Struggling to keep up-to-date with all the latest instagram algorithm and interface changes? Don't sweat it, we've got you covered with a breakdown of the newest features & algorithm changes in Instagram right now.
But first, let's unpack what the instagram algorithm actually is, and more importantly, how this affects your account.
The Instagram algorithm is actually a variety of algorithms, classifiers and processes - each with its own purpose - all working to make the most of your time on the app and personalise your experience based on your preferences, interests and usage data.
In other words, the Instagram algorithm’s primary goals is to make you stay on the app for longer by delivering you content you’ll find relevant and interesting.
The algorithm takes into consideration 5 main interactions when deciding how to rank a post to someone’s home feed, and asks the question:
Time spent: Are you going to spend time on this post?
Likes: How likely are you to like the post?
Comments: How likely are you to comment on the post?
Saves: How likely are you to save the post?
Taps on Profile: How likely are you to tap on the profile after seeing the post?
The more likely you are to take an action, the more heavily the Instagram algorithm will weigh the action and the higher up you’ll see the post.
The algorithm determines (or predicts) how you'll interact with someone's content using a couple of signals over time:
Information about the post: Is it a photo or video?
Information about the account that posted the content: Is it a friend or someone they regularly engage with?
Your activity on social media: Do you watch a lot of videos? What do you typically engage with?, and
Your interaction history: What have you engaged with before? How do you engage with others posts?
In other words, Instagram monitors EV-ER -Y- THING you do on the app.
From every interaction, to every like, and every save. So use your interactions like currency - only spend it on the content you want to see more of!
Use your Instagram interactions like currency, and only spend it on the content you want to see more of.
Okay, so with the Instagram algorithm basics in mind, let's unpack how you can use this with the latest 2022 Instagram changes and updates!
These are 6 of the latest updates to the Instagram algorithm you need to know:
1. New Home Feeds
Now there's three of them!
Tap onto the Instagram icon on your home feed and you'll see a dropdown menu with Favourites and Following home feed options.
This feature was added to bring back the OG days of showing your followers content in a chronological timeline. Yay! Choose the Following feed and you'll see just that.
But that's not all,
The Favourites feed is your special selection of up to 50 accounts that you want instagram to prioritise for you. These could be special family members, friends or creator accounts you enjoy, and essentially becomes like the VIP Guest List of your instagram feed.
Accounts selected for Favourite feeds are given golden priority for their content to any users who choose them. Businesses should use this to their advantage but we'll get to that in a second.
The Default home feed is the same as it is now. So if you’re enjoying Instagram exactly the way it is, then nothing to concern yourself with!
So, how do you use the Home Feeds to your advantage?
We don’t want to say any particular feed is our *Favourite*, but your business should definitely be playing *Favourites* with your followers! (Too much pun?).
In other words, you want your business to be added to the Favourites home feed. It will mean your content will get a bigger boost and priority within your follower's feeds.
How do you achieve this?
Begging your followers to add you to their favourites will come across desperate and needy - and nobody wants that.
Instead preference content that celebrates your community, makes them money or gives them value. You want to make sure your content is high quality so you get added to their favourite list, but more importantly, stay on that list!
Don’t make your followers regret adding you to their Favourites!
But how do you get on that Favourites list to begin with?
Let's use the VIP Guest List example again – you can’t just ask people to add you to their list – like, who even are you?
You need to build your reputation and awareness on Instagram first. This is done on the current default home feed layout. Understand your niche, discover unique selling point, and build your awareness.
Once you have an established purpose, focus on building rapport & trust with your community. This can be achieved on the default feed but also in the Following feed for the nostalgic Instagram users.
Build valuable relationships with your followers so they choose to add your account to their Favourites list. Be consistent and keep delivering top quality!
2. Prioritisation of Original Content
Nobody likes a copycat, content thief!
The algorithm will prioritise original content over content that’s already shared by someone else.
In saying that, it will also de-priortise content that contains any visible watermarks from other apps (*cough cough* TikTok symbols).
Make sure to create your content within the Instagram app using Instagram's variety of tools, such as post, story, reels, & guides, and the algorithm will favour your account.
But, if you do create content in TikTok and share it to Instagram, just make sure to remove any watermarks first!
3. Increased Suggested Content
Okay so it's no secret that the Instagram algorithm favours reels (and as mentioned above, reels created within the app itself).
Reels are the way!
Reels are a great content marketing tool for businesses. They allow you to share engaging information or captivating entertainment with your followers in a short video clip.
Reels are an organic way to increase brand awareness, reach and engagement, that can usually be achieved with paid social ads.
It offers a unique way to show your services or brand personality & build trust with your followers – remember it’s about gaining their trust so you can become one of their Favourite brands (*wink wink*)!
Just keep in mind, quality is important!
Instagram will de-prioritise poor quality videos with low res, poor audio quality, jolting or blurry images, or have been shared elsewhere (or from another app).
So Quality is key!
4. Instagram Stories
The Stories algorithm is another thing altogether!
It priortises content from accounts you interact with most, rather than any specific content within the story itself.
Due to their short lived nature (being visible for only 24 hours), timeliness is less important for stories – but it can slightly impact your feed visibility ranking once the story gets to 10+ hours.
Share Regularly
With this, it’s a good idea to regularly share Instagram stories to encourage engagement – create a poll, ask a question, start a quiz, add stickers or links – these are all great ways to drive interactions and keep your account higher in your follower's feed.
Utilising the Story Highlights in your profile bio is a great way to keep the stories you love, or that performed well, visible for longer. Go ahead and incorporate stories to your profile too!
5. Instagram Explore Page
Annnndd, the Instagram Explore page has its own algorithm too!
Okay, so have you ever tapped on a bridal dress post from a boutique clothing brand – (then liked it because it was such a beautiful dress!) - and then suddenly the next time you open the explore feed, your page is literally stacked with more boutique clothing brands as well as proposal reels, love quotes and wedding posts?
(Yes, this is a specific example. No, we're not speaking from experience....)
The Explore feed algorithm delivers content that it thinks you’ll be most interested in based on your prior interactions.
Remember what we said earlier about your interactions being like currency?
Every like, comment, save, share, link tap or interaction you spend on someone's post is measured and monitored by Instagram so it can recommend and show you more content like that on your feed.
Differences between home feed and explore feed?
While your Home feed is made up of content from accounts you already know or follow, the Explore feed consists of content from mostly new accounts!.
The most important engagement indicators for the Explore algorithm are likes, saves & shares.
Searching for keywords will reveal content types in the explore feed with similar or relevant content: from hashtags, captions, and alt text from images or videos. It all has an impact!
Utilising strong captions and niche hashtags will optimise your post for Explore page results.
6. Optimising Bio
This is for the instagram business accounts - optimise your profile bio with all the latest business tools available.
There are nifty Action Buttons - such as Online Bookings, Lead Generation Forms and Direct Email - that can ease the process of your customers getting in contact with your business.
Discovery Optimisation
Help your customers find what they're looking for in the Explore search by adding Business Category labels to your bio (e.g. Marketing Agency). It helps customers learn about your business quickly, without having to even look at your content yet.
Make sure to do your keyword research and incorporate specific language into your bio description to optimise your profile page.
And that's a wrap!
Try using these changes in your Instagram strategy and see what changes come to your account over time!
Remember, instagram isn't a one-size-fits-all approach.
Depending on your niche, business type, audience and posting schedule, results will vary. But keep in mind consistency and perseverance is key to any social media success.
Let us know if you found these tips and updates useful in the comments, and follow us on our social media for more marketing insight!
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