This post aims to answer the following question: how does the Instagram algorithm work?
Knowing the Instagram algorithm and how it works can be an excellent advantage for anyone looking to grow on Instagram. So, keep reading to learn about the most recent changes, features, and factors that influence your IG algorithm in 2024.
What Is the Instagram Algorithm?
The Instagram algorithm is a set of rules that ranks content on the platform. It is designed to identify and display the most relevant content for each user. In other words, the IG algorithm aims to provide personalized experiences by matching the right content with the right audience.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri uses the term ‘ranking’ rather than the Instagram algorithm to make it sound less robotic. According to Adam, the Instagram algorithm aims to ensure that Instagram is valuable and relevant to each user to make them stay on the app longer.
How Does the Instagram Algorithm Work in 2024?
Instagram uses different algorithms for different parts (Instagram Stories, Reels, feed posts, Explore, Search, and more). As a result, the Instagram story algorithm differs from the Instagram reel algorithm. Additionally, it considers IG users (i.e., their interests and behavior on the platform) to show the right content to the right people.
Thousands of factors or signals influence Instagram algorithms in different parts of the app. Read on to learn more about these influential factors.
How Does the Instagram Algorithm Work for Stories
The Instagram story algorithm takes into account the following signals:
- User Engagement: The algorithm takes into account how much you interact with an account’s stories, including sending likes or DMs. In other words, the Instagram Stories algorithm prioritizes content from the accounts you interact with the most rather than the specific content of a story.
- Viewing History: It then looks at how often you view an account’s stories to prioritize those that it thinks you don’t want to miss.
- Closeness: It attempts to gauge your overall relationship with the content creator and your likelihood of being friends or family.
💡Tip: To beat the Story algorithm and get more views on IG Stories, it is best to regularly share Stories that drive interaction using polls, quiz stickers, questions, emoji sliders, etc.
How Does the Instagram Algorithm Work for Reels
Brands and creators must make Instagram reels that are entertaining, inspiring, or experimental using creative tools. They should avoid posting low-resolution, blurry, or reposted reels from other apps. The Instagram algorithm will deprioritize these reels, making them less likely to go viral.
Here are some essential factors that influence the Instagram reel algorithm:
- User Engagement: First, the algorithm considers your past behavior on reels, like reels you have liked, saved, shared, or commented on recently.
- Poster Interaction: If you’ve already interacted with the person who posted the Reel, it signals your interest in their content to the algorithm on Instagram.
- Content Information: The Instagram reel algorithm also considers factors like audio track, video length, and caption to evaluate how interesting the reel might be.
- Poster information: The IG algorithm considers your past interaction with the poster’s content to determine how engaging the reel might be to you.
💡Tip: Make your Instagram reels more discoverable by incorporating relevant keywords into captions and hashtags.
Suggested Post: Instagram Reel Ideas
How Does the Instagram Algorithm Work for the Feed Posts
Here are some factors that affect the Instagram feed algorithm:
- Interest: The IG algorithm predicts your interest in a post based on your past behavior and engagement with similar content.
- Post Popularity: It considers how quickly a post gains likes, comments, shares, and saves, along with where and when it was posted.
- Poster Information: It evaluates the poster’s details, such as past interactions and post frequency, to guess how interesting they might be to you. Are they your friend or family?
- Interaction History: It looks at your interactions with a specific person or content type to assess your interest.
💡Tip: The Instagram feed algorithm monitors every interaction you make on the app (i.e., from the posts you liked or commented on) to suggest interesting and relevant content to you. So, the post algorithm will display the most frequently interacted with accounts first.
How Does the Instagram Algorithm Work for the Explore Page
Based on past interactions, the Instagram Explore page algorithm shows content it believes you’ll like.
- Content Information: The Instagram algorithm evaluates a post’s overall popularity by considering how many people engage with it quickly. According to Instagram, these engagement rate signals are more significant in the Explore section than in the Feed or Stories.
- Your Past Activity in the Explore Page: The IG algorithm then determines what to show you based on your past behavior on similar content.
- Interaction History: The Instagram Explore page algorithm then looks at your relationship with the poster and your interactions over the past few weeks. In Explore, you don’t know the poster; therefore, your previous interaction with similar content plays a significant role there.
- Information about the Content Creator: It also considers how popular the poster has been recently. By doing so, your Explore page will feature various content from different creators.
💡Tip: While the Instagram feed algorithm mostly features content from accounts you follow, the Instagram search algorithm often shows content from new accounts.
How to Beat the Instagram Algorithm in 2024 and Increase Your Reach (6 Proven Tips)
Understanding how Instagram works and using that knowledge to your advantage will help you beat the IG algorithm. This way, by hacking what the Instagram algorithm favors, you can reach more people on Instagram and build a community of engaged followers. Here are six proven ways to improve your Instagram algorithmic ranking and reach new audiences:
1. Make Engaging & Original Content
According to Adam Mosseri, Instagram values original content over reposted or re-shared content. Therefore, plan to create valuable content types, especially Instagram reels, to maximize discovery and growth.
A lot of work is involved in creating high-quality and engaging content for your Instagram account. It requires using top content creation tools, looking for trendy and creative ideas, or posting at the right time out of many other factors to beat the algorithm.
✨AiGrow can take the burden of content creation off your shoulders, giving you more time and energy to focus on your business. This way, the AiGrow content creation team will create engaging reels for your audience, leading to remarkable growth and steady engagement on the platform.
2. Encourage Engagement
When it comes to the Instagram algorithm, engagement is the key. Your content will be boosted by the algorithm more if it receives more engagement. So, increase your engagement rate by asking your audience to interact with your content by liking, commenting, sharing, or saving your content. Posting at the best times on Instagram regularly can increase your audience’s interaction.
