Instagram how it works
What Is Instagram and How to Use It: a Beginner's Guide
- Instagram is a free social media platform for sharing photos and videos with your followers.
- It's become an especially popular way to connect with brands, celebrities, and friends.
- Instagram has an array of features, from short-form videos to live streaming and private messaging.
One could argue that Instagram is a social media network like no other. The popular user base platform is built almost entirely around sharing images and videos. This visual twist is why Instagram is the cultural powerhouse it is today — "Instagramming" is officially a verb now.
With over a billion registered accounts, from small businesses to large institutions, news organizations to cultural hubs, celebrities, photographers, musicians, and not to mention the cottage industry of influencers — it's hard to remember a time when Instagram didn't exist.
So, if you've found yourself out of the Instagram loop, then read on. We'll give you a crash course on how the app works, how to get started, and eventually, how to get 'gramming like a pro.
To help you get started, let's walk through some of the basics:
How to download Instagram
First things first: You'll need to download Instagram to use the app. It's available for free on iOS, Android, and Windows devices. While there isn't an app fully optimized for iPads, you can still enjoy the full IG experience on your iPad by changing your App Store settings to find the app.
How to create an Instagram account
Upon opening the app for the first time, you'll be prompted to create a new account, or log in with your Facebook account.
If you choose to make a new account, the process is straightforward: you'll be asked for your phone number or email address, full name, desired username, and password.
Once you create an account, it's worth noting that you can create — and switch between — multiple Instagram accounts without logging out, a very useful feature if you wish to run separate accounts for personal and professional use.
Even though Instagram is designed primarily for smartphones, the desktop experience — once very limited — has steadily improved over the years.
Today, you can get on Instagram from your computer and use a web browser to edit your profile, view your feed, like and comment on posts, and send and receive direct messages. You can even post photos and videos from the desktop app, thanks to a relatively recent update.
Setting up your profile
After you create your Instagram account, you're going to want to set up your profile. Your profile page is a hub for all your photos and videos where you can keep track of who you're following and who's following you. It's also where you can access your settings.
From your profile page, you can edit your profile, access settings, or scroll down to see your posts. Devon DelfinoProfile pages are often the first thing people visit, so it's best to keep your username, profile picture, and bio up to date.
Your profile picture is the icon that appears with your username all over the platform, while your bio is a space to offer a brief description of yourself or your brand. You can also add a link to your website, if applicable.
By clicking Edit Profile, you can make changes to your profile page at any time:
- How to change your Instagram profile picture
- How to change your Instagram bio
- How to change your Instagram username
If you're running an Instagram account for your business, you can also add your location.
Customizing notifications
Keeping up with your friends and followers on Instagram means making sure you're getting the right notifications, at the right time. The platform gives you the power to choose what push notifications it sends to your device.
For example, perhaps you want to receive a notification when you get a new follower, or when someone comments on your post.
Or maybe you're feeling inundated with pings and you would like to turn your notifications off completely.
You can adjust your notifications by going into your profile, tapping the three lines in the top-right corner of the screen and selecting the three lines icon in the same location , and then tap Settings followed by Notifications.
You can adjust your notifications from this screen. Devon DelfinoNow that you have the app downloaded, and your profile set up, it's time to start sharing.
How to use Instagram
At its core, Instagram is a social media platform, and a highly visual one at that.
Every time you open the app, you'll be met with a main feed of recent posts from the accounts you follow.
At the bottom is a menu bar, which is accessible anywhere you are in the app.
Here's what each button does, from left to right:
Home: Your main feed where you can scroll through photos and videos posted by your friends.
Search and explore: The magnifying glass icon takes you to the Explore page, where you can search and browse content from accounts you don't follow but may be interested in.
Reels: This tab includes short videos (up to 90 seconds long) from users you may or may not be following. You can scroll to the next video by swiping your finger from the bottom of the screen to the top.
Shop: Here, you'll find a collection of Instagram posts that includes items you can buy through the app.
Profile: This icon navigates to your profile page that shows your bio and posts.
It's also where you can access your settings.
