Every Instagram marketing expert will tell you that the best way to reach more people on Instagram is to increase your engagement. This is because Instagram's algorithm decides how to show or recommend your content to someone based on ranking signals such as views, likes, and comments on your Instagram posts. Once you fully understand how Instagram works, you can apply best practices to your Instagram account and get the best results from your Instagram marketing efforts.
Instagram is now a full-fledged social network with photo, video and messaging services built into the platform. Its daily users and active user base are constantly growing, and for businesses, an active presence on Instagram means having the opportunity to attract and nurture new and existing customers.
One of the most important Instagram marketing tips is that the algorithm generally favors posts that use the platform's newest offering. With more and more Instagram for Business features being added to the mix, influencing the Instagram algorithm and staying up to date with every Instagram algorithm change is essential to executing a successful Instagram marketing strategy.
In this blog, we discuss how the Instagram algorithm works and share Instagram optimization tips based on known ranking signals. We also discuss the importance of a targeted social media marketing approach to Instagram and show you how an Instagram marketing company can help you optimize your Instagram marketing strategies.20
Understanding the Instagram algorithm
As an Instagram user, you've probably wondered: Why isn't the Instagram Story algorithm showing my content? Did Instagram change its algorithm? In fact, some even go so far as to accuse Instagram of "shadowbanning" or imposing unfounded sanctions on their accounts.
That's why Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, recently published an article to recognize the need to shed light on how Instagram works and provide a better experience for its users. Let's answer some of the most common questions about the Instagram algorithm based on what Mosseri shared.
What is the Instagram algorithm?
A social media algorithm represents a set of rules for determining what content to show to a user. It uses machine learning and data points to calculate how relevant a post may be to its potential audience. Relevant posts and personalized app experiences keep users on the platform, benefiting Instagram's potential ad revenue and a business's pipeline of leads.
The most important fact that should greatly influence your Instagram social media marketing strategy is that there is no single Instagram algorithm. Each part of the app (Feed, Explore, Stories and main Reels) has its own algorithm and processes thousands of signals.
The "calculation" for each part of the app differs depending on how the feature works and how people use it. For example, the Instagram Story algorithm might prioritize followers tagged as “close friends,” but this tag might not affect top posts in the Feed. Additionally, the Explore page specifically shows recommendations, which means that a change to Instagram's algorithm that favors accounts you don't follow is also the norm.
Did Instagram change its algorithm?
Whenever Instagram introduces new features, user behavior changes, ranking signals change, and algorithms are altered. Because Instagram will continue to improve experiences on the platform, it's more about waiting and adapting to Instagram's next algorithm change.
The better question is: Has Instagram changed its algorithm recently or will it do so soon? Mosseri's recent announcement on Twitter gave users a good idea of what's to come in the coming months.
Here's an overview of what Instagram is working on:
• Develop new experiences in four key areas: creators, videos, shopping and messaging
• Strategies based on research that show people come to Instagram to be entertained
• Show recommendations in the feed of an account that a user might not follow yet
• Experiment with themes to find out what users want to see more or less of.
• Address the competition and deliver immersive, mobile-first video experiences.
Account owners must adapt to these changes to have a better chance of being favored by the algorithm. With these updates in the works, you can expect to focus more on optimizing images for Instagram Stores or videos for full-screen viewing.
Instagram Algorithm Ranking Signals That Affect Your Reach
Instagram uses ranking signals to learn more about what users are interested in and make educated guesses about which posts people are likely to engage with. According to Mosseri, the company will “add and remove signals and predictions over time” to improve the appearance of relevant content.
Here are the four categories of signals that influence how customers discover your business profile on Instagram:
1. Information about your publication – The popularity and engagement of your post (likes, shares, comments, and saves) and the core elements of your post, such as the title, format (image or video), post time, and location tags.
2. Information your business profile – Who you are, what content you publish, what niche you belong to, who owns your business account, and what content your business interacts with.
3. Your user interaction history – How long you view your content, how often you interact with your Instagram posts, and your actions on your profile.
4. User activity – What accounts they follow, the time of day they are active on Instagram, and what types of posts the user tends to interact with.
Most important signs ranked in order of importance
Mosseri gave an idea of what the algorithm focuses on displaying in each part of the app. Feed and Stories will lean heavily toward showing users content from the people they're closest to and recent posts shared by people they follow. Explore primarily considers content from people they don't follow but might be interested. And Reels prioritizes posts they'll find entertaining, "with an eye toward smaller creators."
6 Expert-Approved Instagram Optimization Tips
Knowing what you know about how Instagram works, you can see that maintaining an agile social media marketing strategy on Instagram is vital, adapting your Instagram marketing strategies using up-to-date Instagram marketing tips and a comprehensive strategy.
Here are 6 critical Instagram optimization tips to improve your account performance:
1. Find your niche
Instagram experts will always recommend “niching down.” This means specializing in a specific type of content or being recognized for a particular category. For example, a fast food restaurant may be known for posting relatable memes or humorous posts, while a luxury handbag brand frequently posts photos of its celebrity customers.
