Instagram has changed more times in the last twelve months than it did in the five years before. Reels-first, then photos-back, then full-screen feed, then "we went too far". Adam Mosseri is essentially running a live experiment on your business. Lovely. Let's find the signal in the noise.
How the algorithm actually works
There isn't one algorithm. There are four, and they rank the feed, Stories, Reels and Explore differently. But underneath all of them sit the same signals: relationships, interest, relevance, and recency. Post for the signals, not the trends.
Relationships are comments and DMs. Interest is saves and shares. Relevance is topic matching. Recency is time-sensitivity. Every piece of content you make should be engineered to trigger at least two of those signals. Most bad Instagram content triggers none.
The dos
- Do lead with a hook: First two seconds of a Reel or first line of a caption. No warmups.
- Do ask for saves and shares: They carry more weight than likes now.
- Do reply to every comment: Ideally within the first hour. It compounds reach.
- Do use Reels for reach, Stories for retention: Different jobs, different formats.
- Do post when your audience is online: Check your insights, not a blog from 2019.
The don'ts
- Don't post static images to Reels: The algorithm knows. It'll suppress you.
- Don't use banned or spammy hashtags: Check yours quarterly, things get flagged constantly.
- Don't delete posts that didn't perform: You lose engagement history. Archive instead.
- Don't post and ghost: If you can't be online for the first 30 minutes, post later.
- Don't chase trends you don't understand: A confused Reel performs worse than no Reel.
Reels, Reels, Reels
We'd love to tell you Reels are overrated. We can't. They're where the reach is, and they will be for the foreseeable future. Not because Meta prefers them, but because that's where attention is going. If you're not making at least three Reels a week as a business, you're leaving reach on the table. That doesn't mean every post needs to be a Reel. It means Reels should be your primary reach format, with other types supporting.
If you need help getting Reel production into a sustainable rhythm, our five hacks piece has the tactical side.
Stories: the most underused tool
Stories don't drive reach. They drive retention, and retention is where repeat buyers come from. Use polls, questions, quizzes and sliders to keep existing followers engaged. The goal isn't a viral Story, it's a Story that 40% of your followers see and interact with. Boring to write about. Powerful in practice.
Captions are sales copy now
The days of three-word captions and seven emojis are over for serious brands. Longer, useful captions keep people on the post for longer, which is a direct ranking signal. Write your captions like mini blog posts. Hook, promise, payoff, call to action. Yes, it's more work. Yes, it's worth it.
Want your Instagram to actually grow?
We build content systems that ride the algorithm instead of fighting it. No magic, just process.
Book the auditThe shadowban myth
"I've been shadowbanned" is Instagram's version of "my homework was eaten by the dog." It happens occasionally, but 95% of the time reach has dropped because the content has dropped, not because Meta has it in for you. Audit your last ten posts honestly. If they're worse than your last ten posts from six months ago, there's your answer.
For the Meta-wide context, our post on recent Meta updates fills in the rest.
The long game
Instagram rewards consistency over cleverness. A brand posting three decent Reels a week for a year will out-perform a brand posting one viral Reel a month, every time. Algorithms reward rhythm. Rhythm requires systems. Systems require commitment. Commitment requires strategy. It's not glamorous, but it works.
What to ignore entirely
Anyone telling you Instagram has a "secret hashtag formula." Anyone selling a "growth hack" for £97. Anyone claiming they have exclusive access to Meta's algorithm. They don't. We don't. Adam Mosseri barely does. Ignore them and make good content.
The verdict
The Instagram algorithm isn't your enemy. Your random posting schedule is. Your one-size-fits-all content is. Your hashtag soup is. Fix those three things and the algorithm will look like it suddenly loves you. It didn't change. You did.