Like other social media networks, Instagram is what you make it. For most people, checking Instagram is equal parts voyeurism and self-expression. For the entrepreneurial set, like business owners, brands, and influencers, Instagram is an indispensable marketing tool with unmatched reach.
But going back to basics, Instagram works off a simple premise: You follow accounts that interest you. In turn, people follow you. People can "like" and comment on your posts, and you can do the same to their posts.
Whether you maintain a low profile or amass a following, how active you are is entirely up to you.
Uploading, editing, and posting photos
To share a photo or video on Instagram, tap the large plus button (located toward the top-right corner of the screen). From there, you can select photos or videos from your phone's camera roll to post.
Quick tip: Instagram allows you to to select up to 10 photos and videos to post at once — these kinds of posts are called carousels.
For every post, you can choose to apply a filter, which, depending on who you ask, is either essential to the Instagram experience or unnecessary, given that many other photo editing apps come with their own filters.
Filters make it easy to edit shots with different visual pre-set overlays. For example, some filters, like Mayfair, give everything a pink hue; others, like Willow, turn everything black-and-white.
You can adjust how intense (or not) the filter is as well using a slider when you select the filter and then tap it one more time.
Once your post is to your liking and ready to go, there are a few more options you can do before you hit the share button:
Add a caption: Captions are always a good idea. You can use words, emojis, or hashtags. Just like in comments, you can also mention friends by typing @ in front of their username. Keep in mind you can edit captions at any time — or delete posts.
Tag people: Instagram allows you to "tag" someone in your photos. When you tag someone, they'll get a notification in their activity feed.
(This is separate from mentioning them in your caption.)
Add location: Location tags lets others know where your photo was taken. Clicking on a location tag brings you to its corresponding location feed, where you can peruse other public posts.
Also post to other social accounts: Instagram also gives you the ability to publish a post to other social accounts at the same time. By linking accounts, you can cross-post to Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.
There are a lot of options in Instagram's posting screen. Devon DelfinoExploring and finding people to follow
The best way to find people to follow is by tapping the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the app.
This will open the Explore page, where you'll find a feed of suggested posts based on what Instagram thinks you're interested in.
The Explore page can also be organized by topic — another great way for discovering content.
You can do this by selecting the suggested topics toward the top of the screen. Additionally, the page is where you can search for users by name, through the search bar at the top of the screen.
You can scroll down for more posts, or use the search function at the top to find specific accounts or posts. Devon DelfinoWhen it comes to interacting with others, Instagram works less like Facebook and more like Twitter.
In most cases, you don't have to send a friend request or wait for the other person to accept it.
When you follow other people, Instagram will make sure you see their posts in your feed. For the most part, people can see who you're following and who's following you, at all times.
However, if you have a private account your followers are restricted and unable to view who currently follows you.
Sending and receiving direct messages
Instagram has a direct messaging system that lets you chat privately with anyone who follows you.
If you send a message to someone who doesn't follow you, that message will be sorted into its own "message requests" folder. To start the conversation, the person on the receiving end must accept the message.
Direct messages are also available in the app and on the desktop website.
To access your message menu, tap the paper airplane icon in your home feed. From there, you'll be shown all the people you've had conversations with in the past.
You can also tap the pen and paper icon in the top right-hand corner to start a new conversation, or the camera icon to start a video chat.
Once you're in a conversation, you can send all sorts of messages. These include basic text messages, animated GIFs, and more. You can also share Instagram posts. And you can "like" messages, or delete messages if you no longer wish to see them.
The only users that you'll have to ask to follow are those who have made their account private.
When you tap Follow on a private profile, you'll have to wait for that user to accept you before you can officially follow them and send them a message.
You can also connect your phone contacts to Instagram, which can be another great way to find friends on the app.
Instagram features
As you might expect, Instagram rolls out new features regularly. From new content to an ever-expanding set of creative tools, Instagram offers plenty of opportunities for self-expression and creativity.
Here are the latest and greatest Instagram features worth knowing:
Instagram Stories
Many people use Instagram exclusively for creating and viewing Stories, which are customizable posts that only last 24 hours. These posts, which could be a mix of photos and short-form videos, are presented in a slideshow format and accessible through the top of the home feed.
