Popular social media platforms like Instagram use what is known as an algorithm sort content in user feeds based on how relevant it is to them. These algorithms prioritize content that a user is most likely to want to see. This is very different from how social networks used to show content, which was in reverse chronological order. The newest posts used to show at the top of the feed, and this is still an option on certain platforms like Twitter.
When it comes to platforms like Instagram, algorithms are getting updated and changed all the time. You will sometimes even hear people moaning about a new algorithm update suddenly burying their content. However, sometimes, the algorithm updates work in your favor.
Alex Smetana, a 20-year-old viral influencer who runs his own digital marketing agency, shared a little bit about a recent update to the Instagram algorithm that benefits content creators. The changes involve the Explore page. Before the update, you would generally see content that was mostly from mutual “friends” you had with other people who you follow. Now, you will see much more content from creators making stuff you’re interested in. You may even see content related to a conversation you were having with someone in the room at some point (eavesdropping, much?).
Regardless of whether you are a personal brand or a themed page, you are going to see a lot more content that you are actually interested in, leading to higher engagement rates. That’s what this is all about, anyway. While yes, Instagram is helping you out by showing you content you are more likely to enjoy, what they really want is more engagement and interaction on their platform. That, ultimately, leads to them making more money.
However, content creators stand to make money from this algorithm update as well. It allows their content to get exposed to more people, leading to more engagement on their content, and also more lead generation.
If you have an Instagram page that has a lot of content that gets shared constantly, then the algorithm gods will look favorably upon you and will promote your content more on the Explore page. For Alex, this update has been fantastic, since most of his clients are brands and influencers who share a tremendous amount of content regularly.
For this latest algorithm update, content creators everywhere can rejoice. They will see their engagement rates rise, while also enjoying more leads and even sales. Alex is staying on top of any new developments that may come at any time and upend the game once again. For now, it seems like this is a net-positive for everyone involved.
If you’re a brand or influencer looking to take advantage of this new algorithm update, then you can reach out to Alex on his Instagram page and start the conversation. With 14 million followers on his Instagram pages, he knows how to drive engagement.
