Breaking Down the Instagram Algorithm
Many creators have been complaining of low organic reach and their content performing poorly on Instagram. The CEO, Adam Mosseri, has recently been sharing information on how the algorithm works in 2024. I’ve collected all the golden pieces of information and am here to give you the breakdown, so you can excel on Instagram.
Reels are the best content for growth
Instagram have been telling us this for a while now with the appearance of reels from accounts you don’t follow on your feed, a section dedicated to reels and the large screen space that reels take up in the explore page. Posting reels is the best way to reach non-followers and new audiences so if you aren’t already posting them, you need to.
Here’s some ways you can optimise your reels to increase their reach:
Use a strong hook. The first 3 seconds of your reel are crucial because 3 seconds is all it takes for the viewer to decide if they’re interested or not. Try using the rule of 3 in your reels: a verbal hook, a visual hook and a text hook. A verbal hook and a text hook are quite self-explanatory; a short sentence that will capture the attention of the viewer for example, “Stop mistaking this mistake with your X!”. A visual hook refers to an interesting camera angle or a sudden movement such as sitting down or sipping a cup of tea before quickly moving onto a new clip.
Use trending audios. In your professional dashboard, you can scroll down to Tips and Resources, where you’ll find a page with the top 50 trending audios. If you see an upwards arrow next to an audio, this means it’s trending.
Use a reel cover. When people are having a little stalk of your account, they will choose to watch content that is visually appealing and stands out to them, which is why creating bold and enticing reel covers should not be overlooked.
Edit reels in-app. If your reel is quite simple to edit, you should edit it in the Instagram app. This is because Instagram will identify any text you have added, including subtitles, and pick up on keywords. Strong keywords = SEO galore! With this information, Instagram will push your reels to more specific audiences who have similar interests.
You might be wondering: “How do I film amazing content for my reels?”
Have a read of my last blog post with my top 5 tools to capture killer content for your reels. You can read it here.
2. Hashtags don’t increase reach
Once upon a time, you could add 50 hashtags to your post and it would massively increase the likelihood of your post appearing in the Explore page. That’s not the case anymore I’m afraid.
Let me explain how hashtags now work:
If you are a makeup artist and you add #eyeliner to your caption, your post will only appear on someone’s Explore page if they search ‘#eyeliner’. The problem? Who searches for hashtags anymore? Not me, sorry!
Don’t waste your time adding lots of hashtags when they won’t do much to increase the reach of your post. I recommend using 3-5 hashtags and include one for each of these categories:
Your industry
Describing what you offer
Your target audience
Your location
Your niche
3. Keywords really are key
So, if hashtags don’t increase reach then what does? The answer: keywords. Optimise your captions by packing them with keywords that describe exactly what you do and who you do it for. If you are a facialist and you want high ticket clients with mature, ageing skin then you should be using keywords like ‘luxury facial’, ‘premium skincare’, ‘anti-ageing’, ‘remove pigmentation and wrinkles’ etc.
The more detailed, the stronger your SEO and the stronger your SEO, the more Instagram will push your content to your dream clients.
Please don’t just use AI to write your captions though. It’s glaringly obvious. Besides, once your content has reached new audiences, the next step is for you to engage and connect with them. This can only be achieved when your audience know that they’re engaging with an actual human who has a personality.
4. Posting more doesn’t mean you’ll grow more
I find it tiresome hearing so-called Instagram ‘experts’ telling people to post 3x a day to grow their page. It’s not true, and the CEO of Instagram has said that.
You should post as many times as you are comfortable with. Your content needs to provide value to your audience, whether that’s relatability, education, entertainment or inspiration. If you are posting just for the sake of posting, then you are wasting your time.
5. Your stories shouldn’t just be for selling
Raise your hand if you’re guilty of only using stories to let people know that you have an offer or you’ve launched a new service.
Guilty as charged.
Don’t get me wrong, stories are AMAZING for selling. This is where you’ll probably see most of your conversions because the people who are really interested in your content and what you do, will be watching your stories. But if you constantly hard sell to them, they’ll leave and never look back.
Your stories are the place to nurture your audience and build a connection. Get your face on there, share the behind-the-scenes of your business, use stickers to engage your viewers and when you do want to sell to them, follow this method:
Storytelling & Context: share your story or a transformation that you’ve achieved
Relate to their desires: speak about the specific desired outcome that your dream clients want
Pitch your offer: introduce what you do, how you do it and why you do it
Social proof: share a testimonial, a before & after picture or how many people have bought that service
6. Don’t overuse your stories
Adam Mosseri and @creators on Instagram have explained that 5 to 6 stories a day is the optimal amount. Anymore and your viewers start to lose interest and are less likely to pay attention to what you have to say. Ideally, you should also allow your stories to fully expire before posting new ones the next day. You need to make these stories count so think wisely about what you post.
I could write so much more about the Instagram algorithm but I don’t want to overwhelm you so I’ll share a part 2 in the future. I hope you find this insightful and leave understanding the algorithm better.
If you want to learn more about how to optimise your content and grow your brand on Instagram, you can book a 1:1 Consulting Call, where you can pick my brains for an hour. ⚡️
Hey, I’m Eleanor!
I hope you found this blog useful. I would love to know your thoughts so feel free to send me a DM on Instagram or connect with me on LinkedIn! I am obsessed with everything Instagram, TikTok, beauty and wellness related. If you are a standard setter status quo breaker, then let’s work together to transform your socials
