We live in a time when young people can be seen without a bank account but not without an Instagram account. This illustrates how influential the social media application launched in 2010 is today.
With nearly 1 billion active monthly users, it is currently one of the most dominant social media platforms in the world, and it will grow even more in 2022. It is certainly not an exaggeration to say that people yearn for attention on this social media platform more than they do in real life. You may have noticed that many people take great care in crafting an image on Instagram that is distinct from their actual life. Most users want to know how to make their posts stand out on Instagram or be seen on Instagram.
You have created the ideal Instagram post! But wait, your work isn’t finished yet. Because if you’d like your content to be seen by a large number of people, you’ll need to accommodate the all-powerful (and constantly changing) Instagram algorithm.
Identifying the 2022 Instagram algorithm and exactly what it considers valuable or important is essential for a thriving social media marketing strategy.
What Does The Instagram Algorithm Entail?
The Instagram algorithm is a set of rules that are used to rank content on the platform. It decides what content appears and in what order it appears on the feeds of any and all Instagram users; hashtag pages; the Reels feed; the Explore Page; and so on.
The algorithm examines every piece of content posted on Instagram. It takes into account metadata (like photo descriptions and alt text), interaction metrics, and hashtags. Based on this information, it spreads content in such a way that users can easily view the content they are most interested in viewing.
Simply put, the Instagram algorithm collates data from stories, posts, and reels with data from user preferences, interests, and platform usage to provide relevant content to the right audience.
The Instagram algorithm doesn’t have to be a huge issue. There are plenty of ways to stay one step ahead of the algorithm so you can build your brand, get followers, and make money on Instagram. Continue reading to ensure that your wonderfully crafted social content receives the level of attention it is worthy of!
1. Optimize Your Bio
Your bio is crucial as it is the very first thing people look at when they visit your Instagram account. It notifies users of who you are as well as what you stand for, in addition, it allows you to attach an external link (or links) to your Instagram, which is the sole place on the platform where it is clickable.
For instance, if you host a podcast you may link to it in your Instagram bio so that your followers can quickly and easily find your show.
You ought to have an on-brand worded bio that presents followers with all the information they have to have about you to pique their interest, and you can even utilize hashtags to show up in profile searches linked to specific terms. You should also ensure that your profile picture is appealing, clear, and a fair representation of you. If you own a business, you can also provide users with contact details or business-specific details.
2. Embrace the Power of Hashtags
The Instagram algorithm can’t necessarily understand and appreciate that lovely picture of the dessert you had like the human brain can (heart wrenching), but it can understand the hashtag #foodstagram.
Hashtags on Instagram or any other social media platform are your key to the top. Employing relevant and trendy hashtags in your stories and posts will increase the reach of your content. Instagram allows only 30 hashtags for every post. However, sometimes 30 looks spammy. As a result, refrain from using more than 25 hashtags per post.
Using precise and descriptive hashtags is an excellent way of labeling your content for wider reach. If the algorithm can determine exactly what your picture or post is about, it will be easier to share it with individuals who have an interest in that specific topic. Don’t just slap #peace or #instagood or #pictureoftheday on everything. Instead, explore your niche and use hashtags that fully reflect what your post is all about.
Furthermore, unlike Instagram ads (the other way to reach beyond your current audience), hashtags are totally free.
3. Keep Pace With Current Trends
Creating trendy content is also an EXCELLENT way to sway the algorithm on your side! In other words, whenever there is a brand-new Instagram trend, you can bet that the majority of IG users are following it. Trends have the potential to bring thousands of new eyes to your content!
We’re not proposing that you change your entire page to conform to a trend. However, by keeping a close watch on what works best for other Instagram users and the type of content that frequently trends, you can explore new ways to incorporate popular topics or aesthetic value into your content.
Don’t lose your own niche, but talk about trending topics, keep your aesthetic consistent, and conduct a little research concerning the most popular trends that your viewers are into.
Re-create all such trends in your own unique way, the algorithm takes your content and distributes it to users who are already engaged with that trend. You only need to throw your hat in the ring!
4. Buy What Instagram Is Selling.
And we don’t just mean their Shop feature (in hindsight, that could help too).
Instagram has come a long way since single photo posts. You can now post videos, and carousel posts (multiple photos on one post), and use features like stories, IGTV, and perhaps the most preferred—Reels.
Nowadays reels are a huge part of becoming an Instagram success, and you need to incorporate them if you wish to be worth anything at all on Instagram. Users expect leading profiles to have active reels on a routine basis, and this is another immersive way to connect with your followers.
Hence, if you want your content to be seen on Instagram, you should pay close attention to any other brand-new features that Instagram promotes, learn how to implement them, and incorporate them into your content, and you’ll see yourself rising through the ranks.
Instagram’s algorithm is constructed to favor users who are taking advantage of newly launched features. So it’s not only a great way to stay ahead of the game, but it’s perhaps one of the quickest ways to place your content in front of prospective new followers. You must have well-developed, visually appealing, engaging content in a variety of media styles to keep your followers engrossed and to publicize a professional image.