And when we say customizable, we mean customizable. Unlike regular posts, which include only simple filters, Stories boast all kinds of creative elements, including:
- Animated stickers and cartoons
- Polls and quizzes
- Dynamic song lyrics
- Links to donation funds and charities
There are several ways to add a Story, but the easiest is to tap your profile icon at the top-left hand corner of your home feed.
From there, you can either take a photo or video live, or choose one from your phone's gallery. You'll then have the opportunity to draw, add text or any of those other creative elements we mentioned above.
While Stories are designed to disappear after one day, they're automatically saved to your private Archive (which we'll explain in just a bit) after expiring. You can also publish Stories permanently on your profile for visitors to watch at any time.
Instagram Live
Instagram Live is a feature that lets you livestream, or broadcast live video, from your device to anyone who wants to watch.
Viewers can send you messages and hearts while you stream, making this a great way to talk to all your followers at once, or broadcast an event.
To go live on Instagram, you'll need to open Instagram and, from your feed, swipe right and select Live from the options at the bottom of the screen. From there you can do things like add a title, select your audience, and schedule the live video, if desired.
You can go live for up to four hours at a time — after that, the livestream will end and you'll need to start again.
While you're streaming, viewer comments are visible by default, but can be disabled with just a few taps.
Whenever anyone you follow starts starts a livestream, you'll get a notification. If you're following a lot of people, this might mean a constant flood of notifications that you don't need.
Luckily, turning off Instagram Live notifications only takes a moment.
Reels
Built as a rival to TikTok, Reels is Instagram's dedicated video platform, letting users upload videos up to 90 seconds long in length. Once you record a video, you can edit it and add music, text, and special effects. Other users can like or comment on your Reels videos, so they can be a fun way to attract new followers.
To watch someones else's Reels, you need to tap the icon, located in the center of the bottom menu on the app. (It looks like a mashup of a play button and a clapperboard.
) Here, you can watch videos that others have uploaded, create Reels of your own.
Instagram Shopping
Given Instagram's popularity, it's no surprise that brands are doing everything they can to turn Instagram users into customers. According to Instagram, nearly half of people shop on Instagram weekly.
Instagram tips and tricks
Instagram is simple to use, but can take a while to master. Here are some of our favorite tricks that aren't so obvious to beginners.
Schedule posts in advance
Instagram has become a massive part of nearly every company's online presence, and if there's one thing that social media brand managers love, it's scheduling a post in advance.
Instagram does have a native post scheduler — but that's reserved for those with professional accounts. Still, there are dozens of third-party programs, like Buffer, that can handle the scheduling for you.
Save Instagram videos to your phone
If you've found an amazing video on Instagram that you just need to save, you're in luck — there are several ways to save Instagram videos.
If you're trying to save one of your own videos, it'll just take a few taps to save the video directly to your camera roll. If you're trying to save someone else's video, however, you'll need to record your screen or use a third-party app.
Post different photo formats
When Instagram first launched in 2010, the edits were limited. You could only post square photos — anything else either wasn't allowed, or would be cut off.
Nowadays, the rules are a bit more lax. But if you want to post two common photo types — panorama shots and Live Photos — you may have to make some edits beforehand.
For a panorama photo, you can either zoom out so it fits in a single photo, otherwise you'll need to split up your shots beforehand using a third-party app. If you have an iPhone and want to post your live photos, you'll need to convert them into videos first.
Archive posts instead of deleting them
If you're unsure about deleting your post, Instagram offers an archive feature instead.
This is great if you only want to hide a post temporarily.
To archive a post, open it, tap the three dots in the top-right, and then select Archive. The post will be hidden immediately.
Once you've archived a post, you can navigate to your private Archive with just a few taps.
Note: Every Story you post will be saved to your Archive automatically once they expire.
Privacy and security
It's also important to manage your privacy and security settings to your liking.
Manage who can see your posts
Like Facebook, Instagram allows you control who can see your posts. The easiest way to control your online presence is to set your account as "Private."
When you set your account as Private, the only people who will be able to see your posts and other activity are your followers. And before people can follow you, you'll have to approve them.
