Make the most out of every Instagram post. Why do all of the work of finding the right image, crafting the perfect video, or writing a great caption if you’re not optimizing it? Especially if your strategy is hurting your chances with the Instagram algorithm.
While the algorithm is always evolving, there’s one important thing that hasn’t changed — the importance of engagement. How are your followers liking, commenting, and interacting with your Instagram content? Keep reading to learn about five Instagram algorithm hacks that will help you boost your content so you can work with (not against) the Instagram algorithm.
In this blog post
- Share Your Content with Instagram Direct Message
- Add Alt Text to Your Instagram Posts
- Tag Other Relevant Accounts in Your Post
- Reply to Your Followers’ Comments
- Consistently Share Instagram Stories
#1 Instagram Algorithm Hack: Share Your Content with Instagram Direct Message
Think of your Instagram content like the beginning of a conversation. You want to make sure that you’re taking the time to reach out and respond to your followers. Remind your followers that there’s a real person behind your brand.
One of the best ways to nurture relationships with your followers is by using Instagram Direct Message. When you share a new Instagram post, send it your followers who you think would be interested.
Now, this doesn’t mean you should spam them every time you post. Think about the individuals who’ve recently interacted with your content or engaged with similar posts in the past. Those are the people you want to spark a conversation with.
#2 Instagram Algorithm Hack: Add Alt Text to Your Instagram Posts
If you’ve worked on a website or other digital projects you’re probably familiar with alt text. For those who are less familiar with alt text, also known as alternative text, it is the written copy that appears in place of images. Screen readers use alt text to make images accessible to the visually impaired.
But alt text doesn’t just make your images more accessible on Instagram, which is great for creating inclusive content, it’s also a big win for SEO. These are the keywords that make your content more searchable and likely to show up when people are browsing certain words or phrases.
If you’re not sure how to add alt text on Instagram or want more information about why it’s so important, check out this video.
#3 Instagram Algorithm Hack: Tag Other Relevant Accounts in Your Post
Before you read that header and immediately open up Instagram to tag as many Instagram accounts as possible, hear me out. Just like sending your Instagram posts with Direct Message, tagging other accounts isn’t an excuse to spam your followers.
Instead, think of this as another way to flag your Instagram posts for the people who would be most interested. It’s easy for people to miss things when they’re quickly scrolling through their feed, but a notification is more likely to get your followers’ attention.
Keep in mind that you can only tag up to 20 accounts. That can include your most engaged followers or brands featured in your video or photo. But try to avoid tagging the same accounts in every post.
#4 Instagram Algorithm Hack: Reply to Your Followers’ Comments
How many times have you seen a comment under your Instagram content and you’ve caught yourself scrolling past it? Or just left a heart on the comment to let your follower know that you saw his or her feedback? Don’t let these moments of engagement go to waste.
Instead, reply back. If someone took the time to leave a thoughtful comment, take the time to respond. To keep the conversation going always reply directly to the comment so you start a thread. Who knows, maybe someone else will see your conversation and want to chime in.
#5 Instagram Algorithm Hack: Consistently Share Instagram Stories
As a brand, there are few Instagram strategies that are as valuable as consistently sharing on Instagram Stories. Think about it, there are over 500 million people using Instagram Stories every day — that’s a lot of potential eyeballs on your content.
Instagram Stories are where your audience can see a less filtered and scripted side of your brand. But it’s also a great way to nudge more people to your Instagram feed.
Just like your Instagram Live videos and IGTV, Instagram Stories encourage your followers to spend more time on your account and engage with your content.
Instagram Tip: Use a carousel post to encourage people to spend more time on your account.
Discover How to Make Instagram Your Most Successful Place to Market Your Business
Do you find yourself spending hours on Instagram, but aren’t seeing the results for your business? That’s why I developed my FREE Instagram Strategy Guide. It outlines exactly how to bring more awareness to your products and services and converts followers to buyers fast.
