A Guide to The Instagram Algorithm in 2019
The inner workings of the Instagram algorithm are like the Holy Grail for social media marketers.
Ever since Instagram did away with the chronological timeline, marketers all over have been trying to reverse engineer how the algorithm works.
Luckily for you, dear reader, we did all of the digging and ran experiments of our own to bring you a definitive picture of how the Instagram algorithm works right now and how you can start benefiting from it.
Let us begin.
· How does the algorithm work for posts on the feed?
Recent estimates say that around 10% of your followers actually see your posts on their feed. So, what decides who sees your posts and who doesn’t?
1. The algorithm predicts how much a post is likely to appeal to you.
Your Instagram feed is derived from a variety of factors, including who you follow, what kind of content you like and so on.
The algorithm presents you with posts that it calculates you are more likely to “like” or comment on. The more a post gets these engagements from people, the more likely it is to be shown to other people on Instagram.
2. The algorithm is constantly calculating the kind of relationship you have with your followers.
Today’s Instagram algorithm lends a lot of importance to what kind of relationship you have with your followers. If you’re commenting a lot on someone’s pictures or being tagged with them often, the algorithm will categorize these users as important or “friends and family”.
As a result, commenting on other people’s photos and taking the time to respond to your own comments and messages is crucial if you are looking to increase your visibility.
3. The timing of your posts is important.
Engagement is one of the factors the algorithm considers, and another one is the time a post was made.
Instagram ideally wants to show its users the latest and most interesting content possible. As a result, if you post when your followers are online and most active, you are more likely to get some of those sweet engagements.
4. Frequency and following are considered while displaying your feed.
If you are a regular scroller on Instagram, you are more likely to see posts in chronological order since the algorithm wants to show you the most interesting posts since you last visited.
If you don’t login as frequently, you are more likely to see a “best of” type sorting rather than a chronological one.
If you are following a lot of people, Instagram will try to guess which accounts to show you posts from and then recalibrate as you continue engaging with your feed.
· How does the algorithm work for Instagram Stories?
The Stories that appear closest to the beginning of the row on your feed are from accounts that Instagram has determined you engage with the most, either via DMS, posts or viewing and reacting to a lot of their Stories.
If your favorite accounts don’t post regularly enough, you might start to see other accounts you follow that post more frequently slide to the beginning of the row. Frequent posting to Stories will also gain you some points within the algorithm if your audience regularly watches and reacts to your Stories.
· How does the Instagram algorithm work for IGTV?
IGTV is still a developing platform, but already the signs are clear that Instagram uses a similar sorting algorithm for IGTV posts.
Instagram predicts which videos you will like based on your other activity on the platform and shows them to you on the IGTV ‘For You’ page. You can also browse the ‘Following’ page for videos from people you are already following or ‘Popular’ for the trending videos on IGTV currently.
Keep in mind that if someone follows you on IGTV, they will also be following your normal Instagram account.
· How does the Instagram algorithm work for the Explore page?
The Explore page is designed to be customized to your individual needs, showcasing all of the content Instagram predicts will be most interesting to you. Your Instagram Explore page will likely be completely different from your friend’s, because it is supposed to be a customized content discovery system.
Instagram launched channels for topics on the Explore page to make finding new stuff even easier. For example, you may see something like ‘IGTV-Shop-Style-Décor-Beauty’.
One of the major factors that Instagram considers while moving posts to the Explore page is how many engagements a particular post is gaining over time along with which hashtags you have used.
That about concludes our detailed overview of the major algorithmic factors on Instagram in 2019. With this information, you can begin to hack the algorithm and use its nature to your own benefit, building your audience and growing your business.