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6 Easy Tricks to Trigger The Instagram Algorithm

Instagram Algorithm

For any Instagram theme-account owner, the Instagram algorithm should always have an important role. By understanding how the algorithm rates your posts, you will not only get more engagement on it but also gain followers much faster. In this blog article, you will learn six simple and quick tricks to push your Instagram Game in late 2020.

1. Caption Matters

In addition to obvious metrics such as likes, shares and saves, Instagram also records how long a user stays on your post. For this reason, videos or carousels usually reach more users. One thing that every post has in common is the caption.

Many influencers see the caption as an unnecessary task – it’s an annoying thing to do for them. This leaves a big chance on the side.

Get users to read your caption and the chance that your posts will go viral is significantly higher – simply because it increases the time spent on your posts.

There are different approaches to write effective captions. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Tell the story to the post (Emotional stories work great)
  • Ask a question to be answered by the users (preferably a polarizing question. With a dog account you can ask under a suitable posting what dog owners think about an anti-bark device that works with sounds. Encourage the people to discuss).
  • Share your opinion. (Instead of describing the post emotionlessly in 3-4 words, share your thoughts in a personal way with your followers).

2. Engage With Comments

After uploading a post your work shouldn’t be done. Even in the after-post stage, the probability of virality can be increased. The Instagram algorithm likes it very much if users come back to your post for a second time. For this reason, don’t miss the opportunity to reply on the comments below your post, or at least to like them. From personal experience you should use this tactic in the first 30 minutes after an upload.

3. Don’t Delete Posts

Your post did not perform as well as it should? Then do yourself a favor and don’t delete it!

Why? It’s simple… you show the algorithm that your posts are not sustainable. Why should Instagram push your future posts when you delete 50% of them after 2 days?

Forget the delete option. Use the archive option.

This tip will still be valid in the future and has been valid for a long time. In 2019 I destroyed the momentum on one of my accounts with a feed cleanup action with 1-2k follower growth per day. Don’t do this…

4. Post at The Right Time

I cannot stress it often enough. The correct time of the day plays a central role in the question of how likely a post goes viral. Look in your settings for each day specifically when the best time is. At that time, you share your best post.

Sproutsocial has analyzed data from 20,000 social media users and received a general trend for the best times to post on Instagram. In addition to the data you receive from your Instagram profile, you have another benchmark here.

Instagram Algorithm
Average Engagement on Posts of 20,000 Accounts – created by sproutsocial.com

5. No Joke: Use Hashtags

Hashtags have always enjoyed great popularity in blog articles around Instagram. From my point of view the topic was often overrated in the past. Since the Explore Page offers filter options as tagbox, this feature is very important again, especially for relatively new accounts. This way you make sure that Instagram can assign your post to the right topic.

“To reduce the number of hashtag-spammers who are selected to appear in the TOP POSTS section of a hashtag, the Instagram algorithm also avoids selecting posts that repeatedly place their hashtags in the same order in consecutive posts” – from Eduardo Morales on Medium.com

Using the right Hashtags in the right way. This means that you should stay away from always using the same hashtags in the same places.

However, it seems that Hashtags aren’t important anymore when your account has reached a good level of engagement and momentum. Check out @woofwoof.tv for an example.

6. Sell Yourself as a Person

This tip is indirectly connected with the Instagram algorithm. People follow people and so it is on Instagram. Make sure that you add a personal touch to your theme-account. This increases the willingness to interact with your posts, you’ll gain more followers and show the algorithm that you are a qualitative account. How you can do this without putting your face in the camera?

  • Use the Bio to share your personal view on the topic
  • Create a name (not the account name) that impresses your opinion and does not simply describe your content in 2-3 keywords
  • Share your personal thoughts in the captions of your posts

Keep these tips in mind and work with them. You’ll get results pretty fast after one or two weeks. Start watching your account as a brand and build something with character. Instagram Reels are still a pretty new feature so make sure that you don’t miss out on this opportunity. Check out this article to know what I am talking about.

If you have more tricks to trigger the Instagram Algorithm these days, feel free to share it in the comments!

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Just write an e-mail to hello@adstock.io.

About the author

Fabian Aichem

Co-Founder & CEO of adstock. On my way to simplify the way of selling ads on Instagram. Join the journey now.

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