Outsmarting Instagram's Latest Algorithm

Instagram and its Latest Algorithm

According to Statista.com, there are 1 billion active Instagram users in the world, the 6th most used social media platform by millennials. Every year, the app rolls out a new algorithm to fish out ghost accounts, ghost followers and "unethical users".

Last year, Instagram updated its algorithm which in turn caused an outcry among users as the update caused a drastic drop in user engagement on open profiles.

The update limited exposure of user content on other users' feeds which resulted in poor engagement rates.

In order to combat the effects of this algorithm, I've decided to write a piece on outsmarting the update. The secret here is to yield maximum engagement rate because this will help "spread" your content on numerous feeds.

Increasing Engagement Rate on Instagram

Quality beats quantity - You probably already know content is king. Invest in a good camera or hire a professional to capture images and create quality videos for you. Instead of uploading unedited videos, try slow-mos, stop-motion videos and make sure your pictures are unique and colorful. Don't forget to use hashtags and geotags as well. Limit your hashtags to 11-15 per post.

Go live on Instagram - The best way to engage with users is to go live on your feed.
Make use of your stories - Instagram stories are also a great way to reach new users. Ensure you use hashtags and geotags to improve visibility and try engaging users with polls and questions.

Don't forget your caption - Ah, the caption! Your caption plays a vital role too. Captions in the form of questions or advice and information are more likely to yield a higher engagement rate than no captions or irrelevant captions.

Get a little personal - Adding personal touch to your content like your experience in a certain place or personal recommendations (preferably non-sponsored) is a way to get people to interact on your post

Also, if you're really desperate for user engagement, try collaborating with influencers and bloggers with high engagement rates.