One of the most asked questions related to social media: “How does the Instagram algorithm actually work?”
It’s a question that’s caused a lot of confusion since Instagram moved away from a chronological feed. In this blog post, we will be sharing how to take advantage of the IG algorithm in 2021, so you can get more engagement for your hospital!
When you used to log into Instagram, you would see your friend’s posts in chronological order. No longer! Now, the algorithm is responsible for prioritizes showing you what it believes you most want to see.
According to Instagram, six main factors influence its algorithm for feed posts.
These are:
- Interest
- Relationship
- Timeliness
- Frequency
- Following
- Usage
Interest
Like many other social media platforms, the goal of the IG algorithm is to keep you on the app longer. It is basically trying to decide what posts it thinks you will hit the “like” button for, and then putting those posts at the top of your feed. What you see in your current feed is a culmination of what you have liked in the past, and what they predict you will want to interact with.
Relationship
The Instagram algorithm uses your interactions with other users to determine who is close to you or whose content you wish to see most. It then pushes their content to you. This includes people whose content you like, people you DM (direct message), accounts you search for, and people you know in real life (for example, people tag your hospital in photos of their pets.)
Timeliness
Although no longer chronological, IG wants to serve users with the latest, most exciting posts. That’s why it is important to post when your target audience is online and not simply “post and ghost.” Don’t just put up a post and log offline. Instead, use that 10 minutes after posting to add hashtags, respond to comments, and share to your stories.
This activity sends positive signals to the Instagram algorithm and gives your followers more chances to engage and interact with your content.
Frequency
The order of your feed also depends on how often you open the Instagram app. If you open it frequently, it’s more likely that your feed will be chronological since Instagram will try to show you the most recent posts since you last visited. However, if you don’t open Instagram very often, your feed will be sorted based on what the app thinks you will like.
Following
If you follow tons of accounts, the algorithm has more options to choose from, so you most likely won’t see all the content from everyone you follow. Especially as a business account, it’s important that you cull through the accounts you follow, and only keep those that make sense for your community and audience.
Usage
Instagram also takes how much time you spend on the app into account. For example, if you spend a lot of time on Instagram, you will see more posts. This is important because the more relevant and engaging your content is, they will share your posts to your followers. Essentially, the algorithm rewards you for getting those likes, shares, and saves!
The most important engagements for feed ranking on Instagram are comments, likes, reshares, and views for your videos.
Use New Tools:
Lastly, the algorithm has a bit of an ego. If you are staying up-to-date on all of the changes and using new tools (like trending stickers on IG stories or new tools such as Reels), Instagram will repay you with more views.