What’s Going On With Instagram?
What’s Going On With Instagram?
Instagram’s algorithm has changed once again and, as many of you will know, this isn’t the first, or probably the last, time Instagram has done this to us in the last few months.
Over the many years of using Instagram, I have had to get used to the frequent changes that have happened on the app and in that time I have built up some knowledge that always helps me out, no matter what changes are made to the algorithm.
Always remember that the Instagram algorithm is designed to help you even if it might not seem like it all the time. The key to building a successful Instagram account is by working out how you can use the algorithm to your advantage!
Here are a few tricks I have learnt for working with the Instagram algorithm to build a smashing Instagram account that brings in the conversions you desire.
What Is New With Instagram?
The 3 Insta Feeds
Instagram now has 3 separate feeds to scroll through. Each one can be found by clicking the “Instagram” logo in the top left hand side of your screens. Here is an overview of each one:
Default Feed – This is the feed you will be most used to. Here you will see the posts that the app thinks you will want to see due your most recent searches and the accounts you are most active with.
Followers Feed – You could call this the ‘original feed’ because this is how Instagram used to look. This feed will display ALL of your followers’ posts, not just the ones they think you want to see, and they will be in chronological order.
Favourites Feed – This feed is made by you. You decide who your fav accounts are and this feed will show all their posts in chronological order.
Pin Your Best 3 Posts
It is now possible to pin your top 3 favourite/best performing posts to the top of your account.
Simply click the 3 “…” in the top right hand corner of your post and click “Pin to your profile”. You swap and change these posts at any point but I recommend using 3 posts that best describe your business and your message.
How Does The Instagram Algorithm Work
As I mentioned at the start, the algorithm is built to work with you rather than against you. It is basically a set of rules and signals that rank your content to work out how interesting your posts are to the world of Instagram.
In 2021 Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said in a blog called “Shedding More Light on How Instagram Works” “We use a variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes, each with its own purpose.”
“We want to make the most of your time, and we believe that using technology to personalise your experience is the best way to do that.”
“As more people joined (Instagram) and more was shared, it became impossible for most people to see everything, let alone all the posts they cared about”
“So we developed and introduced a Feed that ranked posts based on what you care about most.”
And the rest is history!
But how does it work? Well, it starts off when you post to your account. At this point your post will be seen by 10% of your audience and if they decide to engage with your post by liking, commenting, sharing or saving then the algorithm will push the post out to even more people, essentially allowing your post/account to grow organically.
However, if the initial 10’% don’t engage with the post then unfortunately your post is sitting in the dark!
How To Work With The Instagram Algorithm?
Here are a few ways to work with the algorithm and grow your Insta account organically:
Engage With Others – The best way to build a positive reputation with the platform is by engaging with other accounts. Like posts, start a conversation in the comments section and share posts to your story.
Give yourself between 15 to 30 minutes each day to engage with your ideal audience and you will start to see more engagement coming back to you.
Post Valuable Content – That initial 10% of your audience are so important to the lifespan of your post so it is key to make sure that all of your posts have value.
What will your audience gain from your post? Would you like the post? Is it shareable? What makes it stand out on a person’s feed? These are the kind of questions you need to ask yourself when you’re creating your content.
Keep An Eye On Your Insights – Once you have got a good amount of posts on your profile it is a great idea to have a look at your insights to see what kind of posts are getting the most engagement. Can you see a trend? Also have a look at the times that you are pushing your posts out and see if you can work out what time is the best time to post.
Video/Reels – The best kind of content you can post to your Instagram account is reels as the algorithm prioritises reels over static images, making them perform a lot better.
Creating Reels is a lot easier than you might think but if you require a little guidance then feel free to get intouch with FB Comms and we will be happy to help!
One Last Thing
One last thing from me before I sign off…
Have fun with your account!
Instagram can be a really fun place to be and you need to make sure that you never make things too serious as that is NOT what people come onto the platform for.
Do some market research and see what your competitors are doing. How many posts are going out each week? What content gets the most engagement? How do they communicate with their audience?
Once again, if you need any advice about anything on social media then please get in touch. I have a real passion for the industry and I will be happy to help!
Ryan 🙂