Here are 9 strategies and tactics to outsmart the Instagram algorithm
1. Step up your photo quality
According to Instagram themselves, ranking higher in your followers’ feeds goes hand in hand with creating “great content.”
No-brainer, right? Except what constitutes “good content” is in the eye of the beholder and doesn’t give us many specifics.
Regardless, there’s no denying that the most-liked and shared content on Instagram is oftentimes visually striking.
Bold colors. Breathtaking landscapes. The sort of stuff that gets people to stop in their tracks and smash “Like.”
If you’re already creating eye-popping content, you’re ahead of the curve.And if not, you may want to think about producing some professional visuals from time to time. Even if you’re in a seemingly “boring” industry, high-quality photos are an expectation rather than an exception to the rule.
2. Keep publishing consistent Stories
This might seem like a bit of a backward tip, but hear us out.
Supposedly, Stories do not have any sort of influence on the Instagram algorithm.
So why bother posting ’em?
Well, consider first of all that they’re easily the most popular type of content on the platform. Instagram Stories just passed the 500 million daily user mark which is nothing to scoff at. The popularity of Stories might also be contributing to brands posting less content on their traditional feed, resulting in lower engagement.
Rather than choose between Stories and regular posts, your mentality should be “Why not both?”
Stories provide an authentic, speedy way to engage your audience that people obviously love. They also push your brand’s account to the front of your followers’ Stories updates, putting you quite literally front and center on their feed as a result.
In short, Stories will consistently keep your profile popping up. This spells good news for engagement as your followers are constantly being encouraged to check out your content.
3. Publish more video content
Instagram doesn’t downright say that video is prioritized over photos.
The might lead us to believe that they’re treated the same, but let’s dig a bit deeper as to why video definitely deserves your attention.
Remember what we said earlier about eye-popping content? Given that video autoplays in your followers’ feeds, there’s arguably no better way to grab someone’s attention when they’re sitting there scrolling.
And if we’re following the logic behind Facebook’s algorithm, we want followers to spend as long as possible engaging with our profiles. Short-form and long-form videos require people to stop and look, plain and simple.
Instagram’s platform has been pushing video hard lately through stories and IGTV. In fact, Instagram just announced that IGTV content will now begin appearing in your followers’ feeds rather than being confined to IGTV itself. This is huge news that again signals that Instagram wants to see creators producing video.
As a side note, your video content doesn’t need to be a full-blown production. Simple time lapse and Boomerang videos are enough to draw in viewers for brands both big and small. What matters is that you’re producing some form of video.
4. Go live more often
A quick tip, but definitely one worth mentioning.
Like Stories, Live video doesn’t have any specific bearing on the Instagram algorithm.
However, Instagram Live does generate notifications to followers by putting itself atop your followers’ Stories feeds as well.
The beauty of live video is that you’re expecting to produce something simple and off-the-cuff. This means there’s less pressure once again for professional, polished content. Just like brands should experiment with traditional video, live video is also something to explore.
5. Craft more compelling captions
The Instagram algorithm supposedly prioritizes engagement.
That means likes and shares are valuable currency.
But encouraging interactions directly is totally fair game on Instagram. Doing so is also so easy as you can ask followers directly to drop a comment.
For example, tag-a-friend or question-based captions are a great way to get people talking. Conversations encourage interactions which is a positive signal to Instagram.
6. Run a contest or giveaway
For many businesses, you’ll notice that contest and giveaway posts are among their most popular and engaged.
Whether it’s sharing a hashtag or creating some user-generated content, contests can help drive a surge of engagement to your profile.
7. Harness the power of your hashtags
The more eyes on your posts, the better.
Hashtags can help attract those eyes in a matter of seconds.
Including hashtags as part of your content strategy ensures that your posts are essentially searchable. A combination of branded, product and community hashtags represents the perfect storm of encouraging engagement.
8. Post during peak hours
Perhaps the most straightforward way to win with the Instagram algorithm is to post during peak hours.
Publishing during peak times doesn’t necessarily encourage a flood of activity. Doing so is certainly better than posting when your audience is asleep, though.
9. When in doubt, post more often!
Finally, don’t be afraid to increase your posting frequency.
Posting more often will give you more room to experiment and assess which pieces of content are working and which aren’t.
I’d love to hear from you, though. Have you seen a fall in your engagement rate due to the new Instagram algorithm? What do you plan on doing about it? Let us know in the comments below!
Comentarios