Michael Krieger, a computer programmer, was in Mexico for a holiday in 2010.  Together with a friend, Kevin Systrom, who was a former Google employee, they have developed a location-sharing platform called “Burbn.” During that holiday, Michael thought of sharing a photo on Burbn. But Kevin protested because the photos taken from Michael’s iPhone were not standard. To convince Kevin, Michael applied some filters to standardize the images. Alas, Burbn turned into Instagram. Its main selling point is adding filters to mobile phone photos.

Instagram is an online photo-sharing social network that Facebook acquired in 2021. It is entirely a visual platform relying on images and videos with text captions. Today, there are around 1.074 billion IG users. It is one of the most influential and popular social media platforms. Instagram has also played a major role in influencer marketing. According to a digital marketing speaker Hong Kong, the Kardashian clan, K-pop enthusiasts, and a lot more loyal fan groups have made Instagram an important marketing platform. Around 500 million Instagrammer use Instagram Stories daily. This made affiliate marketing and product tagging very effective on Instagram.

Yet, a lot of brands and businesses still can’t understand how the Instagram algorithm works. Most of the time, they face the challenge of what to post on the platform. To get a better understanding of the algorithms of Instagram, we’ve got you covered here.

What Is Instagram Algorithm?

A social media agency Hong Kong defines the Instagram algorithm as using pieces of interactions to prioritize posts that Instagrammers care about. It covers a variety of classifiers and processes designed for different purposes. Using AI technology, the platform personalized a user experience in the best ways they can. Back in 2010, the Instagram algorithm depended on the chronological order of the stream of photos posted on the platform. As Instagram users grew, it became impossible for users to see everything. So, in 2016, the platform introduced a feed algorithm that ranked posts based on what a user cared about most. Little by little, Facebook added explore, feed, stories, and reels on the app. Each feature uses a different algorithm and ranks things differently.

How Instagram Feeds and Stories Algorithm Work

Feeds and Stories are places where people want to see content from the people close to them – their family and friends. Here’s how the Instagram algorithm on feeds and stories work. First Instagram ranks recently shared posts and stories. Second, Instagram Ai uses signals and they have a thousand of them. For feeds and stories, the most important signals to rank posts are the following:

  • The people who made the post. Instagram ranks family, close friends, groups, etc. on top of users’ feeds and stories. This also includes posts and stories from accounts a user has previously followed or liked. For a video marketing agency Hong Kong, the most liked Instagram Stories commonly rank on the top of an Instagram feed.
  • A user’s recent activity on Instagram. Instagram AI takes into account the number of interactions a user has in the past weeks. This includes the history of the user’s interaction with other Instagrammers and the type of posts that a user commonly engages with. From these signals, Instagram will make the posts of previous interactions more visible on a user’s feed and even the type of content the user commonly consumes.

How Instagram Reels Algorithm Work

In August 2020, Instagram launched Reels. They are 15-second music and video clips that mimic TikTok. As they are designed for entertainment and fun, the Instagram Reels algorithm differs from that of feeds and stories. Under the Reels tab, Instagram users may see posts of people they don’t follow or know. Under the Instagram Reels algorithm, the most important signals are the following:

  • Information about a Reels’ post. Instagram AI looks at the audio track, frames, and pixel of every Reels content. It also considers the popularity of a Reels content as compelling. As such, any Reel that received the highest number of comments, likes, and other interactions may rank higher on the Reels tab.
  • A user’s activity. Instagram AI looks at things a user comments, likes, or engages with. It also looks at the recent Reels and videos a user has watched. These signals rank Reels content relevant to the user’s activities.

The Bottom Line

How the Instagram algorithm works depends largely on a user’s activity. Because Instagram strongly values a user’s experience, they rank feeds, Reels, and Stories based on your interests, preferences, and usages. As an Instagrammer, you can control what you see on the platform. This is by picking your close contacts, muting accounts you would like to stop seeing, and marking recommended posts as not interesting. For brands and businesses, creating content tailored according to a user’s interests and preferences can bring your campaigns to Instagram success.

Reference: https://about.instagram.com/blog/announcements/shedding-more-light-on-how-instagram-works