What is going on with Instagram's algorithm? If you've clicked on this video, it's because you've asked yourself that question at least once in the past year. I get a lot of messages from people sending me screenshots of their insights on Instagram, and they'll say something like, "Jade, what's happened to the algorithm? Like, my content is suddenly not being recommended to anyone," or they'll say the opposite and say, "Jade, what's going on with the algorithm? I'm suddenly getting loads of reach." I know what you're thinking: Are there actually people out there who are seeing a spike in their reach and engagement as a result of the algorithm? And the answer is yes. All of that to say that there is a lot of things going on with Instagram's algorithm and I want to spend today's video just talking about it. So if you like content like this, don't forget to hit the Subscribe button because I upload new videos every single week.
Okay, so there are a couple things that you need to know about Instagram's algorithm that is going to help you understand what on Earth is going on with it at any given time, right? The first thing is that we refer to Instagram's algorithm as a singular thing when actually there were multiple algorithms. There were several algorithms which power Instagram, and the reason why is because we use all of the different features on Instagram in different unique ways. We use our stories to find content from our friends and family, whereas we use the explore page to find content from creators we've never seen before.
The second fact that you need to be aware of is that the algorithms are literally always changing. And don't get me wrong, there have been a couple times in the past year where there's been a big significant change, and I'll talk about those in a minute. But most of the time, guys, when people say like, "Has the algorithm changed?" Yes, yes it has. It's always changing because it's driven by AI and it's all about machine learning and stuff. So basically, it is constantly changing because it's constantly trying to improve itself and get better.
So if you pair the fact that Instagram has multiple algorithms with the fact that the algorithms are always changing, you'll realize that it's actually very, very difficult for most of us to ever identify if there has been a significant change to the algorithms, and if, therefore, that is the reason why our content is not performing as well as it used to perform. So if you share a post on your Instagram page today and you think, "Oh, it's not performing as well as it normally does," it's very difficult for you to then say, "Okay, it's because the algorithm has changed again and now I need to change all of my content because now the algorithm is different."
All that to say that the basic things like ensuring things aren't blurry, ensuring things are well lit, and you can see what's in the video, the basic checks you would make to decide if something's low quality or not, you need to be making those all the time. Now, I'm willing to bet that half the people watching this would be like, "Oh God, okay, I need to fix up some of my content," and the other half will be like, "I don't have a problem; my content is always great." So those are the main two changes that we know of that have actually impacted how Instagram's algorithms perform on a significant level.
A few more strategic things you could do. First of all, stop comparing your engagement and your reach or whatever other metrics you have to the engagement and reach you used to get a couple years back. As I mentioned at the start of this video, engagement and reach has steadily been declining on Instagram for years. So, that means that we are all or most of us are seeing less reach and less engagement than we used to a couple years back. What good is it going to do us to compare our Channel's performance to when Instagram was a slightly different platform and all of us were doing better? It's not helping anyone, so just stop doing it, okay? We've got to focus on how we can make today's content better than yesterday's versus how we're going to make today's content better than the content we shared two years ago. It's a different platform; it's a different world.
Q: What is going on with Instagram's algorithm?
A: Instagram's algorithm is constantly evolving and there are multiple algorithms that power different features on the platform. Changes in the algorithm can impact the reach and engagement of content.
Q: How many algorithms power Instagram?
A: There are several algorithms that power different aspects of Instagram, including algorithms for the feed, explore page, stories, and more.
Q: Is Instagram's algorithm always changing?
A: Yes, Instagram's algorithm is constantly evolving as it is driven by AI and machine learning. This means that the algorithm is always trying to improve itself and adapt to user behavior.
Q: How can one navigate algorithm changes on Instagram?
A: Navigating algorithm changes on Instagram can be challenging due to the multiple algorithms and the continuous evolution of the algorithms. It can be difficult to pinpoint if changes in performance are due to algorithm updates.
Q: What are some strategic tips for improving reach and engagement on Instagram?
A: Some strategic tips for improving reach and engagement on Instagram include focusing on creating high-quality content, avoiding comparing current performance to past metrics, and continuously working on improving the content quality based on current platform dynamics.
