I think we can all agree that when Instagram’s algorithm changed, engagement dropped for everyone. We no longer get the amount of follows and likes that we used to and it seems impossible to even get our posts to show up in our followers’ feeds. As frustrating as it may be, we now need to play by Instagram rules. Here are 5 ways to make Instagram’s algorithm work in your favor:
1. Saveable Posts
When someone “likes” your posts, it tells Instagram what type of content that person wants to see more of. This can be to your advantage if most of your posts are the same type of content; however, it also means Instagram will be showing them other accounts that share similar content as you.
So how can you ensure your audience sees more of YOUR posts? By having a “saveable post” (you know the little flag on the bottom right corner). When you create quality content that people save, that’s telling Instagram that not only do they like that post but they also want to go back and revisit it. This is HUGE! Instagram’s algorithm are really favoring posts that several people are saving.
2. Carousel Posts
Instagram tracks every activity we take. Every single time someone swipes on your post, that tells Instagram they’re still engaged and interested in your post. With the carousel feature, you can post up to 10 photos/videos in one post. If people take the time to swipe through all 10 posts, Instagram takes notice of every swipe and knows that person is interested in your content so you will begin to show up at the top of their feed again!
What kind of posts do well in carousel form? Think if you could take video content and break it up into 10 mini videos instead. Maybe you do a work out and show each activity in a different swipe. Any kind of tutorial or DIY can be broken up into step-by-step photos. Also, before and afters do fantastic in carousel. Lets say you post a before/after of your organized pantry, let people know to “swipe left to see how awful it looked before” (strategically put the befores at the end).
3. Instagram Stories
Audiences are craving more authenticity and real life. While our photos and feeds can be beautiful and carefully curated, they’re not relatable. Audiences are getting tired of the unattainable perfect photos and want to connect with a real person.
Did you know most users of Instagram watch stories first before scrolling through their feed? In fact, many people have stopped even looking at their feed and only get on to watch stories! Engagement is growing on Instagram Stories like wildfire. So here are a few ways to get the most engagement out of your audience.
Post throughout the day. Like I mentioned before, Instagram tracks every activity we take on Instagram. If someone is taking the time to watch your Instastories and they’re watching them at different times of the day, this tells Instagram’s algorithm that they’re very interested in your content.
Get engagement from your audience. Add polls and sliders to stories. Many people think polls have to be a serious “yes” or “no” questions but you can have fun with them. For example, you could post a poll on a giant piece of cake saying, “calories don’t count on your birthday right?” The other bonus? People will use the “send message” feature to say, “Happy Birthday!” And you guessed it, every time someone interacts with a slider, a poll, or sends you a message it tells Instagram they’re engaged and want to see more of your content!
4. Hashtags
As much as Instagram denies it, shadow banning is real. This means Instagram actually hides your post if you use certain problematic hashtags. These problematic hashtags are ones that spammers have taken over and so now Instagram automatically hides any post containing that hashtag. Even if you use 30 hashtags on your post but just 1 is considered shadow banned, that means your photo won’t show up on any of your 30 hashtags.
You may think you don’t use problematic hashtags but even hashtags like “desk” or “new years eve” are shadow banned – pretty crazy! To check and see if your hashtags are working, click on each hashtag and make sure your post is showing up in the “recent” section. You have to be quick at doing this as popular hashtags can bury your post quickly (which you shouldn’t be using these kind of hashtags anyways because your post will never be seen).
Another tip when it comes to hashtags is to use them in your Insta Stories. You technically can add up to 10 hashtags using the text option but the best boost in views actually comes if you just use 1 hashtag with the hashtag sticker feature. This feature has gotten my instastories on the explore page and has actually boosted some of my stories to be seen by 4x more people than when I was using the 10 hashtags in the text feature!
5. Interacting
As I mentioned earlier, direct messaging is major when it comes to engagement. When Instagram sees that your followers are reaching out to you and initiating the conversation, that tells the algorithm that you are creating content that people connect with. Mark Zuckerberg (who owns IG too), recently said he sees the future of social media growing in direct messages. He said people want to build a 1-on-1 personal relationship with someone and the easiest way to do that is through direct messaging.
Another way to work the algorithm to your advantage is responding quickly to comments. When you post on IG, stay on for a few minutes and quickly interact with people who comment. Ideally, ask a question back to keep the dialogue going. Again, this will make your future posts show up at the top of the feeds of those you’re interacting with but it also tells the algorithm that you are responsive. One of IG’s core values is “building connection” so when you play by the rules and have lots of interaction, Instagram’s algorithm will reward you!
Want more Instagram secrets?
If you would like to learn more about growing your Instagram account, I have a mini course called “Instagram Secrets” that dives even deeper into the secrets of the algorithm and shares the secrets (no one else is talking about) to how some accounts are still growing by the thousands! If you’re interested, learn more below.
