🔒 Premium Members: Scroll to the bottom to access the Instagram optimization checklist, an Instagram content optimizer Claude skill, and a hooks library and hooks writer Claude skill.
If you’re having trouble growing your Instagram account, you’ll want to read this.
There are only two ways to grow your Instagram account:
You can pay for followers through ads or shoutouts. (Please don’t pay for followers directly; it’s always a scam).
You can grow organically…if the Instagram algorithm lets you.
Whether you choose to invest money in Instagram growth or not, you need to grow organically for Instagram to be a sustainable marketing channel.
The Instagram algorithm is the arbiter of organic growth. It decides how many people will see your content and who those people will be. Even among your own followers!
Today, I’ll share key insights into how the Instagram algorithm works and recommendations for optimizing your content accordingly.
Instagram’s ad business is massive. Instagram generated an estimated $86.3 billion in revenue in 2025.1 That’s more than YouTube. And more than TikTok, Twitter, Snapchat, and Pinterest…combined.
Instagram is a lucrative ecosystem governed by an algorithm. If you want to tap into it, read on to learn what works.
As usual, we’ll start with the recommendations before taking a more detailed look at how the Instagram Algorithm functions.
Table of Contents
20 Content Recommendations Based on the Instagram Algorithm Ranking Factors
Instagram Algorithm Content Optimization Checklist
Claude Instagram Content Optimizer Skill
Claude Hook Library and Hook Writer Skill
What are the Different Types of Instagram Content?
Instagram has three content formats: feed posts, stories, and reels.
Feed posts: Instagram feed posts are permanent images or videos displayed on a user's profile grid, typically showcasing curated content or highlights.
Reels: Instagram reels are short, entertaining videos offering a platform for users to create and discover engaging content in a TikTok-like format. Reels can also be shared as feed posts.
Stories: Instagram stories are short-lived posts that disappear after 24 hours, often used for sharing ephemeral moments or updates. You can also share your feed posts and reels to stories.
Only feed posts and reels are eligible to be recommended to people who don’t follow you.2 Stories reach your existing followers only, so feed posts and reels are the formats that grow your account. Reels are the biggest opportunity of the three: They already accounted for half of all time spent on Instagram by 2024.3
20 Content Recommendations Based on the Instagram Algorithm Ranking Factors
People spend a lot of time on Instagram. That’s how it generates so much ad revenue.
Given that Instagram makes money from selling advertising impressions, it’s not hard to guess what Instagram’s number one goal is: maximize how much time users spend on the platform. The more time users spend on the platform, the more ads they see, the more money Instagram makes.
Keep this in mind as you review the recommendations. Everything adds up to keeping users on the platform longer. In fact, this is why so much attention is focused on Reels. Reels take longer to consume because they are videos and are typically more entertaining.
If you can help Instagram keep people around with your content, you will be rewarded with engagement and followers, which you can monetize, too.
1. Don’t waste time creating content for stories until you have at least 1,000 followers.
Stories are only shown to your followers and are difficult for followers to share. Posting stories is great for engaging your current follower base but it won’t help you reach new followers. Your time is better spent elsewhere until you have followers to engage with.
Once you have a few hundred followers, you can share your feed posts and reels to stories to ensure they see them, but don’t bother creating content just for stories until you reach 1,000 followers.
2. If you run a giveaway, ensure entrants are required to tag other users in the post.
Instagram giveaways grow your account through tagging, not through the algorithm. Instagram’s recommendation guidelines used to list contests and giveaways as content it avoided recommending to new users. The current guidelines have dropped that language, but a giveaway post still rarely earns the watch time and shares that recommendations are built on. Require entrants to tag a friend on the post (in addition to following you, of course). This will expose your post to the tagged users, creating a viral effect that can help with account growth.
3. Recreate content rather than reposting.
The algorithm disincentivizes content that is repurposed from another source without adding value. The Instagram algorithm will not recommend content that is reposted without any material change. You’ll always get better results by recreating content you want to repost instead. Take the parts you like about it and make it your own. For example, you could add additional context to your post or adapt the design to appeal to your audience.
Instagram tightened this rule in 2026. The originality policy now covers photos and carousels, not just reels: If you mostly share content from others that you didn’t make or meaningfully edit, your account won’t be recommended to people who don’t follow you.4 Instagram’s examples of edits that aren’t enough include borders, watermarks, purely descriptive captions, and simply crediting the original creator.5 Instagram also offers a test you can apply yourself: If someone removed your contribution from your post, would the content basically be the same? If so, it needs more of you in it.
