The Algorithm is Algorithm-ing

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

Mia is our Marketing & Digital Media Manager at Shy Bird. She’s kind of a badass.

[ Instagram Reels: Trending Audio + Hashtags + High Engagement = Go Viral? ]

Welcome to the never ending loop of how many likes and comments your post gets, wondering when you’ll get more views on your Reel, whether enough people responded to the story poll for you to actually post the results, and Meta Verification. Why do we work so hard to beat the algorithm, when Instagram has explained how the ranking works. 

What happened to just using the right hashtags and alt text? Hashtags started on Twitter in 2007, long before Twitter became ‘X,’ and Rihanna had just released her single ‘Umbrella,’ which was arguably a more impactful cultural shift than Apple’s first iPhone release and ‘High School Musical 2.’

When Instagram came out in 2010, it was a simpler time. The glorified blue check lived in infamy, and it could only come from the powers that be at Instagram when they felt like you had achieved a certain amount of online clout, unless you were a celebrity or public figure. Similar to when one’s follower count made the jump from 9,999 to 10k; achievable for many but sat on its own admirable throne. Both ideas still live under the umbrella of visual acceptance that you’ve ‘made it’ on Instagram. 

Well, it’s not 2010. Now, you can purchase a blue check on Instagram for a recurring monthly fee of $14.99. Rihanna and A$AP Rocky made the greatest collab of all time, welcoming two baby boys into the world, and X (Twitter) is going head to head with Threads. 

In 2012, Meta acquired Instagram for $1 billion. Instagram Verified is now Meta Verified. X (Twitter) has updated ‘rules’ on achieving the blue check. When X (Twitter) CEO Elon Musk announced that users now have the ability to pay for a blue check, the digital world was in an uproar. You could even say it was the “ick” of social media in 2023. So, how does engagement actually work in a new world of Instagram and blue checks. 

Timing and consistency is everything. 

Short-form videos are the new wave. Understanding the difference between Instagram Reels and Tik Tok, and how Reels boost your Instagram engagement, is essential. New insights surface nearly every day from online creators and platforms, offering tips on optimizing Instagram Reels and hacking the algorithm. What compels viewers to watch your Reel from start to finish? 

According to Instagram, it’s the Reels that: 

I posted a reel approximately six months ago on Shy Bird’s Instagram account, which still has around 3,000 views today. The Reel was shared on a Friday at 2pm EST with trending audio. Fast forward to this week in January 2024, I posted another Reel with trending audio on a Tuesday at 11am EST, and it reached over 6,000 views within 8 hours. 

While these aren’t monster numbers by any means, they do highlight a shift in the algorithm, a positive shift. Both videos had similar hashtags and cover images. 

We averaged around 90-100 new followers every two weeks between November 2023 and January 2024. The algorithm likes consistency. It rewards weeks and months of regular posting, engaging with similar accounts, liking and commenting on other posts, sharing stories, re-sharing stories, collaborating with others, the list goes on and on. 

The algorithm wants 3-5 grid posts a week, with 2-3 of those posts being Reels. When using audios, you have a better chance at “going viral” if the audio is trending with less than 10,000 uses when you post. Reels should run between 5-8 seconds, featuring a hook that grabs the viewer's attention. Writing a longer caption for the Reel encourages viewers to play the video in the background while reading the caption, resulting in more views. 

It’s a dark black hole of finding the sweet spot. Sometimes, 5-8 seconds hits the algorithm on the head, while other times, longer format closer to 1 minute goes viral. The same applies for original audios versus trending audios. No one can definitively predict what post will pop off, no matter how hard you’re trying to hack the algorithm. Tik Tok serves as a prime example, the algorithm is similar to conquering Mount Everest. We are still climbing the mountain.

Late 2023, Meta rolled out Instagram Reels A / B Testing for 2024 enabling “creators to test different captions and thumbnails on their mobile device to see which performs best.” This ties into the advantages of transitioning to a professional dashboard on Instagram. Switching over to a professional dashboard helps in tracking insights, but there are major limitations to using music. Copyright restrictions. Reduced access to trending audios. 

Consider when your audience is online. Be authentic. Make Instagram casual again. Trust the result of consistent posting. 

The root of Instagram ‘fame’ is high engagement, but the key is working with the algorithm.