Instagram Algorithm Updates May 2022
Instagram is an ever evolving platform, constantly making updates to keep you watching.
So here are some of the most recent updates as of May 2022:
Prioritising original content - Instagram will now favour created Reels and feed posts over re-shares
‘Home, Follow and Favourite’ Screen - Your home screen will now be split into 3 different options
Home: The current default feed with ranked and personalised content
Following: The chronological feed from original Instagram
Favourites: A second chronological feed with content from a curated list of accounts
More suggested content: If you choose to view your feed in the default ‘Home’ feed view, you may have noticed you’re seeing content from people you aren’t following. This is Instagrams way of serving you new content to expand your horizons
No Watermarks: Instagram is de-prioritising any content with watermarks from other apps/brands (i.e. tiktok reposts).
Improved Categorisation: The algorithm is much more refined in its ability to identify and categorise content based on the visuals and copy (keywords), hence hashtags are less important.
What will influence feed posts?
Instagram now serves content to you in your feed based on a set of ‘signals’ including:
Post Info: Is it a photo or a video? When was it posted? How many likes does it have?
Poster Info: How interesting are they to you? Are they your friend? How often do people engage with their content?
Your activity: What type of content do you typically engage with, how long do you spend on the app?
Your interaction history: Do you typically like or comment on the poster’s posts?
Other things that influence Instagram Feed posts include:
image/video quality
originality (has it already been shared)
watermarks
violations to Instagrams guidelines
reported content
timeliness
