Instagram Algorithm Update

It’s what everyone has been waiting for… Instagram’s new algorithm . Instagram are finally letting us know how the algorithm works and debunking all the recent myths . So lets dive straight in and talk about what we know so far:

Your Instagram feed is quite complex to say the least! However, what we know is, your feed isn’t based on who you follow but it’s actually based on what you like and who you engage with on a regular basis.

Tech Crunch recently announced: “Instagram relies on machine learning based on you your behaviour to create a unique feed for everyone. Even if you follow the exact same accounts as someone else, you’ll get a personalised feed based on how you interact with those accounts.”

You’re probably thinking “What the hell does that mean!?” It’s quite simple. I constantly see entrepreneurial quotes and posts because I always like them. However, as an example, I also follow my football club Swansea City FC (Unfortunately) but don’t often receive these posts often because I don’t regularly engage with them and they show up lower down in my feed.

So lets dive in further and see how it works:

Instagram is clever and will do its best to understand what photos and videos are important to you. Instagram looks at 3 core factors ;

• Interest - Instagram predicts the posts that you're interested in and will push them higher up in your feed. This is determined on past behaviour of similar content.
  
• Timeliness - Instagram now prioritises recent posts so don’t expect to see posts from days ago.
  
• Relationship - If you are continuously engaging, for example commenting or tagging friends in posts, then you are more likely to see these posts often
  

These are the top 3 core factors, however there are other factors that influence the new Instagram algorithm.

• Frequency - The less time you spend on Instagram, the more relevant posts you’ll see at the top of the feed. If you spend hours of your time on Instagram, your feed will look more chronological
  
• Following - The more people you follow, the more options Instagram has to choose from to understand what it is you like.
  
• Usage - If you only spend a few minutes in the app each day, then you’re going to just get the highlights from the algorithm.

They also debunked many myths and rumours . Lets go through some of these myths one by one;

• Switching to a business profile is worse and have less reach? This is not true. Instagram doesn’t prioritise personal accounts over business accounts so there’s really no need to switch!
  
• Will a video post perform better? Again...No! Its all about the content. If the audience likes videos, they’ll engage. If your audience likes quotes, then post quotes. If you post a picture of an animal to the same followers, don't expect them same engagement right? The only way to find out is by testing.
  
• Stories and Instagram Live help posts perform better? Nope! Instagram doesn’t prioritise people who are taking advantage of different tools within the app. However, you can encourage people to engage with your posts which will help.
  
• Does posting frequently have a negative impact? Instagram claims it won’t penalise people for posting too frequently but if you’re posting a couple of times in a row, there will probably be other people’s content between those posts.
  
• Too many hashtags is bad news? It doesn't look great but Instagram doesn’t hide peoples content for posting too many hashtags .
  

So there you have it, Instagram's new algorithm! I'm sure it will change again soon! If you're looking to build an ultra specific Instagram following, check out our amazing Instagram strategy tool Instablam www.instablam.online

Dont forget to follow me www.instagram.com/gareth_blam

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out!