In a world of social media, algorithms are becoming the standard of how content is distributed to users. But every algorithm is different, and follows a different set of rules. As a business that uses social media, it’s important to have an understanding of how your content is reaching your target. In this article, we will look at how the Instagram algorithm works, so that you can use it to your advantage!
What does Instagram care about? As a user, Instagram looks at your behavior within the app to curate content that they think you are interested in. Along with measuring your interests, Instagram monitors a couple of other key areas to curate content for you:
How recent a post is determines whether or not Instagram will feature it on someone’s feed. Instagram will favor the newest content, because of the continuous stream of content being uploaded to the platform daily. Chances are, Instagram won’t show you posts on your feed that are over a week old.
The amount of people you follow also determines what kind of content a user sees on their feed. If you only follow a few accounts, it’s easy to see what everyone is up to. However, if you follow a lot of accounts, Instagram has to prioritize what they think you would want to see, because you probably won’t get to everything.
Your relationship with the person that posted also determines how quickly you will see the post on your feed. For example, if you are always interacting with a user/business’ content, you will see their posts much earlier in your feed. Instagram knows that you like engaging with those accounts, so they make sure you see their posts first.
Instagram measures all of the things listed above, as well as how long you are engaging with the app. If you are only logged on for a short period of time, Instagram will take all of it’s information on your interests, and show you the best posts first. Whereas, if you spend a lot of time on the app, the best posts that fit the algorithmic criteria will be scattered throughout your feed.
How you can improve your content: Now that you know how Instagram works for your typical user, you improve the content your business is uploading to instagram. Follow these tips to learn how you can boost your business’ content to show up more frequently and stand out on your follower’s feed!
Instagram is one of the most visual social media platforms out there right now, so making your posts visually appealing is always important. There are a number of ways to do this, so finding a unique way to display information about your business or what you’re selling is a must.
Captions matter on Instagram, especially if you’re running a business. The caption can be the perfect place to give your followers more information about the products or services that you’re offering. Adding hashtags to the end of your captions are also a great way to reach new followers that are searching under that tag. So, don’t underestimate the power of a good caption!
Consistency is key for Instagram, so the more frequently you upload, has an effect on how much exposure the posts get. Making sure to not only post on your normal feed, but also posting on stories determines your level of exposure too. Almost 500 million people use Instagram stories daily, and you can use hashtags on them too! With that being said, using stories on Instagram is really helpful in gaining followers.
Going live on Instagram is also a cool feature to check out. This can be a great way to plan virtual events, like a live Q&A or a behind the scenes tour around the office. When any account goes live, their followers will get a notification, and the live will appear first in the stories section. If your business gets creative, and promotes mini live events, it can really capture the attention of your followers.
Posting when users are active is also an important factor to consider. Most people are on Instagram in the afternoon, so posting during that time should get you more exposure. Whereas, if you post during the middle of the night or early in the moring, a lot of people may miss it. Keeping on track of what and when to post can be a task all on its own, so implementing a social media planner site to your business can be really beneficial.
Conclusion: Instagram has become a place for business owners to promote themselves, and to directly reach their targets. Knowing the landscape of how the algorithm works on Instagram is important, so that you can make your business’ social media presence as effective as possible.