Many of you have heard that Instagram has a new algorithm change going into 2020.  But what exactly has changed? Tons of people have been theorizing and putting together the puzzle pieces to try and keep up with this change.  Ready to hear exactly what’s new with the algorithm?

Step-by-Step: How the Algorithm Works

Instagram’s feed is chronological, so your post will appear in someone’s feed in order.  Knowing your audience’s peak times by looking at Instagram Business Account Insights is important if you want to post when the time is ripe for engagement.

Speaking of engagement, in the new algorithm, content is king!

The Algorithm Works Like This:

1. People engage with your post.
2. As a result, Instagram shows your post to more people
3. When fewer people engage with the post, Instagram shows it to fewer people.
4. If people keep engaging with your post and it keeps getting shown to more and more people, you may end up on the explore page where your post can be discovered by millions of new people!

What Doesn’t Work Any Longer?

There are, unfortunately, lots of YouTube videos from three or four years ago about “how to grow fast and organically on Instagram for free.” Much of this information is outdated, which is why email updates are the best way to receive news and advice about Instagram. The algorithm changes too fast for searching YouTube videos or blogs that went live one or two years ago.

Unfortunately, growth that is both fast and organic is no longer possible on this platform.  You can choose one or the other, but not both.  So, let’s look at what’s not okay to do on Instagram in 2020 to keep the organic reach you have and not get shadow-banned or action-blocked.

What Not to Do on IG:

1. Using any form of automation. Using any form of robot to follow, unfollow, like, comment or view stories is the most efficient way to have your account shut down and/or severely stunt your reach.
2. Don’t do things that look like a robot. If you follow or unfollow more than 10 people in an hour, Instagram may overreact, thinking that you’re a robot and action block you.  The safest course of action is to act like a genuine human being without much agenda as you interact with other accounts.
3. Using irrelevant hashtags will decrease your reach since Instagram has image-recognition technology now. (which I disagree with and believe has pitfalls, but that’s another article)
4. Too much salesy language that directly tells people to like, comment or share is said to decrease your reach.
5. Basically, anything that was a “quick,” “fast,” or “organic” trick to grow on Instagram in one week should be viewed with skepticism as many of these tactics will now land you in hot water with the algorithm.
6. Following irrelevant accounts. Instagram now has a feature that lets you see the accounts you interact with the least and gives you the option to unfollow them.  So, if you’re following tons of irrelevant accounts that you don’t care about, that effort may be in vain if they end up unfollowing you in the future since your content is irrelevant to them too.

Why is Instagram Doing This?

Money.

Instagram, which is owned by Facebook wants their ad money.  This isn’t all bad though.  A more restrictive platform drives the focus towards creating top-notch content, instead of buying fake followers or story views.  Like most of digital marketing, we can no longer “scream into the void” and be heard. Brands must stand above the crowd of mediocrity with quality, customer service, and a unique message.