Secrets about Instagram Reels Algorithm

How Does Instagram Reels Algorithm Work?

IG Reels Algorithm's primary objective is to display the most relevant and engaging content on the "Explore" page, so that the user has a better experience.

The algorithm works by checking out who you follow on IG, what content you interact with and what type of videos you like. It also looks into who follows you, where your videos are commented and reposted from, who watches your videos and more.

It does not work similarly to TikTok, as there is no trending page on IG. This means that for a video to receive views it will have to be discovered through the explore tab or people visiting your profile specifically.

Secrets About IG Reels Algorithm That You Should Know

While there is no specific algorithm for IG Reels, it does use the same general algorithm that stories do. According to Instagram’s own documentation, when you watch a Reel from someone you follow or from the Explore page, it begins with a few seconds of sound and then some text over the video. It is impossible to see the video because it is covered by text.

The first thing Reels do is they go through all of your followers and search for those that are within 1,000 meters of your location. Then they display their profile images in your feed (if they have one). If you have more than 10,000 followers on IG and 50% of them are within 1,000 meters of your location, then they will appear in your feed as well.

This process takes place every time someone watches a new reel or story on IG so that everyone can see what everyone else is watching. This means that if you don’t watch any reels or stories on Instagram for a couple days, you might not even know about any new ones! But once you catch up with all of them (which should happen after about two weeks), then all new reels and stories will be displayed in chronological order based on when they were created.

1. Your View Count Matters More than Your Likes

When you post a Reel, you don't need to worry about getting the magic 500 likes that magically boost your content up in the algorithm. Instead, IG is looking at your view count. The more views you have, especially within the first day or two of posting, the more likely IG will think people want to see your Reels, and they'll push it further into their feed.

Think about it: when was the last time you went back and hit "like" on all those old posts from three years ago? Chances are slim to none. But if someone had posted something funny or cool back then that sparked your interest enough for you to watch it, IG wants to make sure you get a chance to see those videos from your favorite creators again now!

The most important thing is that people are watching because this is how IG determines which posts will be shown in Explore Tab and For You Page (FYP).

2. Twitter is a Good Way to Promote Reels Videos

There’s no way to embed your IG reels straight into your tweets, but you can still use Twitter to promote your IG reels by tweeting about the video and including the link in the tweet.

It’s simple enough for people to click on the link and watch your reels video. You can also use other social media platforms like Facebook, Pinterest to share your IG reel video with more followers from different social media platforms.

3. The Power of Influencers

There’s a reason IG influencers have built such huge followings: their followers love them. These fans are passionate about the content their favorite creators put out, and they trust the influencers to recommend their favorite products, restaurants, makeup brands, you name it. This is one of the main factors that builds an audience for Reels on Instagram: if enough people are creating engaging content that promotes your brand or product, then others will trust those recommendations and want to follow suit. It’s natural to think that these influencers must be paid big bucks in order to serve as brand ambassadors—but this isn’t always true! Many Instagram influencers actually prefer working with smaller brands because they want to associate themselves with something new and unique. If you find a like-minded creator with a similar audience as your own, they might just be willing to feature your products on their Reels feed at no cost!

4. Video Quality is Important

Your video quality is an essential factor that will determine how many people will share your videos and how much fame you can gain on IG.

You should make sure that your videos are of high quality, because this will tell the algorithm that they are good and worthy of being shown to more users. Don’t compromise the quality of your videos for the sake of posting them on time. It’s better to post a great video once in a while than many mediocre ones every few hours.

5. Frequent Posting on the Platform Will Boost Your Discoverability

The more you post on IG, the more discoverable your content becomes. Frequent posting shows that you’re active on the platform and indicates to IG that you create engaging content. The more frequently your audience engages with your posts, the higher they will appear in the algorithm, which means your visibility increases. It’s not just about quantity either; quality matters as well. Creators should strive to make sure their content stays relevant and high-quality by avoiding frequent use of filters or editing techniques that have a negative impact on video quality. This way, creators can ensure their content is being surfaced appropriately within Reels.

IG has started testing an account summary feature for profiles with a significant number of followers (500k+) which displays a percentage expressing how often you post new posts versus re-sharing old ones . Resharing old photos is a good way to keep up engagement if you don’t have many new photos, but IG wants to encourage frequent posting over resharing when it comes to discovering new accounts and content from those who are not in the top 5% of most followed accounts on IG.

6. Make Videos that Solve Users’ Problems

Imagine being a user on IG, scrolling through feed. You’re looking for videos that do one of the following:

• Entertain you
• Teach you something new
• Inspire you
• Amaze you
• Motivate you to do something differently in your life
• Convince you to try out a product/service
• Challenge what you think is possible