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Sophie Jones Social

The Algorithm Is Changing Especially for Reels

Instagram never publicly post every attribute that goes into why they push one piece of content to the top of your feed over something else. Which is a blessing and a curse. The blessing is that if we did know how they do it creators would manipulate their accounts and content to satisfy the algorithm. The curse is that you can spend multiple hours perfecting the best content for it to never get in front of a new audience who will love and appreciate it.


However, from time to time they let us know a bit about their algorithm and the changes they make. Below we are going to explain how the algorithm has typically functioned.


The Changes


Instagram has shared exactly what they are changing:

  • A new input to ranking that will give smaller creators more distribution.

  • Replacing reposts with original content in recommendations.

  • Adding labels to reposted content, linking to the original creator.

  • Removing content aggregators from recommendations.


In other words, Instagram is aiming to prioritise original content and give smaller creators more opportunities to reach new audiences.


One of the biggest changes is going to be with how reels are shared with a wider audience.


Previously reels were ranked primarily based on how an account's followers engaged with them. So far, the Instagram algorithm has worked like this:


You post a reel > it gets shown to some of your followers > if it performs well, it's eventually shown to non-followers.


This meant that accounts with the largest followings often saw the most reach. this often left smaller accounts at a disadvantage


Now when you post your reel it will immediately be put to both your followers and new accounts from the start. The new algorithm will look like this:

You post a reel > Instagram matches the content based on the signs from the reel to a small audience they believe will like it > The content that resonates the most with the audience is then shown to a slightly bigger audience, and the process continues.


This way even a small creator will be able to reach a broader audience, increasing the chances of having their content be seen by non-followers.


The takeaway is that 2024 is the year to go all-in on Reel! If you're not focusing on reels yet then you are missing out!



Yes, these changes are in response to the success of their competitor TikTok. TikTok has a highly-personalised algorithm and For You Page of recommended content which has made it the current platform of choice for smaller, emerging creators and businesses to break through and get their content seen. This adaptation is what has pushed TikTok forward and Instagram is now at a point of playing catch up. But with them wanting to be the go-to platform again are these changes a little too late? Only time will tell.




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