Social media is constantly changing. Platforms put forth algorithm updates every few months that aim to increase overall user engagements. Still, these updates can sometimes hurt those of us using social media to market goods or services. Algorithms aim to provide the best possible experience to end-users. Someone scrolling through Instagram wants to see their friends, family, favorite influencers, and products they might like. The algorithm update tries to prioritize posts in an order which makes the user happy. Here’s what you should know about the new Instagram algorithm.
Peek Into the Past: A History of Algorithm Updates
When Instagram started, the end-users feed displayed posts in reverse-chronological order with the most recent content shown first. The response was great for staying up to date on everyone’s movements, but it had a downside. Depending on how frequently someone posted, they could end up spamming people’s feeds. Others took advantage of this by posting the same image repeatedly, even if it wasn’t incredibly informative or attractive. If the user followed many different accounts, which Instagram encourages, they might never see posts by people they like because it’s hidden too far down. To fix this, Instagram removed the reverse-chronological feed display and implemented a feed that used a secret algorithm to determine what each user might want to see the most. If a user went on Success City Online’s page every day to check for the latest social media news, the new Instagram algorithm would show them Success City Online posts more frequently in the feed.
What These Instagram Algorithm Updates Mean for Stories and Reels
Video is king in the world of Instagram. It started with photo sharing, but video quickly took over as the primary form of media consumed. Stories and Reels are both very effective ways of pushing out content. Stories are short, 10-second peeks behind the curtain into your business, while Reels allow you to cover more extended informational topics. Stories are displayed similar to feed posts; the people you interact with most show up first. Reels are shown in the Discover tab, making them an excellent choice for people looking to entice new followers. These posts are pushed to your followers by sharing a preview to the feed, at which point they follow the feed’s algorithm.
How to Use Algorithms to Your Advantage
Algorithm updates send marketers into a frenzy. You tailor campaigns to the algorithm to see the most significant return on investment. When something changes in the platform’s back-end, something has to change in your campaign along with it. This change isn’t necessarily bad! You can outsmart the new algorithm by posting engaging content with which people want to interact. You can do this by using high-quality images or videos, regularly cross-promoting your posts on Stories and your page, and working with a professional social media team like Success City Online. Nothing gets a better return on investment than letting a team of experts handle your social media for you! We make sure to stay on top of all the latest algorithm updates to provide the best marketing possible.
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