After moving to Instagram for better marketing, most people ask “So here we are now, what to do next?”

Like any other social media platform, a powerful and sophisticated algorithm works at the backend of Instagram. This algorithm is what determines what is good and what is not. What should be shown on the top and what type of content should be thrown at the end. If you’re new to Instagram and you want to know things like should I use hashtags or not? What kinds of posts are seen by more people? Do videos work better than other posts on Instagram? Then don’t worry because today we’ll be talking about 9 ways that you can use to make Instagram’s algorithm work for you.

Now, just quite recently, Instagram cleared the mist and ended many rumors in the market about the Instagram algorithm’s working. Obviously there is not shortcut which allows you to stand above the algorithm and get your content ranked. But, there are some ways which do help in improving your content which in turn improves your ranking in Instagram’s algorithm.

Let’s see what we can do to make Instagram’s algorithm work for us.

Post more stories

Instagram’s whole foundation is based on the ability of tell a whole story in just one picture. To make Instagram’s algorithm work for you, you need to come up with innovative ideas of making better posts for stories. Use catchy captions and bright color schemes which make a user stop scrolling and look at what you have to show.

Observe the trends and keep an eye out for hot topics. Making posts about the issues that are hot. This gives you more chance of getting the user’s attention. Because when you make post on a social issue, you don’t just stand for yourself but you also give out the message that you care for others as well.

Optimize Hashtags

Most people on Instagram don’t even know how to use hashtags and what a good hashtags can do for them. You can consider Hashtags as small captions which represent a specific trend, a movement or any other social issue. Hashtags are generally created by major social media influencers and by using them you can take advantage of the rolling mass behind that Hashtags. Here’s how it works. If you support Hashtags and you want to take advantage of the mass gained by that, just place it among the Hashtags of your story and your story will start appearing in the category of that Hashtag as well.

Post more videos

It’s a naked truth that users like to see videos more than they like to read the information off of a post. That’s why it’s very important that you post creative and attention grabbing videos with good voice over and editing. Videos are not only a better way to get Instagram algorithm’s attention but it’s also the most efficient way to convey your message to the audience. Make sure to focus on brand identity but don’t forget to also make videos about social issues, trends and movements because they help you get more popular among users. Enhance your video quality every time by learning what you did wrong last time and improve your content constantly.

Post at right time

Most people are still not aware of posting content on the right time. Choosing the best time to post your content is very vital in determining how much attention your story will get. You need to research carefully about what are the timings in which the audience you are targeting is most active. This timing varies for different age groups and hence brands need to be careful about scheduling their posts accordingly.

And it’s just not the clock we’re talking about! If there is a hot topic that is becoming talk of the town then it’s very important that you make content about it and post it before that topic gets cold.

Write compelling captions

Captions are also an important part or as most people say “the most vital” part of a story. If your story has a short and catchy title then it’s destined to get more attention because that’s what people dig. There are brands with think tanks which are dedicated to coming up with catchy and easy to remember captions and catch phrases.

You can tell your whole story in just a few words by coming up with the right caption for your brand. Also, it’s very important that you constantly change and improve your captions. Your captions need to be aligned with the visual content you are posting, only then will they be most effective.

Build relationships

There’s no brand or company which has survived in the market without building relationships. With the content you post and videos you make, you need to create a bond between the brand and the user. This relationship that is formed between brand and user helps to increase Instagram followers, which turns into brand loyalty and even brand bias in some cases.

User oriented content and captions make users feel that you actually care for them and that your brand isn’t just about making money, it stands for something better than that. Always reply to user comments and answer the questions they have in mind. Giving importance to users is directly proportional to brand loyalty.

Increase engagement

What makes a user stop scrolling down and look at a post? Yes! We’re talking about the visual content here. Nothing works better than a nicely designed post when it comes to grabbing a user’s attention. Colorful and unique posts with catchy lines written on them are the best way to communicate with the user. Always make sure to come up with innovative post designs and catchy short phrases which make a user stop and look at what you have to show.

Centered in story telling

Keeping loyal customers engaged with the brand is also one of the most important key factors in improving brand awareness. Making posts and posting videos is one thing but it takes some extra effort to build customer interaction. You can do that by replying to customer comments on your stories and by answering the questions they have in mind regarding your brand.

Doing this will not only show that you care for their opinion; it will also improve the brand image in the sub-consciousness of your customers.

Easily track your competitions and come up with better content

No need to go outside and conduct market research to analyze where you stand among your competitors. With Instagram you can easily see what your competitors are doing, what audience they are targeting, which themes are they going with and what are they planning to do next. This platform gives you an ability to predict your competitor’s next move by carefully and meticulously observing their current content.

Improve the quality of your content by constantly comparing your content with your competitors and never let others take away your vibe by maintaining that content quality.

Make quality content

You can forget getting on top of Instagram if you don’t have high quality content. There’s only one thing that Instagram wants and that is quality content. Always make sure to come up with innovative, high quality content that is not only appealing but is also Instagram level good. Whether it be a video or a story, it’s important that pay attention to the details and give your best shot.

Reach a lot of people by improvising

With billions of users annually using Instagram, you need focus on the diversity of your content. If your content is streamlined and moves in only one direction then it may lose its value after sometime. That’s why it’s important to innovate and involve latest trends in your posts. This will give your content diversity and will also keep your clients updated. Try to be neutral with your content to reach maximum people but if there’s a resolution for good purpose then make sure to orient your content accordingly. Doing this will show that you care for and support all the good things being done in the world.

Good quality content improves your brand image among the users and also establishes your brand authority on Instagram.

Post consistently

Consistency is another important factor when it comes to making Instagram’s algorithm work for you. Just like any other social media, Instagram prefers brands which post consistently and regularly. You need to schedule your posts for at least a week in advance and make content accordingly. Once Instagram’s algorithm figures out that you post quality content consistently and on fixed times, it will automatically start improving your reach and more users will see your posts.

Conclusion

After all the strong arguments and presenting all the statistical data, we are quite sure that you’re now fully convinced of Instagram’s importance as a platform to grow business. With good quality content and the right marketing strategy, you can easily grow your business on Instagram. Just make sure to follow trends and create your own trends when the right time comes. New users are signing up on Instagram as you’re reading this very line so it’s time to step up your game and shift to Instagram.

9 ways to make Instagram algorithm work for you