PR AGENCY DIARIES: HOW TO WORK THE INSTAGRAM ALGORITHM
Eight years after Zuckerberg sparked outrage with the end of chronological feeds, the Instagram algorithm remains the arch nemesis of influencers and social media managers alike. Blamed for many a flopped post, the poor algorithm has been a scapegoat for low reach and engagement ever since. However – the algorithm is not the problem.
While the #bringbackchronological protest has (finally) died out, the web is rife with people looking for quick cheats to hack the algorithm and get their content seen.
Does “a save is a super like” sound familiar? If you’ve seen this exact piece of advice displayed in a pastel infographic from an “expert” on Instagram, it’s time to check your sources (and if it’s your agency saying it, you’ve got a bigger problem 🤡).
Let’s start with the 101 – what is the algorithm?
It’s not the big bad wolf of internet censorship (#nosuchthingasshadowbanning) and it’s also not a mystery – Instagram has been uncharacteristically transparent with how it works.
The chronological feed meant that posts appeared in the order they were shared, so if you weren’t online when your BFF posted their new puppy (or shortly after) you’d miss out.
The algorithm, on the other hand, knows that you interact with your BFF frequently so when bestie shares a post, Instagram will pop it directly onto your feed next time you’re online.
How does it work?
Long story short, when a post is shared on IG the algorithm shows it to the people it thinks will be interested. This is based on:
Whether you follow each other – it’s more likely to show your post to a mutual follower
If the user has searched for you by name recently
If they message you or leave comments on your posts (double points if this is mutual)
If they tag you in posts
We hate to break it to you but Instagram isn’t a not for profit. It’s a business, and the longer we all spend on the app, the more ad dollars for Zuck and his mates. You’re not going to keep scrolling if you’re seeing content you don’t like, right? That’s why the algorithm also weighs up:
How recent the post is
The user’s interests – Facebook and Insty see everything so if your online activity indicates that you really like sports, posts about sports will rank higher on your feed
How often the user refreshes their feed
How many people the user follows (and thus how many other posts are competing for the same spot on their feed)
How popular a post is – if the post is popping off, Instagram recognises that this is Good Content™ and will share it wide to bring delight to more users *cough* exploit it to make money
So, why is this better?
With the chrono model, you were battling against time to get your post seen. Your followers needed to be online and checking their feed when you posted. If they weren’t, your post would be buried in hours of other content – never to be seen again. Heartbreaking.
The average post is now seen by 50% more followers than it would have with the chronological feed – and users are seeing more content that actually interests them and less that, well, doesn’t. This means the app is more fun for everyone and your posts are reaching people who might WANT to see it. (That’s right, bad-timing won’t make a post fall totally flat – even if it’s posted at the same time as Kylie goes into labour).
Okay, okay, but how do I hack the algorithm and get more views?!
Well, for one thing, stop trying to “hack” the algorithm. It’s true, seedy tools can boost engagement BUT Instagram is pretty good at spotting these shady acts and shutting them down. Buying engagement, participating in ‘Instagram pods’ or using bots to spam others with engagement will bite you in the butt.
This may be a hard pill to swallow, but the only way to get more reach, followers, and engagement is to post good content. (Sorry bestie, it wasn’t the algorithm that made that post fall flat).
There are many ways to eat a kiwi, but these are the important ones:
Know your audience – if you’re not assessing, you’re guessing. Read your insights, learn what types of content perform well with your audience, and then do more of this
Provide value – whether it’s entertaining, educational, or a mix of both, give your followers a reason to follow and engage
Engage with your audience – we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, engagement is for the engaging. Your followers are people – not metrics on your insights report. Have a conversation with them in the comments, respond to their DMs – do more than just double-tap their message and build that connection!
Learn from your mistakes – if a post falls flat, figure out why and don’t do it again
Whatever you do, don’t hate on the poor old algorithm - it’s easy to blame a faceless villain but if your content isn’t performing, it’s time to take a look in the mirror. Put in the time and effort into learning what works for your audience and the engagement will come.
