In March 2016, Instagram announced its move chronological feed to an algorithm-based one that had been in place since the inception of the platform.
Before the move, the most recent posts were what you saw on your feed when you logged in to your profile.
It didn’t matter if the posts were from your friends or your favorite brand.
Everyone was happy
However, when the change happened, marketers and brands had sleepless nights. They were busy trying to figure out how they could get more engagement and reach.
From then till now, the feed is different. Here is a quick fix if you are looking to master your engagement right now. Download the 8 Best Daily Tasks to Boost IG Engagement.
Ready to keep on reading..?
Everything you see when you open your app today, is based on these 3 important factors:
1-Interest
Your feed is based on what you care about most, how you’ve interacted with similar posts in the past, and the content of the post itself.
Engagement is noticed in this factor.
When users engage with your content, the algorithm favors your content, helping you to appear higher in your followers feeds.
To get more engagement, share engaging visuals together with compelling captions that encourage followers to interact.
2-Timeliness
In March 2018, Instagram made an announcement that it was updating the algorithm, so you would see newer posts appear first in your feed. It is easier now for your content to be missed, which is why it is so important to be posting consistently. Frequency matters here.
Tip: Review your Instagram Insights in your Business Account to see when your users’ are most active. Posting during the days and times when they interact most, will increase the likelihood of your audience seeing your content.
3-Relationship
Instagram analyzes the depth of your relationship with the people and brands you follow based on how often you tend to engage with their posts. To increase depth, try the tag function more often.
As a brand, this will boost your likelihood of showing up higher in the feeds of those you tag because the Instagram algorithm recognizes this as a closer knit relationship.
If you want to beat the Instagram algorithms, it’s important to engage with your followers consistently.
Tip: Use Instagram Insights to track the posts with the most engagement and then model that content to build a profile that attracts the right people into your tribe.
The Instagram algorithms also use other secondary signals such as frequency, following, and how often you use the app to determine what you see in your feed.
How to make the Instagram Algorithms Work in Your Favor
You should understand that the Instagram algorithms are formulated for connection. It is what the algorithm uses to determine your priority and reach. Want to boost your reach, follow the 8 Best Daily Tasks to Boost Engagement Cheat Sheet I created for you.
The cheat sheet helps you master IG with consistent daily habits and continue to boost your engagement for long-term growth. At least until the next time the algorithms change 😁
More Tips:
Instagram Stories
These are like bright shiny stars to the Instagram algorithms. If you haven’t noticed, Instagram stories are featured at the VERY top of your app, which means they want you to see this FIRST, which also means they want you to use this feature and will reward you for doing so. Hint: If you aren’t taking advantage of your fans seeing your bubbly face as soon as they open the app, you are missing out on extra attention from Instagram.
Stay On Trend
Once in a while take advantage of trending hashtags, memes or make holiday posts. Timeliness is an important factor in the Instagram algorithm, by posting timely content you will also stay relevant to things your viewers might be experiencing.
Keep in mind, not all trending topics will relevant to your brand. For those that are, join in your community and take a stand.
As always, test to see what is working for you.
Be Authentic
Share real, raw stories behind who you are, your brand, and what you stand for. Think of this like behind the scene snapshots. Pink House Organics is a perfect example of this. They do features on their products and show us exactly what goes into them. By doing this they create a connection point with me as the user, a trust element showing me the exact ingredients in their products, and I like them more now for being authentic.
By creating a connection point beyond just your product or service. Your engagement rates will sky rocket and Instagram will thank you. Try it out!
