With the way Instagram’s algorithm works in 2024, it’s all about your engagement rate. This shift away from the number of followers is a big deal for creators and brands; the whole point of lazy tactics to gain followers is terrible for them, but great for the overall quality of our feeds, now focused more on real interaction rather than superficial numbers.
Let me tell you a secret about how the algorithm works so you can make the most of it with your content.
By default, the reach of your post would only be about 6% of the people who follow you. I know it’s outrageous, but there it is. This essentially means that even if the count of your followers has already been in hundreds of thousands, only some little percentage would see it unless they themselves interact with it. Based on the tiny 6%, the algorithm generates a point score based on the variety of signals it captures while exposing the value that it has placed on your content.
This will be organically gauged as to whether the content will help or not. Here are some examples of positive signals and how they can improve the score:
| Likes | The most obvious engagement action, which means that you have users who appreciate it. |
|---|---|
| Comments | This is a strong engagement tool, as it encourages others to engage in a meaningful exchange. |
| Shares | When followers share your contents, it is a reflection that they find the given pieces of information valuable enough for them to pass along. |
| Saves | If people are saving your posts, it shows that they wish to come back to that particular content again. |
| Long watch/dwell time | For video content, the more time spent, the better the impression of the content is. |
| Full view | If people are completely viewing the video you uploaded from start to finish, it really speaks for itself in the context of high interest. |
| Rewatches | If people are coming back to your video to watch it again, it is clearly of high quality. |
Score well with these positive signals, and your video will progress to the next level, hence viewed by more people. Negative signals that may suppress your reach include:
- Scrolling away: When you post something, and someone scrolls away from it before the page loads, there’s a negative signal in disinterest.
- Low watch dwell time: When a visitor clicks away before the video even gets a chance to be over, then it negates the score.
We are constantly voting with our eyes and thumbs, unknowingly ranking and judging content. Our actions define its success in real-time. Therefore, every interaction matters more than ever.
There are several tiers within the algorithm, and these have different thresholds for points. The algorithm is always working in determining how many views your content deserves based on such interactions. The more a post receives engagement, the more it will be exposed to a wider audience.
The only better time to grow an audience and community through the strength of good content is in history. That’s the reason that high follower counts have now become irrelevant, simply because unless a big page puts lots of creative thinking into its content and truly adds real value to the followers, it will be that brick wall of views.
That’s a huge opportunity to be displayed in feeds by people even who do not follow them. This is very close to how TikTok has approached to content discovery, which is based upon engagement rather than followers. I have noticed pages with 15,000 followers generating millions of views, but others with 500,000 followers repeatedly fail to reach even 10,000 views.
What does this mean for us? The cream will float to the top. We spend more time on the app on content that we really like and care about. We will listen to a diverse range of voices and hear different viewpoints, which should make the social media space richer in content.
That wake-up call comes for brands and creators: if you do not take your social media strategy more seriously and figure out how to deliver value to the feed of your audience, you will become irrelevant. It’s no longer good enough to post for posting’s sake alone; you have to create content that speaks to your audience.
Identify what your followers actually want. Do you give them entertainment, education, or inspiration? The better your content is are aligned with your followers’ interests and needs, the more engagement you will get, subsequently giving it more visibility and growth.
Strategies for Success
1. Quality Over Quantity: Do not get too much concerned about the number of followers you have. Create quality content that will help you engage with your audience. Spend time on posts that are visually appealing and meaningful.
2. Engage Your Audience: Answer comments, ask questions, and post polls or quizzes to keep people interacting. The more you interact with your audience, the more they will interact with your content.
3. Leverage Analytics: Pay attention to the kind of analytics your posts get. Use this information to refine your strategy, focusing on the content most engaging for your target audience.
4. Try Different Content Formats: Do not be afraid to try Reels, Stories, or IGTV. Each of these formats has its own unique engagement potential, and then there is a higher chance to reach out to different audiences.
5. Team Up With Others: Work with other creators for fresh exposures. Collaborations can take on the shape of takeovers and even creating content together.
6. Be Authentic: Authenticity is an important component in the acquisition of the right following. Share your story, your values, and your mission. The more natural it feels, the more the audience will be drawn into the content.
7. Consistency: Consistency can be helpful in keeping your target market interested in your work. Make a content calendar because consistency and predictability from the post will make users eagerly look forward to posting by you.
8. Learn constantly: Be informed of updates on algorithm and trends. The landscape of media is constantly evolving, and to be updated would give one the upper hand.
In the end; follower count has lost the battle to engagement metrics. Good for creators and audiences because it breeds authentic relationships and ensures content viewed is valuable and engaging. In this new landscape, let’s rise to the challenge by focusing on meaningful content for our audience. Social media has a bright future ahead of it for those willing to adapt and innovate.
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