Another way you can do this is by setting up a Close Friends list.
The Close Friends feature allows you to create Instagram Stories that can only be viewed by specific people. If you want to use Stories to send quick updates to your friends, this is the way to go.
Finally, if you run a Business account and you don't want users under a certain age following, you can set an age limit on your account — the minimum age you can set depends on where you live.
Change your personal account information
We've already mentioned that you can change your username whenever you like. But if you're unhappy with how you set up your account, you can edit other pieces of information too.
With just a few taps, you can change the email connected to your account.
If you want to make sure your account is secure, you can change your Instagram password at any time.
Download and back up your data
Like most social networks, Instagram has an obscure menu that lets you download every bit of content you've ever posted on the app. This includes your photos, videos, comments, messages, profile information, and more.
The only content you can't download are Stories you've posted and let expire without saving.
To download your Instagram data, head to the Settings menu in your app and then select Your activity followed by Download Data. Once there, fill out the form, and your data will be emailed to you within a few days.
If you don't want to download all your data, you can also simply view it in the app.
Protect yourself and others from harassment
Instagram has a long set of rules to ensure that all users have a safe and fun time in the app. But like all sites, it's not hard to find people who break those rules. Other users can comment on pictures and videos that you post to a public profile - but if you want to post something without leaving it open to comments, you can disable the comments on specific posts.
If you ever find a user harassing you or someone else, you can report them to Instagram.
There's no guarantee that Instagram will act on the report, but alerting them to it is better than doing nothing.
Whether you're an aspiring influencer, photography lover, or an everyday social media user, Instagram is a great place to be. It's easy to get started, so if this guide has piqued your interest, give it a try.
If for whatever reason you later decide it's not for you, you can delete your Instagram account at any time. No commitment needed.
Devon Delfino
Devon Delfino is a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist specializing in personal finance, culture, politics, and identity. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Los Angeles Times, Teen Vogue, Business Insider, and CNBC. Follow her on Twitter at @devondelfino.
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William Antonelli
Tech Reporter for Insider Reviews
William Antonelli (he/she/they) is a writer, editor, and organizer based in New York City.
As a founding member of the Reference team, he helped grow Tech Reference (now part of Insider Reviews) from humble beginnings into a juggernaut that attracts over 20 million visits a month. Outside of Insider, his writing has appeared in publications like Polygon, The Outline, Kotaku, and more. He's also a go-to source for tech analysis on channels like Newsy, Cheddar, and NewsNation. You can find him on Twitter @DubsRewatcher, or reach him by email at [email protected].
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How to Use Instagram: A Beginner's Guide
Over the past few years, Instagram has seen exponential growth — from one million users at its inception to over one billion in 2022.
If you're interested in getting an Instagram account, or just created one but aren't sure how to use it, you're in luck. Here, we're going to cover all the basics, so you can learn why Instagram is the top social media platform for engagement today.
What is Instagram?
Instagram is a social media platform that emphasizes photo and video sharing via its mobile app. You can take, edit, and publish visual content for both followers and non-followers, as long as your account is public. Users can interact with your content via likes, comments, shares, and saves.
It's hard to remember a time before Instagram. At one time, "Do it for the 'gram" was a common saying, which meant, essentially, "Do something so we can take a picture and post it to Instagram."
Since then, Instagram has placed a larger and heavier emphasis on video. So you no longer hear the phrase “Do it for the ‘gram.” I bet, though, that a second version of the phrase will soon follow. (Maybe “Do it for reel?”)
If you're not part of the one billion users on Instagram, you might want to reconsider. The app is a great chance to engage with top brands and stay a part of friends' lives. When I want to see how my college friends are doing, I don't check Facebook, I check Instagram.
Plus, you can follow your favorite celebrities or political figures to see candid photos of their everyday lives.
Additionally, it's a phenomenal platform for investigating what other brands are doing — for instance, Nike uses the Instagram Stories' feature to promote inspirational athlete stories you won't find anywhere else.
How to Sign Up for Instagram
To sign up for Instagram, all you need to do is download the Instagram app on your phone and click the 'Sign up' button. You can choose to sign up through Facebook or use your email or phone number. After you choose a username and password, you’re ready to build your profile.
