo.
The higher the probability of any of these actions, the higher the post will appear in the feed.
Other considerations are taken into account. For example, when it is necessary that the posts of the same person do not go in a row.
Another example is stories published from feed. It was believed that users were more interested in original stories.
But during significant events (the World Cup or public protests), there were more such posts. And people expected their stories to be available to a wider audience. Therefore, the significance of re-published stories was revised.
How Explore Content Ranks - Search & Explore Tab
The Explore section was created to help you discover new things. In fact, these are recommendations - photos and videos that Instagram selects for its users.
They are different from the content in the feed and stories.
At the beginning, the system also selects a number of posts. To find photos and videos that users are interested in, the platform pays attention to posts that the user has liked, saved or commented on in the past.
Let's say a person likes pictures of San Francisco dumpling chef Cathay Bi (@dumplingclubsf).
Instagram algorithms determine who else likes Katai's photos and what accounts these users follow. Maybe people who like Katai are interested in Chinese restaurant @dragonbeaux. And the next time the user opens the Explore tab, they can see a photo or video from the @dragonbeaux account.
That is, the algorithm analyzes not only your interests, but also the interests of your friends.
The order in which signals are evaluated is slightly different from what is used in feed and stories.
- Post information. The system determines how popular a post is. It takes into account the number, rate of appearance of likes, comments, exchanges and saved posts.
These signals are more important to Explore than to other sections. - History of interactions with the account that posted the post. Most often, posts that are completely new to the user appear in the recommendations. But if there was interaction before, it will help to understand how interesting the content is to the user.
- User activity. Liked and saved posts, posts to which comments were left, how they interacted with posts in Explore in the past are taken into account.
- Information about the account that published the post. Among other things, these are signals about how many times users have interacted with the account over the past few weeks. Such information helps to find interesting publications among a huge variety of content.
The most important actions that Instagram tries to predict in the Explore section are likes, saved posts, and shares.
How Reels content ranks
Reels is mostly entertainment content.
Videos up to 15 seconds, with music or visuals. Such a TikTok on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
Post by The Village Ukraine (@thevillageua)
As with Explore, most of the posts on Reels are not subscriptions. Therefore, the selection mechanisms are similar. Instagram finds videos you might like and sorts them based on what's interesting.
Main signals for Reels:
- User activity. Which videos people interacted with: likes, comments. Allows you to draw a conclusion about the relevance of content.
- History of interactions with the author of the post. In Reels, as in Explore, viewers watch videos of authors they don't know, but if they interact with the video in some way, this allows them to understand how interesting the content of these authors is.
- Roller information. What's in the clip: audio track information, video data (number of pixels and frames), and the popularity of the clip.
- Information about the author . Such a factor as popularity helps people find interesting content among many publications, and allows each author to find his audience.
The most important predictions are how likely the user is:
- to watch the video to the end;
- will like it;
- will find it interesting and go to the audio page. This is evidence that the video inspired the viewer, and he decided to record his own.
Reels is designed to entertain the audience. Therefore, Instagram conducts polls - asks people if they find the video entertaining or interesting.
However, videos may not be recommended due to low resolution, presence of watermarks, if they are videos about politics, recorded by politicians, parties, people from governments or on their behalf.
Quality and loyalty are top priorities for the system
Although the ranking signals vary across Instagram sections, you may notice that the top ones are related to content quality and engagement.
It's not enough just to have a lot of subscribers. You need users to interact with your content — view, like, comment. And they did it more than once, because it is the history of interaction that is taken into account.
System algorithms look not at the number of audience, but at its loyalty to your content. And only in this case they raise it higher. And then, even with a smaller number of subscribers, you can get more coverage.
Security rules affecting rankings
Posts that violate the specific Community Guidelines are removed. If this happens repeatedly, the user will be banned from sharing the content. The account can even be temporarily blocked.
What does the application prohibit?
- Distribution of non-author's content.
Only your photos / videos and no pictures from the Internet. - Images of a sexual nature and nudity. However, photographs in the context of breastfeeding or breast cancer education are acceptable. But for sellers of underwear, according to Internet marketers, it is more difficult. Photos with scantily clad children can also be deleted.
- Any spam. Instagram calls not to collect piece likes and shares, not to offer money or prizes for them, as well as for subscriptions and comments. All this will worsen your place in the feed.
- Any depiction of violence. In this context, you need to be careful when publishing posts, for example, about mass unrest.
But posts that independent fact-checkers consider disinformation are not deleted, but they are marked accordingly. And they end up at the bottom of the feed or stories. For multiple violations, Instagram can make all account content difficult to find.
By the way, an offensive post in the feed and offensive content in the Explore tab are different things for the platform.
In the first case, we are talking about the content of the author to whom you are subscribed, and this is your personal business, in the second case, it is about the publication of a stranger.
Therefore, special attention is also paid to additional recommendations. In the Explore and Reels sections, it's best to avoid potentially controversial posts that might offend, humiliate, or offend someone. For example, posts that promote smoking or vaping are not allowed on Explore.
“Shadowban”
Instagram representatives admit that they did not always explain in detail why content is removed, what is recommended and what is not, and how the platform works in general.
The system processes millions of complaints every day, and even a small percentage of errors will affect thousands of users.
The company says it's working on an improved notification system that will let you know immediately why a post has been removed.
And traditionally deny the existence of "shadowbanning" (shadowbanning).
This is not the reason for the incomprehensible decrease in the number of likes or comments.
The truth is, most of your followers won't see what you share because they view less than half of their feed.
So it is worth concentrating not on the quantity, but on the quality of the content published by one author.
How a user can influence the content that appears on Instagram
Just by interacting with the profiles and posts you like, you determine what you see. In addition, the platform provides several more ways to influence the content.
Choice of close friends. You can choose friends for stories. This feature was developed as a way to share content only with those closest to you. In the future, “close friends” will be preferred in both feed and stories.
Disable uninteresting accounts. You can use the mute feature if you don't want to see what certain accounts are sharing but don't intend to completely unfollow them.
The authors of the posts will not know that they have been disabled.
Not interested for featured posts. In the future, Instagram will not show similar recommendations.
Remember
- Instagram does not have a single ranking algorithm. Each section has its own processes and classifiers.
- For feed, stories, recommendations, and videos, Reels analyzes information about the post, the account from which it was published, the history of interaction of this account with the user, and the activity of the user himself. But for different sections, the priority of these metrics is different.
- Evaluation is based on the personalization of the interaction experience. To select unique and relevant content for each person.
- The system evaluates content quality, not quantity. Relevant content will give you more chances for wide reach than a huge number of subscribers.
Instagram promises a series of posts about their work.
