The team at Darling Botanical Co. in Traverse City, Michigan, has an active Instagram feed that puts into practice many top tips for increasing engagement, including regular new posts and vibrant photos with detailed caption info.
Gone are the days of the chronological news feed on Instagram, where the most recent posts are featured at the top of the page. Instagram now features an algorithmic feed that changes based on your own behavior on- and off-network. What this means is that it is equally difficult for users and brands alike to view and deliver content when and where they desire.
Fortunately for those who value Instagram’s capabilities and immense reach as a medium for visual social content, there are ways to effectively train the algorithm to deliver more effectively. The following five principles should be taken into account by brands who want their followers to see their content more frequently:
- Consider post frequency over posting frequently: Instagram still places a heavy value on more recent content, despite the shift away from the chronological news feed. For users that spend more time on Instagram, they can expect to see more recent content more frequently than those who spend less time engaging with the app. This does not mean that you need to be posting every hour, but getting into a routine that Instagram can pick up on is a good way to increase the visibility of your content.
- Go to town on those captions: Did you know that Instagram knows how long you spend on a single post and how long users spend looking at your post — and that content that draws more eyes for a longer period of time is valued higher? Use this to your advantage. Write captions that force users to read until the end. Embed text in your images using graphics editors such as Photoshop, Canva or even Instagram’s native Stories feature. Longer video posts and photo carousels also work very well in extending the amount of time a user spends on your content.
- Become a favorite: Since Instagram logs everything, it should be no surprise that it knows which accounts users view frequently, engage with and spend more time on. The more a user likes, comments or views a single account, the more frequently Instagram is going to serve that user their content. Feeling like you’re not getting noticed? Instagram Stories is a great way to gain some additional eyes and boost the visibility of your news feed content.
- Go for engagement: Instagram (and most social networks, for that matter) operates its algorithm on a points basis. Posts with a higher number of engagement points are shown more frequently and higher in the news feed. Here’s how Instagram ranks engagement: a view is worth less than a like which is worth less than a comment which is worth less than a share. The rate at which engagement occurs is also taken into account, so the quicker you can get your audience interacting with your content, the better. Try to post when you know your followers are more active online, and use call-to-actions such as “like and tag” to really drive the value of your content.
- Consistency, consistency, consistency: Instagram is smart enough to know which of your followers your content is most appropriate for based on the type of content that they engage with. Instagram mines keywords from your captions, categorizes you based on your bio and the accounts that you follow, and will serve your content accordingly. Focus on a consistent message, using similar keywords and hashtags, so Instagram will be better able to deliver your content to the most appropriate audience.
Most important, put quality ahead of quantity. One to two Instagram posts per day, along with a few Stories posts to drive engagement to your account, and Instagram will begin to value your content higher than before.
