Instagram’s algorithm changes impact everyone who uses it, especially brands. We’re revealing how to hack it for maximum growth.
How does the Instagram algorithm work?
Since Instagram discontinued the chronological feed, it’s been a confusing question.
Find out all the most recent ranking factors for your Instagram feed posts, stories, explore, and reels from Perth’s expert digital marketing agency, Studio22.
Also, check out what an award-winning SEO service believes are our top tips to “hack” the Instagram algorithm so that you get more engagement and sales for your brand or business.
As Perth digital marketing specialists, we are here to tell you, first and foremost, that there is no single algorithm. Instead, there are a variety of algorithms, each tailored to specific users. Instagram clarified that Instagram’s feed is determined by a variety of algorithms: both classifieds as well as processes are used together to create a personalised user experience for every account.
Instagram introduced an early version of the current algorithm in 2016 to allow users to see content that they are interested in and not in chronological order.
Users didn’t see all their content, so they decided to remove the chronological and create a ranking system. Instagram has since changed and updated its algorithms based upon user feedback to make the platform more engaging.
How Instagram’s Algorithm Works to Feed Posts (including Videos) in 2022
The Instagram algorithm for posts is influenced by four factors:
- Information on the post: Was it a photo or a video? When was it published? What number of likes did it get?
- Information on the poster: What are you most interested in? Are they your friend or foe? How often do you interact with their content?
- Your activity: Are you a fan of watching a lot of videos? What content do you usually engage with?
- Your interaction history: Do you often like or comment on other posters’ posts?
This information allows Instagram to calculate the likelihood that someone will interact with a post. This is known as a “score” or “interest.” It ultimately determines the order of posts displayed in their feed.
However, this isn’t all. They also consider five important interactions. These key interactions aid the algorithm in ranking feeds.
- Time spent: How much time did you spend on this post?
- Likes: How likely is it that you will like this post?
- What are your chances of commenting on the post’s content?
- Savings: Are you likely to save this post?
- After seeing the post, how likely is it for you to tap on your profile?
The bottom line? The takeaway? If your content is interesting to your community, it will continue to be a priority in their feeds.
TIP: Analyse your content to see which posts are performing well and which are not. You can also track how your community interacts with your posts over time.
Instagram Stories in 2022
Instagram stories work fairly like posts; the stories that appear at the start of your feed are the ones you interact with the most. Consistently posting to Instagram Stories is a good idea.
If you post to Instagram Stories more often, your chances of reaching viewers are higher. People will read their stories daily, and you will rank higher.
How the Algorithm Works for Instagram Reels in 2022
Instagram recommends that creators and brands create reels that are inspiring, entertaining, or experimental. They should also use creative tools such as text, camera effects, and filters.
Also, avoid posting Instagram Reels that are too blurry or low-resolution. These reels are deprioritized, which means that they will not appear on the Explore Page or Instagram Reels tab.
Share your reel on your Instagram feed, use hashtags to increase your discoverability, and write captions so the content is more accessible.
Investigate the Page 2022 Algorithm
The Explore Tab algorithm searches for previous posts that have been liked or interacted with and pulls together a collection of photos and videos that are like accounts that you don’t follow (yet!).
This content is ranked by what the algorithm thinks you are most likely to save, like, and share.
- Information about the post Instagram analyses the popularity of a post when curating content for sharing via the Explore tab. This includes signals like how many people have liked, commented, shared, and saved the post.
- Your interaction history with the person who made the post While most of the content you see on Explore will come from new accounts, accounts that have had some interaction with you get a boost.
- Your activity: How have you liked, commented, saved, or saved posts in the past? How have you behaved previously on the Explore Page? Instagram uses your activity history to determine what it thinks you might like to see more of.
- Details about the person who made the post When an account interacts with many users over the past few weeks, it sends a signal to Instagram that compelling content is being created that may be enjoyed by others.
TIP: By sharing engaging content using strong captions or niche keywords, your posts will be optimised for explore page potential.
The best ways to boost your ranking in 2022 to reach new audiences
Consistently share Instagram reels.
Reels, one of the latest features on Instagram, are still being promoted by the platform. Reels have twice the amount of real estate available on Instagram Explore, which makes them a powerful tool for growth and discovery.
Improve Your Hashtag Strategy
The average engagement for feed posts with 30 hashtags is the highest. A good hashtag strategy will help you connect with relevant audiences who are likely to engage with your content.
UP the interactivity
Engagement is important for the algorithm.
You are not getting the engagement you want? You can easily add a sticker to get the engagement you want. There are many Instagram stickers. The best for driving engagement include the poll emoji slide and question stickers.
You can also ask questions and encourage comments on posts.
Automate your analytics reports.
Monitoring and tracking your content’s performance on Instagram is one way to stay on top of the Instagram algorithm.
A monthly review of the numbers, such as content, posting times, and hashtags, can help you a lot.
- Find out with a Google analytics tool:
- You can schedule your posts when your audience is online (so that you can schedule them during that window).
- Which hashtags are doing well?
- What posts earn real engagement?
Promote Your Content in Multiple Places
Instagram’s user base has grown, as have the channels through which you can share content: Instagram Feed, Stories, Guides, and Instagram Reels.
This could be as simple as sharing a reel preview on your feed, or as complex as adding a feed post in Instagram Stories with a GIF “Tap Here”.
Instagram collaboration feed postings (with co-shared authorship) are also a great way to reach a new audience.
Use engaging captions and comments to drive conversations.
Instagram has made it clear that likes and comments are essential for feed ranking.
You can drive more interaction by including a call to action in your Instagram caption. This can be as simple as asking your followers for their thoughts. Double tap if they agree. Tag a friend in the comments. Or click the link in your bio.
Need Digital Marketing in Perth?
As a Perth digital marketing agency, we know that Instagram algorithms are constantly changing, and social media platforms will continue to evolve. But whatever specific signals, features, or recipes the future may hold for the app, creating engaging Instagram content is always a winning strategy.
Want help with Perth SEO services or your social media strategy? Get in touch with Studio22 today. We are here to help.