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Exposing the Myths About New Instagram Algorithms

Myths-About-New-Instagram-Algorithms

There has been a lot of talking about IG algorithms. With constant changes, we adapt and accept what we are offered. How to know what should we apply?

There has been a lot of talking about Instagram algorithms lately. With constant changes, we need to adapt and accept what we are offered. But a lot of Instagram coaches and marketers have been giving us information that might or might not be true.

How to know what exactly should we apply? Instagram has given us some answers in their recent series of stories and answered the most common questions about algorithms.


Myth #1: Your Account is Treated Depending on the Type of it (Personal/Business/Creator)

types-of-instagram-accounts

We often hear that somebody doesn’t want to switch to a business account because it will affect his/her ranking and engagement rates. But Instagram finally confirmed that all types of accounts are treated equally and that they don’t favor business accounts or verified accounts content in users’ feeds.

Actually, your ranking depends on you and your audience. If they engage regularly around your content, you will rank higher. The same goes for your interactions.

If you switch to a business account, you will have access to analytics. You are also able to sign in to Business Suite to schedule and auto-publish your posts. A few features that are useful and worth switching.


Myth #2: Comments Shorter than 3 Words are not Counted in as an Engagement

Comments Shorter than 3 Words in social site

We can often hear that your comments need to have 3 or even 4 words at least, to be considered as an engagement. But Instagram claims that all comments are taken into account, even just emojis.

Comments are very important for the engagement of a brand’s account. When algorithms recognize quality comments, your reach will grow, and with that, you have new possibilities. So it is good news that all of them count.

Don’t forget that your replies are important as well. Maybe you even noticed when checking your metrics that your comments are also shown in total number.


Myth #3: The First 30 Minutes After Posting Determines Your Ranking

engagement in instagram

Also not true. It seems there has been a (mis) belief that posts are getting prioritized if they get a lot of engagement in the first 30 minutes after publishing. You will still get your deserved benefits if your audience spots your content later.

But it is anyway not a bad idea to schedule your posts when your audience is online.


Myth #4: Videos get a Better Ranking than Photos

Get a better videos for your rank

For a lot of users, it seems their videos are better ranked than usual photos. But that also can be because people are more likely to engage around video content, so this is what boosts this kind of post.

At least, Instagram claims they don’t favor posts by their type. They say that your feed is customized and depends on how you use Instagram. If you watch more videos, you will see them more in your feed.

So, the conclusion is that ranking by the type (video or photo) of posts depends on our audience. How much they engage around each type.


Myth #5: Fake Interactions are as Good as Real Ones

instagram Fake Interactions

(By fake we mean bots and comment pods.)

Instagram has machine learning algorithms that are capable of recognizing fake interactions. It will not just be recognized but also ranked as such. They have been investing a lot of effort to sustain such actions.

According to Instagram, the best way to build good engagement is to be genuine and transparent. Simply said: cheating won’t work, no matter how smart it is. In the end, they’ll figure it out, and you will get banned.

Try to post regularly and engage with your audience, to create that kind of real engagement. Plan and schedule your posts, and use every opportunity to build a relationship with your audience.


We hope this post has given you some new insights on the things we all have been looking at incorrectly. Maybe this will give you some new motivation to do great things with Instagram. Let us know how it went.

AlexisKestler

Written by Alexis Kestler

A female web designer and programmer - Now is a 36-year IT professional with over 15 years of experience living in NorCal. I enjoy keeping my feet wet in the world of technology through reading, working, and researching topics that pique my interest.