Understanding the Instagram Algorithm: How to Boost Your Reach & Engagement Organically
If you’re feeling like the Instagram Algorithm is your enemy and there’s nothing you can do to increase the visibility for your posts—let’s talk!! It’s true that less than 50% of your followers (often around 10-15% 😩) actually see your posts. This is a major bummer, especially when we work so hard to plan and create content for our businesses. But hope is not lost! There are a few different strategies you can use to make the algorithm your friend. In this blog we’ll be exploring how to work WITH the algorithm and use different types of content to reach different aspects of our audience.
Reels are best at reaching new audiences (non-followers). Hopping on trends boosts visibility, reach, & engagement.
Stories are best at reaching your most engaged followers. Post casually (like popping in to talk about a recent post or project) and save important stories to your highlights. Share your feed posts and Reels to Stories so your audience has an extra chance to see them.
Carousel posts have much more reach than static (single slide) posts. If your audience doesn't engage with the first slide, Instagram shows your post again with the next slide first. More slides, more opportunities.
SEO-friendly keywords in your captions, profile, & display name help the algorithm prioritize your posts. Think of words or phrases someone might search in Google. Be specific in describing what you're doing.
Hashtags work like keywords & help the algorithm categorize your content. Hashtags are searchable! You can use up to 30 but 5-10 relevant hashtags is enough. Using common local hashtags is great for hometown exposure, too!
Adding a location tag to your posts increases your local visibility and reach. Instagram uses GPS to serve your content to local users that the algorithm thinks will respond to your content--sometimes a great way to find new local art friends!
Give engagement to get it. Use Instagram's built-in engagement stickers (in Stories and Reels) to get feedback from your audience. Use incentives to engage your followers (and grow your e-mail list).
Working WITH the algorithm helps us understand our audiences and how our content gets served to them. In the process of creating content with the algorithm in mind, I’ve learned a lot about what resonates with my audience and what content flops. Oddly enough, some of the posts I’ve spent the most time working on/stressing over have had the least reach/engagement. Every month I sit down to look over my Instagram Insights to identify what’s working (according to Instagram) and what’s not. Sometimes I can take this feedback with a grain of salt and sometimes I learn a better way to produce content in the future. When we know better, we can do better (not just on social media, but in life too!)
Understanding the algorithms is an important part of any social media strategy. If we’re not creating content with intention, many times it can be a wasted effort and none of us have time for that. Focus on making Reels to reach new audiences, Carousels for more opportunities to reach your audience, and Stories to connect with your most engaged followers. The more diverse your content, the better your reach will be across the board.
Happy strategy-making! 🤘