If you're ready to sign up for Instagram, follow these steps below:
- Go to the Instagram site on your desktop, or download the Instagram app from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play Store (Android).
- If you're on desktop, click "Log in with Facebook", or fill in the form with your mobile number or email, name, username, and password.
Then click "Sign up". - On Android, click "Sign Up With Email or Phone Number".
- On iPhone, select "Sign Up".
- Enter your email address or phone number, then click "Next". Alternatively, you can sign up with your Facebook account.
- Once you've filled out your username and password, you will be instructed to fill out your profile info. Then, tap "Done".
- If you register with Facebook, you'll need to log into your Facebook account if you're currently logged out.
How Do Instagram Notifications Work?
When your account is created, you'll want to adjust your notifications so you only receive the information you want. For instance, you can choose to receive notifications when you get likes from everyone — but, alternatively, you might decide to only receive notifications when you get a like from someone you follow. Or, you might turn off notifications for likes altogether.
You can adjust notifications to "Off", "From People I Follow", or "From Everyone", for the following categories — Comments, Comment Likes, Likes and Comments on Photos of You, Follower Requests, Accepted Follow Requests, Friends on Instagram, Instagram Direct, Photos of You, Reminders, First Posts and Stories, Product Announcements, View Counts, Support Requests, Live Videos, Mentions in Bio, IGTV Video Updates, and Video Chats.
If you're overwhelmed by that list, I get it — I am, too. If you're unsure what notifications you want to receive, you might start with your notifications on "From Everyone", and if certain notifications begin to annoy you, you can turn them off later.
Free Resource
Instagram for Business Templates & Guide
Fill out this form to access the Instagram for Business Kit.
To customize which notifications you receive, follow these steps:
1. Open up the Instagram app on your phone.
First up, open up the Instagram app on your mobile device.
You can also access Instagram on desktop if you prefer. Then, head to your profile by clicking the image of your profile picture on the bottom right.
2. Access “Settings.”
After you arrive at your profile, click the hamburger menu on the top right-hand corner.
A popup menu will appear. Tap “Settings.”
3. Tap “Notifications.”
On the next screen, click "Notifications."
There, you’ll be able to change the notification settings depending on category. These categories include:
- Posts, Stories, and Comments
- Following and Followers
- Direct Messages and Calls
- Live and Video
- Fundraisers
- From Instagram
- Email and SMS
- Shopping
You also have the ability to pause all notifications by toggling the Pause All option up top.
4.
Check off the notifications you want to receive.Access each category individually and choose the notifications you want to receive. Here are the options, for example, for “Posts, Stories, and Comments”:
The options will vary depending on category.
And that's it! Next, let's explore how to connect your other social media accounts to your Instagram, so when you post an image to Instagram, you can share it with your other online audiences, as well.
Can you connect to Instagram to other social accounts?
Yes, you can connect Instagram to Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook, but it’s no longer done through Settings, as it used to be.
Now, you do it on a per-post basis.
If you want to share a post to other platforms, you navigate to the actual post you want to cross-publish on Facebook, Tumblr, and Twitter, and then manually share it that way.
Here’s how:
1. Open up the Instagram app.
2. Navigate to your profile.
3. Tap on the post you’d like to cross-post.
4. Click the three dots on the top right-hand corner of the post.
5. On the pop-up menu, click “Share.”
Note: Don’t click “Share to,” which will give you an option to AirDrop or share the post to your contacts.
6. Toggle the accounts you’d like to share the post to. If you’re not already signed in, you’ll need to do so right within the Instagram app.
Once you’ve connected your accounts for one post, you can then toggle the sharing options for any new posts without needing to sign in again.
If you connect Instagram to Facebook, you can share your Stories across both accounts. We talk more about how to do that below.
How to Connect Instagram to Facebook
Since Instagram and Facebook are owned by the same company, Meta, you can connect the two accounts for a more seamless experience. Connecting your Instagram and Facebook accounts allows you to:
- Share Stories across both Instagram and Facebook
- Login with Facebook into Instagram
- Sync your profile name and picture across both profiles
- Use Facebook Pay on both platforms
- Access your shopping activity on both accounts
If you’re a frequent Facebook user, then connecting your account to your new Instagram profile is highly recommended.
