Instagram Reels Algorithm: Facts You Must Know

Don’t you know the secret for quick growth on Instagram? You might have guessed it already. Yes, we are talking about Instagram reels. After introducing reels on its platform, Instagram has noticed engagement growth of 280%.

Recently you might have heard that Instagram is now ditching the standalone IGTV app and instead focusing on Instagram reels. After feeling the competition growing with YouTube shorts and Tiktok, Instagram has decided to focus more on short video content format. They have also updated Instagram reels algorithm to enhance the overall video viewing experience.

However, as a creator, that might sound concerning for those who want to get their reel videos viral on Instagram. Don’t worry! Even with all the concerns, there are solutions as well. Here, have a look.

How Does Instagram Reels Algorithm Work?

Now Instagram has decided to set some rules for showing reels to users. People who follow you can see your reel videos on their main feed. But if you are a creator or influencer who wants to grab more audience’s attention by getting your videos featured on Instagram, there is no good news for you. Besides newsfeed, Instagram gets you two placements for your reels to gain exposure- Explore tab and the Reels tab.

Explore Tab:

After opening the explore tab, you will find many posts and stories. Along with that, you will also find some featured reel videos. There you can check the most trending reels on Instagram.

Reels Tab:

This tab is solely created to check out reels only. If you tap on it, you will get to see reel videos which you can scroll one by one.

Earlier, if you have a great skill in creating entertaining videos that deserve enough views and engagement, there is no guarantee that they will appear on explore or reel tab. And the reason for that is the Instagram reels algorithm, which decided to consider several factors before showcasing reels on both tabs.

Here are the factors based on which Instagram chooses to showcase reel videos to appear when and where.

Post Relevance- Instagram algorithm tracks user behavior by checking the hashtags, website pixels, likes, comments, and other activities done by Insta-user. Based on that, Instagram tracks user affinity and suggests posts accordingly to rank the reels on both explore page and the reels tab.

Audience Interaction– The algorithm sees the pattern of content in which you have shown interest. Even if you haven’t followed the account, Instagram may suggest their posts on your feed depending on your interaction pattern.

Timeliness– Instagram tries to prioritize newly published content, and this rule also applies to reels also. To make sure that your audience will not miss your Insta-reels, post them right on time when most of your audiences are active.

Popularity– Of course, if you are a verified person on Instagram, you have better chances of getting your reels on explore and reels tab. Since people usually engage a lot on the posts of such influencers, their reels often get quite an exposure and can get viral on Instagram.

Tips to Make Instagram Reels Algorithm Work For You-

The good thing is the algorithm prioritizes reels over the other posts. Still, to get better exposure for your Instagram reels, you need to gain more engagement, driving tons of likes, shares, comments, and saves on your reels.

These are the tips you can follow to get your reels discovered by more users and stay updated with latest reel trends on Instagram.

Make Funny & Entertaining Reels-

Most people check Instagram reels to watch funny and entertaining videos. It is also the reason why Instagram reels algorithm also promotes such type of content on its platform. The algorithm ranks the reels based on their entertainment value. If people are enjoying your short videos and it is getting enough engagement, you could have a chance to get your short video post at the top position on the reels tab. Moreover, nowadays, audiences have low attention time, so it is better to keep the video short enough to make people watch until the end.

Post Videos On Right Time-

If you are publishing videos when your followers are active, there are more chances of getting engagement (likes, saves, and comments) within the first few seconds after posting. Otherwise, there are so many reels getting published every day and it’s easy to get your reels blurred in between all such posts on Instagram. Based on Instagram Global Engagement, most people check their Instagram accounts from 9 am to 9 pm.

However, this data may differ for individuals. While it is better to analyze your own posts to find out at what time you have the most engagement on Instagram. Socinator is an Instagram automation solution that can help you measure the performance of your Instagram account. Using its analytics, you can check which time your posts are getting the most views, likes, and maximum engagement on Instagram.

Visually Appealing Reels-

For those who are creative enough to make their reel videos aesthetically more appealing, it has been seen that they get more views and engagement. Instagram has now included many features using which creators can make more creatively appealing videos. However, it’s important to remember that the length of your Instagram Reels should be just right—not too long, but long enough to engage your audience. Depending on the changing trends, you may see many more VR filters and amazing camera effects in the future. If you can use these features to the fullest, you may easily create a reel that can go viral on Instagram.

Make Use Of Hashtags-

How can you forget to use hashtags while posting on Instagram? Yes! Hashtags play an important role in getting your reels more exposure. In fact, many users also search for entertaining content using the most popular hashtags. By adding accurate and descriptive hashtags, you can notify the Instagram reels algorithm that your post is relevant to a particular genre. And it will show the reel video to those who might be interested in watching content relevant to particular genre content.

Make Use of Trending Music-

Another aspect of reels is the music added to that particular video. With trending music, your reels may spread across a massive audience without much effort. As the trend changes, the new music takes the place of the older ones. And people forget about the videos they have viewed in the past.

Wrapping Words-

Even after following all these tips, make sure to maintain the level of aesthetics on Instagram since it will not recommend a video that has been poorly made or has sensitive or controversial clips.

The Instagram algorithm is capable enough to judge what people want to video on Insta. And accordingly, it recommends the most preferred content to audiences. So if you also want to get your Instagram reel videos viral, you can follow the above-shown tips to get yourself on the good side of the Instagram reels algorithm.