There's always at least a few rumours circulating around the Instagram algorithm. We set the record straight on the hearsay right now...
#1 Instagram’s algorithm hides your posts: FALSE
While there’s been lots of conflicting rumours around this, Instagram released a statement in response to all the posts campaigning against the new algorithm – you may have seen these in your feed.
The posts claimed that the algorithm changes meant only seven percent of followers could see your posts.
In a series of tweets, Instagram explained that “what shows up first in your feed is determined by what posts and accounts you engage with the most, as well as other contributing factors such as the timeliness of posts, how often you use Instagram, how many people you follow, etc.”
The social media giant further reassured users, saying, “We have not made any recent changes to feed ranking, and we never hide posts from people you’re following – if you keep scrolling, you will see them all. Again, your feed is personalised to you and evolves over time based on how you use Instagram.”
#2 If you want to see more content from someone, like and comment more: TRUE
Remember when the Instagram algorithm was introduced, and every influencer was asking you to turn on post notifications so you wouldn’t miss their posts? This one was FALSE. But, the like sprees you’re now being encouraged to do actually have merit to them.
Who you engage with (by liking and commenting) contributes to where posts rank in your feed.
You’ll notice if you like a lot of content from one account, Instagram will recognise you have an interest in this account and will place their content higher on your feed.
“Instagram relies on machine learning based on your past behaviour to create a unique feed for everyone. Even if you follow the exact same accounts as someone else, you’ll get a personalised feed based on how you interact with those accounts,” said an Instagram spokesperson.
#3: Swiping past Stories negatively impacts that person in algorithm: UNSUPPORTED
Another Instagram post you may have seen that’s been doing the rounds is a rumour that swiping through stories risks that profile’s stories disappearing from your feed.
“When you’re watching someone’s Instagram story, choose to tap through instead of swiping next, otherwise they get pushed back further in your timeline in the future. By tapping through each post, you’re letting the algorithm know you’re interested in that content,” the post warns.
Here’s the thing: no one really knows how the Instagram Stories algorithm works.
However, what we do know is that Instagram ranks who views your story. Those at the top of your viewers are probably because you frequent their page or vice versa ;)
#4: Switching to an Instagram business profile negatively affects your profile in algorithm: FALSE
When asked this question directly Instagram responded: “Instagram does not give extra feed presence to personal accounts or business accounts, so switching won’t help your reach.”
Plus, you need to have an Instagram business profile in order to run ads on Instagram and why would Instagram want to risk potential customer growth by having their business profiles’ posts perform worse? Food for thought!