Here’s how:
1. Open up your Instagram app.
2. Click on your profile picture on the bottom right-hand corner.
3. Click the hamburger menu on the top right-hand corner.
4. Tap “Settings.”
5. Under the Meta logo, tap “Accounts Center.”
6. Tap “Set up Accounts Center.”
7. Follow the prompts to log in into Facebook.
Done! Your two accounts are now connected. Here's how it'll look like once you're finished:
In the next section, I'll show you when a linked account comes in handy.
Upload, Edit, and Post an Image
Now, for the most important part of Instagram — how to upload and post an image.
Instagram is an entirely visual platform. Unlike Facebook, which relies on both text and pictures, or Twitter, which relies on text alone, Instagram's sole purpose is to enable users to share images or videos with their audience.
On Facebook, you might choose to post 100 photos on an album. On Instagram, you need to be choosier about which photos you post. There are a few reasons for this — first, you don't want to post more than once a day (typically). And you don't want to post too many similar photos.
For instance, it would be odd for you to post fifty photos from the same beach vacation on your Instagram profile. Instead, you might choose five or six, and place them all within the same post.
(These are called carousel posts, and they allow you to share multiple photos in one post only. Carousel posts are awesome for posting similar pictures in one package while keeping your overall profile aesthetic diverse.)
Curious about creating an aesthetic? To learn more about Instagram account themes and get inspiration, take a look at these Instagram themes. Additionally, if you want to embark on a deep-dive, you can take HubSpot's Instagram Marketing Course.
Now that we've covered that, let's explore how to upload, edit, and post an image.
1. Click the "+" icon at the top-right hand corner.
When you tap the “+” icon, you’ll be prompted to choose the type of post you want to share. Since we want to publish a post directly on our profile feed, tap “Post.”
2. Choose your media file.
Here, you have three options. You can look through your Photos library on your phone, you can take a new picture from right within Instagram, or you can take a new video. For our purposes, I looked through my Photos library and found a picture of Boston I wanted to use. Then, I clicked "Next" in the top right.
3. Add filters if desired.
There are two categories you can use to edit your image — "Filter" and "Edit". Instagram automatically shows you filters first. You can scroll through the carousel and click any of the filters to apply it to your image.
Additionally, if you want to use a filter but you want to tone it down, double tap the filter and move the cursor to the left to lessen the intensity of the filter.
4. Edit your image if desired.
Next, click "Edit". Here, you can adjust contrast, brightness, structure, warmth, and more. When you're happy with your edited image, or if you don't want to edit it at all, click "Next" in the top right.
5. Write a caption and toggle sharing settings.
Now, you can add a caption, tag people (you can only tag someone if they also have an Instagram account), and add a location. Additionally, click the button beside Facebook or another linked social media account to share your image on that platform, as well. When you're ready to publish, click "Share" in the top right.
If you don’t want to use your app to post on Instagram, you can also do so from your computer. Learn how to post to Instagram from a Mac or PC here.
Upload an Image or Video to Your Stories
Instagram Stories is a feature that allows you to post videos or images that disappear after 24-hours. Instagram's Stories feature is similar to Snapchat in terms of content — users often post more casual and candid videos and images, offering glimpses into their every day lives.
For instance, on your normal feed, you might post a heavily-edited picture of yourself and friends at a baseball game. But you might post a more candid video to your Story of the stadium singing "Sweet Caroline".
To learn how to upload an image or video to your Stories, follow these steps:
1. Tap your profile picture in the upper left-hand corner.
Alternatively, swipe right on your feed or tap the “+” button in the top navigation bar.
2. Capture or add your media.
Once you're within the Stories feature, you can take a picture or video right from within the app. Alternatively, if you have an image saved to your phone that you'd like to use, you can choose it from your media library.
3. Add stickers or filters.
On the left-hand side, you have a few different editing features.
The “Create” button lets you add a location, hashtag, time, date, and other fun images or emojis to your picture.
