Instagram is becoming the social media most used by brands to showcase their products and services. For companies, Instagram is a selling point where they can post all their products, which helps them gain visibility in a highly competitive market.
This social network not only allows users to share images, but also experiences, emotions and ideas. Instagram users are always looking to decipher Instagram’s algorithm to get more visibility for their posts.
In this article, we will discuss the factors that influence the ranking of published content and explain why deciphering Instagram’s algorithm is necessary for successful posts.
Instagram algorithm: Everything you need to know
Instagram’s algorithm was introduced to help show the most relevant content to users when they check their Instagram feed.
To get the best results from your Instagram posts, it’s important to consider a number of factors and follow various tips to increase the chances of your posted content reaching more people.
How does Instagram determine which content is most relevant to users?
Algorithms are used to determine who actually sees what you post and who does not. With the constant changes in these algorithms, yesterday’s marketing strategy may fail tomorrow.
Therefore, it is vitally important to keep an eye on Instagram’s new algorithm updates.
Key factors in the Instagram algorithm
Instagram’s algorithm is constantly changing, as the algorithm uses machine learning to personalise the content that is displayed on every user’s Instagram feed.
Instagram’s “explore” page works in the same way: it analyses the accounts with which the user has previously interacted and uses these interactions to suggest content that may be of interest to the user.
However, Instagram’s algorithm considers much more than this. Instagram revealed that there are factors that determine what a user sees in the Instagram feed.
Relationship with users
If a user has interacted with much of the content posted by a brand, this user is more likely to see your content in the future. Therefore, continuous engagement with posts is important to build a loyal audience.
Interests
This factor is based on whether a user has interacted with similar posts and accounts while browsing the Instagram feed. Users who also interact with similar content are more likely to see their own posts.
Post relevance
When a user makes a post on Instagram, the algorithm assigns it a relevance score, which affects who appears in the feed.
Usage and frequency
If users tend to browse Instagram in short or long sessions, this will also affect the content displayed by the algorithm. If users prefer to visit Instagram briefly, the algorithm can ensure that the most relevant posts are displayed first.
Conversely, for users who prefer longer browsing sessions, the algorithm may provide a deeper directory of new content to browse.
On the other hand, each time a user opens the app, Instagram’s algorithm tries to show the best post since the last visit. If you open Instagram once a day, you will see the posts that Instagram’s algorithm thinks are most relevant for the day.
However, if you open Instagram every hour, the app will try to show you the most relevant content that you haven’t seen before, to capture your attention.
Other factors to consider
- If users follow many accounts on Instagram, there will be more competition for the top spot in their feed.
- Compared to personal accounts, corporate Instagram accounts are not immediately at a disadvantage in terms of natural reach.
How to get better results on Instagram
To get the best results from various posts on Instagram, it is advisable to create brand-recognisable, interesting, inspiring, motivational or entertaining content.
How to get more comments
- Ask questions on the different posts.
- Start a conversation with: What do you think about this, what do you think about this issue?
- Add a call to action at the beginning or end of the title.
- Encourage people to comment on posts.
How to get more saves
- Share tips, tricks or tutorials.
- Share ideas, favourites.
- Share general interest, interesting or motivational topics.