How to Master the Instagram Algorithm

The algorithm, the all powerful Instagram formula that determines which content is successful and which isn't. It's constantly evolving, so the strategies used even a couple of years ago may not hold as much water today. But here's the thing. It doesn't have to be scary. Let's demystify the algorithm according to Instagram itself. The platform uses a series of signals from an individual user to rank how content is presented. Basically, it services posts that it thinks the user will like, but the way it determines that changes depending on the tool. So let's go one by one. Let's start with the feed. The feed algorithm comes down to four things, the first of which is simple interest in the topic. If you tend to like accounts with cute dogs, Instagram is going to favor showing you more cute dogs. Number two is the popularity of the post itself. If a post is doing big numbers and gaining a lot of traction, the more likely it is to be bubbled up further into the algorithm, especially if it's in a topic you're interested in. Number three is poster info. Instagram takes into account the history of the poster themselves, who they interact with and how frequently they post to determine if their account might be of interest to you. If the poster and the user have mutual accounts they engage with, it's more likely the user will be served that content. And finally, number four is interaction history. If a user has a history of engaging with the person, the more likely they are to see their posts show up in the feed. For stories, the same general theory applies, but in slightly different ways. Number one, here is user engagement, or how much a particular user reacts to an account. Stories with reaction emojis or direct messages that can increase how often their stories are putting in front of them. Number two is viewing history, or how often a user views a particular account. Stories suggesting they have content the user is interested in prioritizing. And number three is interesting, the relationship to the poster. The algorithm actually tries to determine a user's relationship with the poster and whether or not they might be friends or family. Pretty wild. This is why you'll often see the same few close personal friends at the top of your story's feed, because users are are likely interacting with those ones the most. And then there is reels. As of 2024, the number one way Instagram ranks reels for the algorithm is based on user activity. That means things the user has shared, liked, saved, commented on, and so forth. This gives them a handle on what the user is most engaged with. So if you're exclusively looking at cooking reels, you're going to get fed. Pun intended. More of them Number two is interactions. If there's a reel from a creator a user has engaged with previously, the more likely the algorithm will place new content from that creator in front of them. Number three is information from the reel itself, which ties into the user behavior. Things like video length, use of trending, audio location or captions all contribute to its rankings as it pertains to the interest it might hold for a particular viewer. And just like in stories, Number four is the determination of your potential relationship with the poster based on your history of interactions. Next, there's the Explore page. This algorithm is essentially a more generalized approach to what we've already seen, including user activity, interaction history and poster information to serve content that might be relevant to the user. But the biggest difference here is the increased emphasis on general popularity. If a post has had a lot of engagement, particularly within a short period of time, that metric is weighed more heavily in the Explorer algorithm than anyplace else. Last but not least is like other areas of the algorithm, this is where things like popularity and relevance play a key role. But with the addition of hashtags, keywords or phrases that might help the post get discovered by someone searching those same hashtags. This is probably the most familiar element of the mysterious algorithm for most, and it's still just as important as ever. But it's critical to make sure the hashtags you're using actually have traction and are relevant to the actual content of your post. Okay, so now you've got a fundamental understanding of the nebulous algorithm. But how are mere modals like us supposed to use this system to our advantage? The good news is, it's not as difficult as it might seem. It just takes careful planning and a lot of work. But it is possible to optimize your content Content for Algorithmic success Hooray. First and foremost, you must create original content that appeals to your audience. Content is king, as they say, and the cream rises to the top. Make sure you're using high res images and videos, offering compelling captions with clean copy and relevant hashtags, and really honing in on what makes you unique. For example, some brands will post the same images over and over again with different captions, which is basically useless and only serves to bury them in the algorithm. You want to be sure you're creating engaging scroll stopping posts. Just as important is number two a consistent posting cadence. Ideally, you're posting three to five times a week in your feed, and a little bit more on stories, but consider using stories to repost some of your feed content and rolling all of that out in a timely manner that makes sense for your brand. It's essential to build out a robust social calendar. They'll help you keep track of what you're posting and when, and will be helpful for tying your content into any potential trending topics or events. So again, this is planned strategic posting cadence, not posting excessively all day or posting once every six months. Number three Always, always encourage engagement in everything you do. I don't just mean responding to comments either, of course you should respond to comments while they're still fresh, but also engaging with other relevant brands and users in an organic way to foster community. You absolutely should not be spamming links to your products. Nobody wants to engage with an account like that. Everything you do should feel natural and appropriate. Read the Root Relationship building will always transcend any algorithm changes, so it's key that you establish a relationship with your followers and customers in a way that is genuine. One great way to do that is to share user generated content to your feed and stories. If you feel like it's applicable and appropriate to your brand. Post questions and encourage reactions on your stories. Share responses. Make it feel like you're building a real community around your content that you're listening to those who are engaging with you. Finally, and I cannot stress this enough, take advantage of Instagram's insights. Really take the time to dig in on the reports at least once a month and see what you can learn. This will help you see where you're finding the most success and hopefully encourage you to double down on those strategies or pull back on efforts that aren't really yielding positive results. Are your stories outperforming your reels? Are your followers generally more active in the early morning and not late at night? What hashtags are your top performers? All of this compelling data is available to you and will help you build out a niche for your Instagram presence that will ultimately help your rankings within the algorithm. And look, I know this can seem super hard because it is. It's a lot of work. But the good news is HubSpot has you covered with our free, completely free HubSpot for Businesses toolkit. This will give you everything you need to get your Instagram strategy looking fit and feisty, my friend. Check it out in the description below. It's completely free. We're just giving this away because we care about you. What kind of tips and tricks have you used to grow your Instagram? We'd love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to subscribe and check out our other videos so you never miss anything going on on the HubSpot YouTube channel. Now if you excuse me my friend, I got some gramming to do. Until then, I'll see you next time. If you like this video, check out this one where we run through the latest Instagram features.