Instagram Algorithm: How It Works and Why It Changes Your Feed
THE'Instagram algorithm It's your brain that decides what you see in your feed, Reels, and Explore. Understanding the’Instagram algorithm It is essential for creators, brands, and businesses who want to gain organic visibility without relying solely on paid ads.
In recent years, Instagram's algorithm has become more complex, based on real-time behavioral signals, interests, and interactions. The platform's goal is to maximize users' time on the app by showing increasingly relevant content. But how does it really work today, and what is changing with Reels and the new features coming soon?
Instagram Algorithm: Basic Principles and Ranking Signals
THE'Instagram algorithm Meta uses a combination of signals to decide which content to show first. According to Meta's official announcements, the main factors are: anticipated interest in the content, relationship to the post's author, recency (how recent the content is), and frequency of app use.
Basically, every time you open Instagram, the algorithm evaluates all the potentially viewable content and assigns a relevance score. This ranking system is similar to what happens on other social platforms and search engines, as also described for the general functioning of recommendation algorithms.
Among the most important signals considered by the Instagram algorithm we find:
- Previous interactions with the account (likes, comments, messages, saves, shares)
- View time on posts, stories, and reels
- Type of content you interact with most often (photos, videos, carousels, reels)
- Topics and hashtags you follow or interact with
- Negative signals, such as the “I'm not interested” button or quick content skipping
Every user action provides data that the algorithm uses to optimize the feed. It's therefore essential for marketers to view the Instagram algorithm not as an enemy, but as a system to be understood and supported with quality content.
How the Algorithm Handles Reels and Why They're So Important
The Reel section is today one of the areas where the’Instagram algorithm It's more aggressive in seeking content that can retain users. Reels compete directly with short videos on other platforms, and for this reason, Instagram rewards content that generates repeat viewing and repeat engagement.
According to numerous industry analyses and updates shared by Meta, the Reel algorithm gives particular weight to:
- Average view time and completion rate
- Number of shares and saves compared to views
- Using original audio or popular sound trends
- Interactions in the first minutes/hours after publication
Unlike the traditional feed, Reels are distributed much more openly: the Instagram algorithm often shows them to people who don't follow the creator, as a means of discovery. This makes Reels a key format for organic profile growth.
To better understand the role of these systems on user behavior, it is also useful to look at how other platforms describe their recommendation models, as is done in the official documents dedicated to the’use of ranking algorithms in feeds within the Meta ecosystem.
Instagram's new algorithm trends: AI and personalization
THE'Instagram algorithm It is now heavily driven by artificial intelligence and machine learning. The goal is to build an increasingly personalized experience, where each user sees a unique mix of content. This is achieved through models that learn in real time from interactions and shifts in interest.
In 2024 and beyond, these systems are expected to be further enhanced, with greater integration between feeds, Reels, Explore, and messages. Conversational signals from Direct and business channels will have increasing importance, as they indicate deeper relationships between brands and users.
The main trend lines of the Instagram algorithm are:
- Greater attention to the perceived quality of the content (value, usefulness, entertainment)
- Reducing the visibility of clickbait and inauthentic content
- Integration with generative AI systems for creative suggestions and formats
- Finer segmentation of interests to offer different feeds to specific clusters of users
For marketers, this means that simply posting frequently is no longer enough: they need a data-driven strategy, based on performance analysis and the continuous optimization of creative based on the behavior detected by the Instagram algorithm.
How to Optimize Content for the Instagram Algorithm
To work in synergy with the’Instagram algorithm It's essential to adopt a structured approach. The first rule is to produce content that's truly relevant to your audience, avoiding chasing every trend without brand consistency. The algorithm rewards accounts that generate authentic interactions over time.
Some good practices to improve performance are:
- Maintain a clear editorial line for topics, tone of voice and format
- Use relevant hashtags carefully, avoiding generic or excessive lists
- Stimulate interactions in comments with questions, calls to action, and content that invites responses
- Consistently analyze key insights and metrics to understand what your audience really likes
- Experiment with Reels, educational carousels, and “how-to” content that generates saves
Another crucial aspect is consistency between organic content and direct messaging. More and more users are switching from posts to Direct messages to engage with brands and professionals. Connecting your Instagram presence to conversation management systems like WhatsApp Business allows you to create a more seamless flow between content discovery and conversion.
In this scenario, integrating the Instagram algorithm with strategies based on advanced messaging channels becomes a significant competitive advantage for businesses.
Instagram Algorithm: Impact on Marketing and Business
THE'Instagram algorithm It has a direct impact on digital marketing strategies and business results. Organic visibility is no longer random: it depends on companies' ability to produce content that the algorithm recognizes as useful and engaging for specific audience segments.
For a brand, this means designing content along the funnel: awareness through Reels and viral posts, consideration with educational carousels and social proof, and conversion with clear calls to action via direct channels, such as WhatsApp Business or landing pages. The Instagram algorithm thus becomes an ally in delivering the right message to the right person at the right time.
From a customer experience perspective, Instagram is often the first point of contact with a brand. Interesting content intercepted by the algorithm can turn into a private conversation, a request for information, and ultimately a sale. This is why it's essential to integrate the Instagram algorithm's discovery logic with marketing automation and customer care tools.
Companies that exploit these mechanisms well are able to:
- Increase organic reach without increasing your advertising budget
- Improve customer engagement and loyalty
- Drive users from Instagram to high-converting channels like WhatsApp
- Create active communities around the brand, fueled by content that the Instagram algorithm continues to value
In this context, the integration of social content, automation, and messaging is one of the main growth drivers for e-commerce, professional, and service companies.
How SendApp Can Help with Instagram's Algorithm
To really take advantage of the’Instagram algorithm, It's not enough to get views and likes: you need to turn attention into conversations and customers. This is where the SendApp ecosystem comes in, designed to connect content published on social media to structured communication flows on WhatsApp Business.
With SendApp Official you can integrate the WhatsApp API official in your digital strategies. This allows you to create journeys where users discover the brand thanks to the Instagram algorithm and are then guided on WhatsApp to receive personalized information, quotes, support, or targeted promotional campaigns.
For sales and support teams, SendApp Agent It offers centralized management of WhatsApp conversations. Multiple agents can respond from a single interface, assign contacts, use quick replies, and maintain a structured history of interactions. This way, leads generated from Instagram are managed professionally and without waste.
If you want to take automation a step further, SendApp Cloud It allows you to create automatic flows on WhatsApp based on specific triggers. For example, you can trigger message sequences when a user messages you after seeing content on Instagram, segment contacts by interest, and send targeted campaigns based on behavior.
Connecting the effects of the Instagram algorithm to a system like SendApp means turning every view into a potentially valuable conversation. From content discovery to loyalty on WhatsApp, you can build an integrated, scalable, and measurable marketing and customer service ecosystem.
To get started, visit the official SendApp website at sendapp.live and discover the best solution for your business. You can request a dedicated consultation on WhatsApp Business strategies and evaluate how to best integrate the Instagram algorithm into your marketing automation workflows.