The “Boomerang” option allows you to create a looping video.
And the "Aa" icon is your text button. Once you click "Aa", you have the option to change your font.
If you click the smiley face icon, you'll see the following screen. Simply click on one of the icons to add them to your image. If you don't like it, drag it to the bottom, and a trash can will appear so you can delete it.
For instance, I clicked the smiley face icon to add a poll to my image. You can also swipe to the left or right to add filters to your photo or video.
4. Publish your Story.
Once you're happy with your content, you can either click the white arrow icon in the bottom right, which allows you to share your Story with everyone who follows you, or select “Close Friends” first, so that only your close friends see it.
Then you’re done! Your Story is immediately live.
How to Follow on Instagram
It's incredibly easy to find and follow users. Using Instagram's search feature, you can find celebrities, brands, and friends. Additionally, you can search "Tags" or "Places".
"Tags" is particularly useful if you know what type of content you want to find, but you're not sure who posts about it.
For instance, you might search "#familyrecipes" under tags — your results will include any images with that hashtag. As you peruse, you might find someone who posts content you really like, and you can choose to follow them so their content appears on your feed.
To follow someone, follow these three easy steps.
1. Click on the search icon at the bottom of your screen.
It looks like a magnifying glass and will be right next to the “Home” button.
2. Next, type in a person, topic, or brand.
For this example, I searched "architecture.”
Instagram allows you to either search all posts that contain the word “architecture,” or “See all results” and see tags and places.
3. Tap the account you’re interested in following.
Once you're on someone else's account, you'll see a blue "Follow" button at the top.
For public profiles, you can click and immediately begin following that account. However, if the profile is private, you may need to wait for them to accept you first.
And that's it! You're on your way to becoming a pro. To take your account to the next level, plan out your next posts using an array of content ideas and templates.
Using Instagram is Key for Growing Your Personal Brand
If you want to grow both professionally and personally, then using Instagram is more important than ever. You can start by observing first, then begin posting as you learn your way around the user interface. With over one billion users, Instagram is an extremely worthwhile social media platform to join — and it’s only set to keep growing as time goes on.
Editor's note: This post was originally published in November 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
Topics: Instagram Marketing
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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.
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What is the Instagram "algorithm"? nine0003
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
nine0017When 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. nine0003
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.
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- 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. nine0043 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.
- Note that 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. nine0034
- 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.
- The 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. nine0043 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. nine0047
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. nine0003
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. nine0003
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. nine0003
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
- Information about the post. 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. nine0034
- 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. nine0120
- Information about the author. These are signals like how many times people have interacted with this person in the last 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. nine0003
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.” nine0003
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.
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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! nine0003
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 closest 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.
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- Turn off people you are not interested in. You can restrict other people's accounts if you want to stop seeing their content, but are hesitant 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. nine0034
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. nine0003
Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram
Recommendations
- Create unique, high-quality and useful content.
- Do not use prohibited promotion methods (mass following, mass looking and mass liking).
- Do not subscribe to hundreds of accounts whose news you will not physically be able to scroll through.
Terminals
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- 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 ranks posts in the feed based on the interests of the user and does it individually for everyone.
- The more often your posts are bookmarked, the more often users will see your content in the future.
- The longer your Stories are watched, the more often users will see your Stories. nine0120
- Geolocation is also taken into account when ranking posts.
- Shadowban does not exist.
Read more useful information about working on Instagram here @smm360.ru!
How the Instagram Algorithm Works and How to Get Maximum Reach
Instagram explained how 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. nine0003
Read more: Understanding Instagram's algorithmic feed will help you get the most out of your posts and engagement.
The chronological tape 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.
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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. nine0003
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. nine0003
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. nine0003
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.
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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. nine0288 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 the posts are published one after another with a small period of time, Instagram will in most cases add posts from other users between them. nine0003
6. Account type has no effect on reach : Switching from a business account to a personal account and vice versa will not produce 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. Post 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. nine0003
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. Engage with similar content
Browse accounts similar to yours, reply to friends in direct on Stories, participate in discussions relevant to your profile topic.
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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. nine0003
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.
