5 Tips on Beating the Instagram Algorithm
- Hello at Cece Feinberg Consulting
- Jan 31, 2018
- 4 min read
How screenshotting an IG Story, updating your app and clicking around the Explore page can improve your Instagram rank
Last year, when Instagram stopped presenting content chronologically and moved to an algorithm-based feed, it sparked much confusion — for brands and personal users alike. Here, we'll go over s some key factors that are weighted more heavily within the new algorithm, along with tips for how to use each to your advantage.
1. ENGAGEMENT
In the beginning, when brands were becoming more savvy on Instagram, there was such a focus on content. Back then, high-quality content in and of itself was enough to drive engagement. But as the platform has progressed and gotten more saturated, premium content has become less unique. Now, it’s all of the other supporting factors that play into making an account successful, like engagement (which means how many likes, views and comments your content is receiving — and how much you’re liking, viewing, and commenting in return). It’s now not just about how active your followers are with your content, but also about how active you as a follower are on other people’s content.
Tip: Read into app updates
If you pay close attention to the updates and the new features that Instagram rolls out, you can kind of connect the dots as to what the algorithm is favoring based on what’s becoming more important on the platform. For example, when Instagram introduced the ability to “like” comments, they made it clear that they were putting a greater focus on community engagement — both incoming and outgoing.
2. RELEVANCE
While engagement is the most important factor in the new algorithm, another very important factor is relevance. Instagram will look at what other accounts you and your followers are engaging with. And based on where the overlaps are, they will deem your content relevant to people who are engaging with similar users as you.
Tip: Take a look around
Spend time engaging with relevant audiences that aren’t following you. Go to the geotags of relevant places, or to hashtags you’re using, and make a list of 5-10 accounts who have similar content as yours. Then, go in to each of those accounts’ followers and like, comment and engage with them individually. That’s been a great tool for brands in terms of getting discovered on the platform.
3. INSTAGRAM STORIES
Even the way that Instagram Stories are engaged with is tracked and monitored by Instagram. For example, the more DMs and screenshots that your Instagram Story receives, the more that they think that people care about your content — and upping its chances of appearing in the Discover page. If you screenshot someone’s story, the other user isn’t notified (don’t panic!), but Instagram is made aware that you screenshotted it. To them, it means you’re highly interested in that content.
Tip: It goes down in the DM
A good tactic to enhance engagement on Instagram Stories would be to use a call-to-action. For example, you could use a caption like “DM me what you think about this” or “Does anyone have any recommendations?” because the more DMs you get, the higher your engagement will be. When we’re working with brands, we’ll post a Story that’s worth a screenshot — like a recipe, or even a giveaway where a user will have to screenshot our Story, re-post it on their own Story, and tag us for a chance to win. If you’re successful at prompting genuine engagement, you’ll end up being be favored higher in the algorithm.
4. POSTING TIME
Even though your feed is no longer organized chronologically, posting time still does play a role in engagement. Pre-algorithm, you’d see higher engagement if you posted within very specific time frames, and post-algorithm, the best time to post is really contingent on your dedicated audience and when they’ll be the most active on the platform. If your followers start seeing your content and engaging with it quickly, it will place higher in the algorithm.
Tip: Good content will snowball
Pre-algorithm, the best time to post used to be in the early morning, but now a lot of our clients are seeing that later afternoon or evening posts tend to perform the best. It’s weird to wrap your head around, but by the time someone access the platform at the end of the day, a post you may have posted earlier in the afternoon will have garnered enough engagement to then be deemed “relevant” to them then.
5. BE CONSISTENT
It sounds so simple, but I find that consistency in visual content really matters. You can’t be flying all over the place with different filters and aesthetics because people get used to a certain type of content and that’s what they’re expecting to see in your posts.
Consistency in post frequency is also important. I’ve noticed on my personal account that if I go for too long without posting, that post will usually perform worse than if I’m regularly posting about once a day.
Tip: Quality over quantity
We usually advise brands to post once a day as standard, but if there’s more captivating content at hand, it’s worth posting more than once. And whether you’re running a brand or personal Instagram, it’s not worth posting just for the sake of posting. Instagram is so oversaturated now that each post has to have meaning behind it in order to be shared.
