Instagram has updated its algorithm for ordering the content shown in each user’s feed, with the goal of prioritizing original posts and those made by emerging creators.
The aim of this measure is to benefit both creators who provide quality content to the social network and users themselves, who will, in principle, see more content of interest in their feeds.
This major update to Instagram’s algorithm aims to give original content more reach, as well as penalize those who only copy that content or simply share it directly with their audience.
With this change, smaller accounts on Instagram have a better chance to stand out and achieve greater exposure for their content. According to Instagram, the algorithm update is based on these four key elements:
How the Instagram Algorithm Prioritizes Original Content
These are the four main changes the Instagram algorithm will experience from now on:
Content Aggregators
Aggregator accounts are being removed from content recommendations. Instagram will no longer show suggested content to users that comes from “content aggregator” accounts, which only share content automatically or repost what others do. Their posts will no longer appear in recommendations.
Specifically, Instagram will stop recommending content from accounts that repeatedly post content from other Instagram accounts. To do this, it will consider those that repost content they did not create 10 or more times in the last 30 days. Their content will not appear in areas of the social network where content is suggested to other users.
According to Instagram, accounts considered “content aggregators” can be recommended again once 30 days have passed since the last time they posted non-original content. The administrators of these accounts will be able to see their status in their profile settings.
Adding Tags to Shared Content
Instagram will proactively include a tag and redirect users to the accounts that originally published the content being shared by others.
When Instagram detects that you are the author of content, it will try to drive more traffic to your post instead of recommending those who simply shared your content.
We’ll have to see how Instagram implements this in practice, since currently many viral posts shared by others get more traction—often more than the original poster.
Replacing Shared Content with Original Content in Recommendations
Instagram will enhance ways to highlight more original content in recommendations, replacing shared content with the genuine original.
If it finds two or more identical pieces of content, it will only share the original. However, if the shared content modifies the original “substantially”—for example, by adding a new voiceover or editing it to create a meme—Instagram will not apply the replacement.
Support for Small Creators
Instagram will boost smaller and newly created accounts over larger, more popular creators.
Until now, the way Instagram’s algorithm worked, it was the larger accounts that got the most exposure, but now the company wants to give all users—regardless of the size of their Instagram community—the opportunity to reach large audiences if they create quality content.
To achieve this, the social network will focus on newly created content that gains significant reach shortly after being published. Those that get more interactions from the initial audience will receive greater exposure. This is similar to what the TikTok algorithm does.
