There’s one question that pretty much everybody in the industry is wondering right now: “What’s going on with Instagram?”
Long story short, for the first time ever, Instagram is predicted to not grow in average usership this year. People who once enjoyed the platform are not spending as much time on it anymore and any business coach worth their salt will tell you that stagnation is the first sign of decline.
Many stylists and salon owners have noticed that their reach has decreased and their engagement is dropping.
So what’s really going on?
On May 31, 2023, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri released a blog titled “Instagram Ranking Explained.” And, as you’ve probably guessed, in it, Mosseri explains the inside workings of Instagram’s algorithm. Let’s break down what he says and what it means for you and your business.
How does Instagram’s algorithm work?
First things first, Mosseri breaks down how Instagram’s ranking and algorithms work
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“Instagram doesn’t have a singular algorithm that oversees what people do and don’t see on the app. We use a variety of algorithms, classifiers, and processes, each with its own purpose.”
He goes on to explain that each feature of the app (feed, stories, explore, reels, and search) all have their individual algorithms that play into what shows up on your app.
But how do those individual algorithms know what to show? Proxies and signals.
From what we understand, proxies indicate if you like hearing what a certain person or account has to say. Initial proxies are:
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Opens
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Replies
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Likes
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Comments
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How long a user looks at a photo or video
Signals, on the other hand, are:
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How popular a post already is
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Interest in the author, your history of interacting with the author, and how popular any given post is. (For example, Instagram said in this article that the things you’re most interested in will be at the top of your feed and it becomes less targeted as you scroll.)
How do proxies and signals work together? From what we can tell, proxies determine the signals. For example, if a story gets a lot of replies, that signals to the algorithm that there’s interest in that piece of content. Or if you always look at a photo from a particular Instagram creator for a long time and like/comment on their posts, their content will likely pop up when you open your feed.
How do you make the Instagram algorithm work for you?
It’s time to officially retire the bump-up-my-engagement game. You know the one. “Comment below with an emoji of what you had for lunch today.” That doesn’t work anymore because it isn’t what the average Instagram wants.
Instead, try these strategies:
Use the Favorites list
As of this writing, this strategy is widely underused in the industry but incredibly effective. Ask your clients or stylists interested in working for you to add you to their favorites! It’s powerful because Instagram has said they made it a priority to show your favorites. In other words, if they add you to their favorites, it’s guaranteed to show up in their feed.
Give the algorithm what it wants
In their article, Instagram said, “…your feed will have a mix of content from the accounts you’ve chosen to follow, recommended content from accounts we think you’ll enjoy, and ads.” (In other words, one third of your feed is people you follow, accounts recommendations, and the last third is ads.) “You’ll also see a mixture of videos, photos and carousels.”
That last sentence is interesting because Instagram says they want a good blend of photos, video, and carousels. But here’s what’s currently being uploaded to Instagram feeds:
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48.9% photos
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31.8% videos
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19.3% carousels
What this data tells us is carousels are the easy shots. Instagram wants more carousels, but only 20% of feed posts are carousels. Meaning, if you upload carousels, your chances of ranking near the top of your followers’ feeds is high.
Post less
Back in 2021 and 2022, a lot of influencers claimed that you had to post multiple times a day to show up on the feed? Instagram has now openly come out and said, “we try to avoid showing too many posts from the same person in a row or too many suggested posts back to back.”
What does this mean? Quality over quantity wins. Or, as Britt says, “Do less better.”
Optimize your stories
The algorithm uses three things to choose which stories get shown:
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Viewing history. If one of your clients likes to look at your stories, your story bubble will likely show up first and foremost on their account.
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Engagement history. How often the viewer engages with your story (hearting, sending a DM in response) will play into when your story is showed.
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Closeness. The relationship between the author and the user is more important than ever. Don’t do the post-and-go. Actually engage with your followers.
If you use reels, be consistent.
In this article, Instagram says, “Reels are also designed to help you discover new things, with an emphasis on entertainment.” In other words, reels is trying to be TikTok and help users discover new accounts and creators.
Meaning, design your reels to attract new guests, not entertain your current followers. But here’s the rub: reels are circular.
Thanks to what we now know about signals and proxies, you can’t just post content your existing audience doesn’t like to get in front of potential new followers. You have to nurture existing followers to get the signals so you can reach new guests.
Your reach on reels is based on your activity (the things you’ve liked, saved, reshared, commented on, or otherwise engaged with).
It all goes back to consistency. Make sure your content quality is good over posting a lot or trying to be an influencer. Post the right stuff.
What Instagram says about growing your reach
Instagram’s breakdown of the algorithm is a great read if you have time, but here’s the high points:
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There’s no silver bullet. You can’t Amazon Prime your reach. Invest the time into building the platform and it will pay off.
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Experiment with your audience to figure out what they like. Use your Insights to find trends and repeating patterns.
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Collaborate with other creators when you can
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Do an account status check if you’re worried that you violated community standard policies.
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Original and highly-engaging content will always be prioritized. Lean into original content instead of reposting.
Instagram is in a funny place and space, but it will likely be around for another 18 months, so use it while you can. Make the most of this Interest-level tool while you’ve got it.
If you need help optimizing your digital platforms to get in front of your target market, join us for the Increasing Your Perceived Value & Recession-Proofing Your Business workshop on August 13! Get your ticket here.
If you need help building your Interest level, check out the Hair Stylist Success Hourglass Guide!