5. Make Use Of Audio
You’ve probably noticed that your engagement increases after you post a Reel. But do you understand why? Understanding why your content is performing well allows you to employ new tactics rather than blaming it on chance or fate.
Reels can be found and searched not only through tags and keywords but also through audio. So, if you choose a popular or catchy song to include in your video, users who click through to view it on one video will find a slew of other videos that include the same song. That is the basic method behind ‘TikTok famous’ tunes, which is extremely simple.
6. Maintain Consistency
If you post a photo at 7 a.m. one day, then a story once a month on Thursdays, followed by a video a few days later, that is not a well-planned posting routine that will hold your followers interested.
People like to know when and how frequently they’ll see a post from you, so know your best posting cycles and when your primary audience will be on Instagram.
When a sufficient number of people interact with and view your post, it will appear at the top of their feeds because the algorithm notices that they are interested in that content and therefore will feature it for them. This is precisely what you want and can assist you in getting more engagement.
7. The Personal Touch
Personalization in the sense of having your own theme in posting visual content while also being aesthetic. Many people follow certain accounts solely for their aesthetics, regardless of content. It is the treatment of your photograph in terms of frame, effect, or color that varies from one to the next.
You may have noticed some people use black and white photos, sepia images, or maybe only wide-angle photos in this manner. There are a few aesthetic styles that will appeal to a variety of audiences. Having your own aesthetic style will provide you with additional benefits. The best way to make engaging pictures is using photo editing tools which have functionalities like adding overlay and can even remove your image background so that you can add other back and white background images to it.
8. Instagram Live
We are big fans of pre-recorded/short-form content—the ability to batch film, edit, and post at your leisure is hard to beat. However, if you want to create a more friendly relationship with your audience, you should include Live videos in your social media plan.
Live streams allow you to create valuable, long-form content while engaging with your audience in real-time. Other advantages of going live will give you the ability to reuse it as an evergreen video and cut segments of the video to repurpose it as shorter, shareable clips.
Here are some suggestions for your next live performance:
- Product demonstration with live Q&A
- Launch of a new product or service
9. Collaboration With Other Creators
Connecting with other creators is one of the quickest ways to navigate the Instagram algorithm and gain exposure to fresh followers. Because Instagram is a social media platform, being social will benefit you. Most importantly, after the events of 2020-21, people crave connection via a screen. Collaborate with other creators and figure out ways to share your viewers!
This is made even easier by Instagram’s latest Collab Post feature. With this feature, the post is created by one user, who then invites another user to be quoted as a collaborator. When the collaborator chooses to accept, the post is visible in both users’ accounts. They also share likes, comments, and the number of shares.
For now, this feature is only limited to Feed and reels and one collaborator per post.
10. Get On Explore Page
Getting on the explore page can increase the number of impressions your posts receive because people visit it to find the best content. If you create high-quality content and use the strategies outlined above, you will frequently appear on this page.
However, there is an additional technique you might want to try: Improve your strategy for using Instagram engagement pods.
But wait, what ARE engagement pods you may wonder?
An engagement pod is a group of Instagram users who collaborate to help one another increase engagement on their content. This can be accomplished through likes, following, or comments. Whether you’re searching for something a little generic or something more specific, chances are there is already a pod for it.
The amount of engagement you receive as soon as you post serves as one of the factors Instagram considers when ranking your post on the Explore page. So, as soon as you publish a post, notify your engagement group so they can like and comment on it.
To make sure that people see it, schedule a time each day during which other members of the same group publish and engage with each other’s posts.
This tactic will increase the frequency with which your posts appear on the Explore page.
11. Keep track of (and comprehend) your analytics.
A good Instagram analytics tool will go far beyond vanity metrics to help you zero in on your target audience and identify the types of content they’ll return for.
Automatic analytics reports could help you with most of the above tips.
Taking the moment to look at the numbers once a month, for example, to see what’s progressing in terms of your content, posting time, and hashtags will spare you a great deal of wasted effort.
Use an Instagram analytics tool to learn when your target audience is online so that you can clock your posts accordingly, which hashtags are playing well, and which posts are generating genuine engagement.
Conclusion
The easiest way to learn how to work the algorithms in your best interest is to stay informed on everything on Instagram. It may be difficult, but creating a trending account or strong image on the platform is not impossible. Maintain focus on your micro-goals and be willing to change your strategy as needed. If you stick to the above-stated ideas, you will undoubtedly see the desired upsurge in your audience reach well within the time frame you have set for yourself.
You don’t have to bombard yourself by implementing all strategies at once. Begin with a few techniques and little by little incorporate more.
Author bio
Piyush Shah is a 6 figure affiliate marketer and has helped grow multiple businesses from nothing to making insane business figures. He is currently working as Head of SEO at Dukaan.
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