When you brand your Instagram account in a certain way, it becomes easier for the algorithm to match your content to people who might enjoy it the most.
2. Create high-quality, interactive content
Your Instagram post is sent to a wider audience when people interact and share it. But you can't expect users to engage if they're not impressed with your post. Have you properly optimized images for Instagram grids so that interconnected images line up perfectly? Did you optimize video for Instagram users who prefer vertical viewing experiences?
Once you've optimized the essential elements of your post, Instagram marketing agencies would suggest creating valuable content, and you'll be on the right track if it's "shareable and saveable." Even better, if you include interactive elements like a poll or question within your title, you can drive even more engagement.
3. Maximize business and analytics tools
One of the most important features of Instagram for businesses is Shopping. You can tag your products, create collections, and make your content even more attractive to your potential customers. You can submit them to your website or use the Instagram checkout process (for eligible US creator and business accounts), create ads or branded content, and most importantly, track all user activity. users in your Store.
Need help? It's good to have an Instagram marketing service team on your side – they provide tips and best practices for business owners to maximize Instagram for Business, as well as providing comprehensive analytics data in their Professional Dashboard for you to use to improve. the performance of your account.
4. Prioritize SEO for Instagram
Just like Google reads and ranks your website through search engine optimization (SEO) tactics, Instagram analyzes your profile to find out who you are. Establishing your identity and staying on brand will boost your Instagram SEO efforts and increase the opportunities for your profile and posts to be found online.
Using business-related hashtags also contributes to SEO for Instagram, and Instagram marketing services take advantage of hashtag generators and other tools to effectively increase your online visibility.
5. Instagram influencer marketing
Instagram influencer marketing is one of the main reasons why marketing on Instagram is lucrative. Influencers have conquered their niche and established a loyal following, and have become invaluable to brands. In fact, it's practically a shortcut to making the algorithm work in your favor: influencer marketing matches the followers of a popular internet personality with their target audience and increases their relevance to those types of Instagram users. Plus, having an influencer mention your brand, tag you in their posts, or share your content means gaining direct exposure to potential customers and instantly increasing your engagement.
6. Publish Instagram Posts Regularly
If you continually drive engagement, “it helps the algorithm learn more and more about your account.” The more information the algorithm runs, the more relevant it will be to your target audience. Instagram experts recommend “teaching the algorithm” through regular posts.
A content calendar gives you the space so you can plan the content of your Instagram post, finalize your keyword-optimized captions, choose which media formats to use, and select the times when your audience is most active on Instagram. This vital Instagram social media marketing tool puts all your Instagram optimization efforts into play.
Marketing on Instagram the right way
Instagram marketing agencies may tell you to focus more on Shop and Reels because that's the direction Instagram is heading, covering the basics is vital.
“The most important thing is still to use all the content features that Instagram offers. The algorithm is changing, but not necessarily user behavior: Instagram users still want to see Feed and Stories.” For now, great social media marketing Instagram results come when businesses maximize all of the platform's features, but are more aggressive with Instagram's latest features.
However, any good Instagram marketing agency will emphasize that making the algorithm work in your favor is only secondary to making the content worth engaging with. An overall Instagram social media marketing strategy is crucial to achieving every business's goal of gaining more customers.
3 Instagram Marketing Tips to Keep in Mind When Creating Your Instagram Marketing Strategy:
1. Take advantage of all your digital channels . An Instagram marketing service can help you leverage your digital channels to boost your Instagram campaigns. You can also drive traffic to your Instagram posts from other sources, such as displaying your Instagram feed on your website's home page or embedding an Instagram post in a blog post.
2. Study your audience continually . As your following grows and your preferences change, you need to update your understanding of your target audience. You can use their analytics tools to discover the posts they are most receptive to and create the perfect Instagram post based on it. This is key to staying relevant to your potential customers.
3. Stay fashionable . Posting trending content helps “share” your posts, but it also shows your brand's effort to stay ahead and be among the industry leaders. An Instagram marketing service is ideal for jumping on trends quickly while maintaining the unique character of your business. Platform changes, such as new features, can also influence trends, and you should consider them in your Instagram marketing.
Will static posts communicate your message well or would it be better to jump on the vertical video trend and optimize video for Instagram? Will you focus more on the Instagram Story algorithm or the Reels algorithm? These decisions require a thorough analysis of Instagram's performance and position relative to its competitors. The good thing is that you can trust an Instagram marketing agency to help you with this.
Get the help of an Instagram marketing company
With a personalized marketing approach on Instagram, the Instagram algorithm can do its job of getting your content to the right audience more efficiently. Creating valuable content that is shareable and saveable helps you generate engagement on your posts, and this tells the algorithms to show your content to more of your target audience. The only thing you need to achieve this is a results-driven Instagram marketing strategy that supports your efforts.
Instagram marketing agencies can handle your social media marketing Instagram planning while you focus on your core business. Working with a professional Instagram marketing company means having access to years of experience implementing profitable Instagram marketing strategies.
