INSTAGRAM ALGORITHM 101: HOW TO GET YOUR CONTENT SEEN

Instagram aims to make the platform more transparent by explaining how content ranking works and addressing common misconceptions. This guide provides insights into the various algorithms and features Instagram uses to enhance the user experience and help creators understand how their content is surfaced.

What is the Instagram Algorithm?

  The Instagram algorithm is a set of rules that rank content on the platform. It decides what content appears and in what order on users’ feeds, the Explore Page, the Reels feed, Stories, and more.

How Does the Instagram Algorithm Work?

  In simple terms, the Instagram algorithm looks at information about content (Reels, feed posts, and Stories) and users (interests and behavior) to deliver the right content to the right people. The main goal is to make each user’s experience on the platform as pleasant as possible. Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri refers to the algorithm as “ranking” to emphasize its role in enhancing user experience by prioritizing certain posts over others.

Mosseri claims that Instagram uses a variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes tailored specifically to each part of the app—Feed, Stories, Explore, Reels, Search, and more.

Ranking Across Different Parts of Instagram

Feed

The Feed is your personalized home base on Instagram, where you catch up with friends, family, and interests. The content in your Feed is a mix of posts from accounts you follow, recommended posts from accounts you might be interested in, and ads. The Feed algorithm ranks content based on several key signals:

1. Your Activity: Posts you’ve liked, shared, saved, or commented on.
2. Information About the Post: Popularity indicators like the number of likes and comments, and details like when and where the post was made.
3. Information About the Person Who Posted: Interaction history with the person who made the post.
4. Your Interaction History: How often you engage with the person’s content.

Based on these signals, Instagram predicts how likely you are to interact with a post (e.g., like, comment, share) and ranks it accordingly.

Stories

Stories are designed for sharing everyday moments. The ranking of Stories is influenced by:

1. Viewing History: Frequency of viewing an account’s Stories.
2. Engagement History: How often you interact with the Stories (e.g., sending likes or DMs).
3. Closeness: Your overall relationship with the story creator.

Explore

Explore helps you discover new content. The ranking here is based on:

1. Information About the Post: Popularity indicators like likes and shares.
2. Your Activity in Explore: Past interactions in Explore.
3. Your History with the Person Who Posted: Prior interactions with the content creator.
4. Information About the Person Who Posted: Engagement levels of the content creator.

Reels

Reels emphasize entertainment, showcasing mostly content from accounts you don’t follow. Ranking factors include:

1. Your Activity: Interaction with Reels (likes, shares, comments).
2. Your History with the Person Who Posted: Previous interactions with the creator.
3. Information About the Reel: Details about the video content and its popularity.
4. Information About the Person Who Posted: Engagement and follower count of the creator.

Personalized Controls and Recommendations

To personalize your Instagram experience, you can:

• Favorites: Add accounts to your Favorites list to see their posts higher in your Feed.
• Close Friends: Share Stories with a select group of people.
• Mute/Unfollow: Mute or unfollow accounts to control what you see.
• Sensitive Content Control: Adjust settings to see more or less sensitive content.
• Not Interested: Mark posts to refine recommendations.
• Report Content: Report posts that violate guidelines.

Addressing Shadowbanning

  Instagram recognizes concerns about "shadowbanning," where users feel their content is unfairly limited or hidden. Instagram asserts that it’s in their best interest to help creators reach their audiences and that they do not suppress content to push users to buy ads. Transparency and user feedback are essential for improving the platform's recommendations.

Community Guidelines and Recommendations

  Instagram has Community Guidelines and Recommendations Guidelines to ensure safety and content quality. Content that is likely to violate these guidelines or is rated poorly by third-party fact-checkers is ranked lower. This helps maintain a safe environment for users and promotes high-quality content.

By understanding these aspects of Instagram's content ranking, users and creators can better navigate the platform, optimize their engagement, and improve their overall experience.

We're Here to Help

At Hispanic Group, we understand the intricacies of social media and are dedicated to helping you thrive on Instagram. That's why we've broken down this guide provided by Instagram to meet all your social media engagement needs. Whether you're looking to boost engagement, understand content ranking, or create impactful posts, our team is here to support all your Instagram needs.