Are you stuck trying to solve the Instagram algorithm in 2023? If you feel a little confused, you’re not alone.

Instagram used to be a simple chronological scrolling tool, but not anymore. Instagram is now ranking content based on a whole variety of factors which makes it harder for just anyone to rank at the top of the news feed, let alone make it to the explore page!

That said, there is clear evidence of the types of content and the accounts that Instagram is currently pushing.

Instagram is focusing on two major types of content: content that keeps people on the app longer, and personal content. What’s even better, is that those two types of content can coexist!

Let’s dive into it:

Reels

First and foremost, you’ve heard 100 times that reels are the best way to get reach. Video content is king these days, that is true! And people’s attention spans are getting shorter and shorter, so short content typically reigns supreme on platforms like Instagram.

That said, there is such thing as valuable short-form content and invaluable content.

You’ll need to get yourself out of a sales mindset and into one of creating valuable and personable content if you want your reels to get out of the initial group of viewers it is pushed to.

See, Instagram takes your video when you first post it, and sends it to a small test group of your followers and other people who may like your content. Depending on how they interact with it, this will decide whether it gets pushed out to other groups, and so on. Some of these metrics include saves and shares, now more so than likes or comments.

In order to get people to share and save your content, you have to ensure it’s WORTH saving and sharing!

In the past, it may have been recommended that you create reels with limited information and a CTA that forces people into a lead funnel in order to get more information. But Instagram users and the algorithm itself are smart and can pick this up. Instead, you really want to become someone’s trusted, repeated source for valuable information. In time, they’ll build a relationship with you online and you’ll be the first person they go to when it's time to buy or sell or to recommend to a friend.

If you offer information for nothing in exchange, you come across as trustworthy and genuine, and if you show up in a person’s reels a few times, they’ll probably give you a follow.

So, next time you’re creating a reel, go for the genuine approach and think about what insight you can actually provide to your audience. If they’re saving and sharing it, you’re getting more eyes on your content, so it's a win-win.

Note you may also get brownie points from Instagram if people click your reel in order to visit the sound and create a reel of your own. So, if participating in trends is your thing, this is a great way to get more reach as well.

Keep Eyes on Your Content

Whether it’s a feed post, a story, or a reel, you want to keep people engaged with your content for as long as possible. Instagram rewards creators who keep people on the app longer, because the app is supposed to be addicting. The better your content engages an audience, the better Instagram will reward you for doing so. There are a few ways to hack the system and a few ways to do this in a genuine manner. It’s up to you which you use!

Story Telling

People go on Instagram to be entertained, but also to learn. By using longer-form content, you’re actively engaging your audience and providing them insight at the same time. This can look like long-form captions, swipeable carousel infographics, or longer stories that detail parts of your day. The idea here is to keep the attention of your audience while you provide them with information.

High-Quality Content

At the end of the day, nobody wants to look at a grainy, backlit, or dark photo. Nobody wants to look at a picture that isn’t aesthetically pleasing. So how can you create content that is nice and easy to look at? Grab a newer iPhone and use the back camera, or if you have the budget, a professional camera is even better. Try to take photos during the day. Shoot with the light facing you, not behind you. Don’t be afraid to reshoot content to ensure that you got the best shot!

Cheat the System

There are ways to get your content fully ‘watched through’ even if it isn’t the best content. Some creators, for example, will cut their video off before the last word, forcing watchers to accidentally restart the video by default. This tells Instagram the video was ‘fully watched’ which is a better metric than ‘scrolled before it ended.’ Other creators may fill the screen with text that takes 7-10 seconds to read, but only put 4 seconds of video behind it. Because of this, viewers technically rewatch the video 2, 3, or even 4 times before they actually understand what the video was trying to say. In theory, this does keep eyes on your content for a longer time.

Carousels

Carousel posts are almost always better than just one photo because people hang around longer to swipe through them.

Encourage Interaction

Use your descriptions, the content of your reels, and your stories to encourage conversation. How can you get people to engage with your content in a meaningful and authentic way? Asking questions is a great start, but if your question doesn’t actually encourage your audience to engage meaningfully, it isn’t going to get you far.

Ideally, you’ll want to imagine yourself in your follower’s shoes - what would they genuinely want to respond to? Then, once they do, how can you keep the conversation going in the comments?

This has two purposes - the first is engagement on your post, which is almost never a bad thing, but the second is building a genuine relationship with your followers so that you can earn their trust. The more dedicated your followers are to you, the more Instagram wants to show them your content, and so on.

Use the App

At the end of the day, the best accounts on Instagram are consuming content from, and interacting with, other people within their niche. But beyond this, they’re mimicking and learning from accounts they want to be like. So, when you’re creating content, don’t look at what other people at your level are doing, look at what people, where you want to be, are doing.

If you want to be on top of trends for reels, new types of content for feed posts, and how to utilize new story features, you have to be consuming content regularly from creators within the space that are on top of these things!

So, if you’re looking to build your online audience, you’ll want to start by finding people who are already succeeding at it, and use them as your guide.

Beyond this, you also need to be responding to your comments, your DMs, and commenting on other people’s content too. Not in a spammy way, but more to show the algorithm that your account is active and participating within your niche of content.