Instagram’s algorithm is constantly changing, depending on the huge amount of data it acquires every minute of every day.

Since 2019, Instagram has been as interested in who you follow as the content you like and from this determines the most interesting suggestions in your feed. The best way to feed Instagram’s algorithm and make the best use of it is to create consistent, quality content to improve engagement.

• Comments, “likes”, shares and number of views impact the ranking within your feed.
• Photos and videos follow the algorithm in the same way.
• The basis of search flow is always evolving according to user trends.
• All comments, whether short or long count as an engagement.
• All accounts, regardless of their domain, are equal to the algorithm.

Instagram’s algorithm wants to show you in priority the content of your friends, your family and the accounts that are most important to you. So, in order to show you what you want, the algorithm uses your interactions to determine who is closest to you: the people whose content you like, those to whom you are sending a message, whom you are looking for, or people that you know in real life. This is why it is so important to appear regularly on Instagram! This allows you to remain a first interest for your followers’, drive engagement and get your content seen by the algorithm.

• Improve the quality of your photos. On the platform, everything passes through the visual, so you can rely on the colour, the beauty of the landscapes, and an appetizing plate. Use a good camera (even with a phone), and you are more likely to have people stop by your photo to like it and pass it on.

• Post stories. They are very popular on the platform, and users consult them more than traditional posts, thus ensuring good visibility. Instagram’s Stories algorithm emphasizes news because it wants to make sure to always show you the latest stories from your favourite accounts. That is why some accounts that post regularly will always appear at the top of your feed if you watch them and engage with them! Encourage more interactions in the stories by using story stickers (polls, emojis, questions, etc). It is a great way to encourage audience engagement.

• Post more videos. If we follow the algorithm’s logic, we want our followers to spend the most time on our profile. Video, whether short or long, forces users to stop longer to view it. The platform gives more and more space to video by offering more and more tools such as IGTV, videos, lives, and stories.

• Make Instagram lives. When you start a live, the app generates notifications to followers and puts you in first place, above story feeds.

• Write compelling captions. Instagram’s algorithm prioritizes engagement. So how do you encourage direct interactions under your content? The best way is to speak to your community through your caption. You can also ask your audience questions, and encourage them to tag friends, in turn encouraging them to leave a comment. Knowing that one comment often leads to another, this is a winning chain reaction for the algorithm!

• Use hashtags by targeting essential points. Putting too much would be overwhelming, in general, nine hashtags is a good average. The hashtag results page also follows Instagram’s algorithm rules and allows you to be listed at the top of the results page in the explore page. With a good hashtag strategy, you will not only reach more people, but you will also reach people who are relevant to your business and most likely to be interested in your content.

• Give importance to comments. Treat comments like a conversation to signal to the algorithm that you have a good relationship with your community. Be sure to respond to as many comments as possible, and if the comment doesn’t require a response, show it love with a heart! A great way to make sure you’re always on top of comments is to create more targeted notifications in your Instagram settings. To get a commitment you have to give it. By responding to your comments, not only are you showing your readers that you love them, but you also increase your chances of increasing the visibility of your post.

• Pay attention to how often you use the app. Instagram’s algorithm calculates your app usage. If you spend a lot of time on Instagram, you are going to see more choices as Instagram “digs deeper into its catalogue.” However, if you only spend a few minutes in the app each day, you will only get the highlights of the day from the algorithm.

• Post at the right times and regularly. By finding your best time to post on Instagram, you can hack the algorithm to increase your reach and get more likes and followers. Every audience is different and will be active at different times, so it’s important to analyze the playing field before you get started. It’s also a way to signal to the algorithm that you are a valuable account!

• By optimizing your Instagram marketing strategy and making your posts compatible with the algorithm, you make sure you keep a good ranking on the platform. Ultimately, Instagram’s algorithm is constantly learning from your behaviours on the app, such as the accounts you follow, the posts you like and comment on, and the Instagram stories and IGTV content you like to watch. To cope with this algorithm, you need to use the latest tools on the platform to post engaging content and ensure you post consistently.

• How frequently should I post?
• Is the quality of my content good enough?
• Have I taken the time to reply to the majority of my Instagram messages?
• Have I analyzed the results of my strategy to find out what worked or didn’t work with the algorithm?