When planning your content, ask yourself the following questions to achieve greater engagement:
- Is this post likely to be liked or commented on?
- Is it likely that someone saves this post to view it again?
- Can I use a proper CTA to encourage viewers to act?
Suggested Post: Why Are My Instagram Reach & Engagement Low
3. Adhere to the Instagram Community Guidelines
Instagram’s algorithms limit the visibility of the content that violates its community guidelines. It even downranks content that seems to violate its policies, even if that has not yet been confirmed. So, you should always follow the Instagram community guidelines to gain the IG algorithm’s favor.
4. Embrace the Latest Features
Instagram prioritizes adopting new features. So, keep up with Instagram’s latest updates and features by exploring them regularly.
5. Use Hashtags to Reach More People on Instagram
Create a hashtag strategy and add them to your captions to reach more people on Instagram. They can bring more views and engagements to your posts if used strategically.
6. Use Instagram Insights to See which Strategy Is Effective
You should learn to use Instagram analytics to see which posts get the most interactions. This way, you can sort posts by most comments, likes, and saves or specific engagement metrics. This data helps you understand what your target audience enjoys. The next step is creating a plan based on these findings to enhance engagement.
Top Instagram Algorithm Changes in 2024
Instagram’s algorithms change over time. And staying on top of Instagram’s latest changes is critical for getting noticed on the platform.Here are some of the top IG algorithm changes for 2024.
1- Restrictive Content Control Setting
Instagram aims to provide young users with a safe online platform. As a result, teens’ accounts are automatically set to the most restrictive level to make it harder for them to find potentially sensitive content and accounts.
Restricted content in 2024 includes:
- Self-harming or suicide-related content,
- Nudity or sexually explicit content,
- Violent content,
- Content about eating disorders,
- Content featuring restricted goods like tobacco or vaping products or adult products and services.
2- Instagram New Algorithm Puts Less Focus on Reels
After focusing heavily on reels in 2023, the current Instagram algorithm is shifting to give more weight to other types of content, such as Stories and regular posts. This shift was a response to feedback from users who felt their feeds were becoming too flooded with reels.
3- Replayed Reels Now Count as Views
Before 2024, only first-time views were counted as a reel’s view count. Now, every replay is added to the total views.
4- Instagram Users Can Now Pay a Blue Checkmark
In 2023, Meta introduced Meta Verified, allowing users to pay for getting verified on Instagram. This change has sparked controversy, with some believing that verification should be earned, not bought.
5- Reels with Word Marks Get Lower Rankings
Reels with word marks like the TikTok logo or watermarks from video editing platforms will be ranked lower. The reason for this is that reels with wordmarks look like reposts, and the Instagram algorithm will lower your rank for posting them. Therefore, make sure to remove all word marks before posting a reel. According to Adam Mosseri, videos edited or created outside the Instagram app without a wordmark won’t be affected.
6- European Users Can Now See Chronological Feeds
Instagram and Facebook users in Europe can view content chronologically again, thanks to the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA). For instance, they can view Stories and Reels from only the accounts they follow, arranged chronologically from newest to oldest. They can also see search results based only on their search terms, not personalized suggestions from the current Instagram algorithm.
Conclusion
Here, I explained what the Instagram algorithm is and how it works. Creating original, high-quality content, posting consistently at the best times, and actively engaging with your audience can increase your chances of reaching more accounts on Instagram. Additionally, using relevant hashtags and writing engaging captions can help drive more engagement and have the IG algorithm work in your favor.
Remember that changes to the Instagram algorithm will always happen. However, if Instagram marketers are willing to stay up-to-date on Instagram algorithm changes, they will discover creative and surprising ways to reach more people on the platform.
FAQs
Now, let’s answer some of your frequently asked questions about this topic.
Q1. What Are the Top Instagram Algorithm Ranking Factors?
Here are the top ranking factors of the Instagram algorithm:
- Relationship between the Creator and the Viewer: Do you follow each other? Have you sent DMs or left comments? IG users are more likely to see creators’ new posts if they interact frequently with them. The more you interact with someone on Instagram, the more likely you are to see that person’s posts when they appear in your timeline.
✨ A crucial tip for Businesses: Interacting regularly with IG users, such as responding to DMs and comments, will boost your brand’s visibility.
- Interest: The algorithm for Instagram serves users more of the content they tend to engage with. When the Instagram algorithm recognizes that a user enjoys a specific content type or format, it will display more of it.
- Relevancy of the Post: Relevancy is the other crucial factor. So, an algorithm on Instagram analyzes how it aligns with trending topics and considers the timeliness factor. A recent post is viewed as more relevant than an older one.
Q2. How to Reset the Instagram Algorithm?
You can’t reset the Instagram algorithm. However, there are some ways to refresh the content shown in your home feed. To do this, you can clear your search history or tap ‘Not Interested’ on suggested posts.
Q3. How to Fix My Instagram Algorithm?
If you think the Instagram algorithm doesn’t pick up your content, check your Instagram account status. To do so, follow the steps below:
- Tap on your profile picture, and go to ‘Settings and Activity,’
- Under ‘More info and support,’ choose ‘Account Status.’
From there, make sure your account complies with community guidelines. If everything checks out, focus on creating high-quality content that resonates with your audience and actively engaging with the community. Additionally, consider utilizing Instagram features like hashtags, tagging, Reels, and Stories to boost your visibility and reach more people on the platform.
Q4. Does the Instagram Algorithm Prefer Photos or Videos?
Photos and videos are equally valued on Instagram. It is also the same for account types. In short, Instagram algorithms treat all account types (Business, Creator, or Personal) equally.