4. Avoid creating content about ineligible topics.
Some topics are never eligible to be recommended to new users, including content that discusses self-harm, suicide, or eating disorders, trivializes death or depression, depicts violence, is sexually explicit or suggestive, promotes regulated products, or promotes weight loss products and cosmetic surgeries.
If your niche is adjacent to any of the ineligible topics, make sure to read the detailed section on how recommendations work so you can stay compliant. This doesn’t mean you can’t post about these topics, but only your followers will be eligible to see them if you do.
5. Include hashtags to help the algorithm categorize your content properly.
Instagram uses hashtags to understand what your content is about, not to decide how far it travels. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, has said directly that hashtags don’t increase reach, and Instagram now limits posts to five hashtags.6 Choose a few that describe your topic accurately and skip the rest. My guide to Instagram hashtags covers how to pick ones with engagement potential.
Topic categorization has never been more important. Instagram’s Your Algorithm feature lets users see and adjust the topics shaping their recommendations across Feed, Reels, and Explore, and recommended posts now carry labels like “From Running” or “From Street Style.” Your content can only match a topic a user has chosen if the algorithm can tell what your content is about. Use clear keywords in your captions, your on-screen text, and the words you say out loud in your reels.
6. Encourage comments to improve engagement.
How much and how quickly users engage with your post will affect its ranking and recommendation. Encourage commenting to drive this engagement.
You can encourage commenting directly by asking your audience a question, but you can also do it indirectly by baiting people into commenting. For example, if you’re speaking to the camera but your cat is being cute in the background, people might jump in to comment on the cat. Or if you are walking and talking but actually you are walking backward without mentioning why, people might jump in to point out the strange behavior.
7. Hook viewers in the first three seconds of your reel.
Instagram has stated that consistently posting reels is the best way to grow an account. But the algorithm is ruthless about the opening seconds. One of the predictions Instagram’s ranking system makes about every reel is how likely a viewer is to watch less than three seconds of it, and skips within the first two seconds count against you.7 Completion is graded on a curve, too: The system tracks whether viewers watch more of your reel than 95% of people who watched reels of the same length.
The old 90-second ceiling is gone: Instagram extended reels to three minutes in January 2025 after feedback that 90 seconds was too short.8 The length of a reel is still one of the input signals the ranking system weighs, so make your reel as long as you can hold attention, and not a second longer.
8. Add something new when you remix reels.
Reels can be “remixed” by reposting them with fresh content at the end or during the reel. Some “gurus” recommend remixing reels by adding a few seconds of blank screen at the end, but the algorithm does not recommend reposted content unless there is a significant change. Make sure you actually add something new for the best results.
9. Always include audio in your reels.
The algorithm deprioritizes muted reels without audio,9 and the reels ranking system tracks how often a reel is viewed with the sound on.10 Make sure your reel has audio, even if it’s just some simple background music.
10. Use trending audio in reels to get users to visit the audio page.
The algorithm favors reels that drive visitors to visit the audio page because those visitors are more likely to make their own reels. And Instagram wants that. The more reels there are, the more time people spend watching them (and the ads in between). When audio is trending, it means a lot of people like it and want to use it. By using trending audio yourself, you can increase the likelihood that viewers of your reel will visit the audio page.
11. Use unique audio in reels to get users to visit the audio page.
Audio page visits are a direct ranking signal. The reels ranking system predicts how likely a viewer is to use your reel’s audio in a reel of their own, tracking who clicks the audio link and who taps “Use audio” after that.11 If you can create a really interesting and unique audio effect for your reels, that may entice viewers to click through and use it as well. For example, maybe you’re one of the first people to start using a funny quote from a new episode of a popular TV show.
12. Add audio to carousel posts.
Photos and carousels with music are eligible to appear in the Reels tab.12 This means they’re more likely to be seen by people who don’t follow you. Carousels also get multiple chances to rank: Slides your followers didn’t swipe through are treated as new content and may be resurfaced to them later, picking up where they left off.
13. Make reels highly relatable to encourage sharing.
Reels that are shared are more likely to be recommended. Send rate, meaning sends per person reached, is one of the three metrics Adam Mosseri says to watch when optimizing for reach, alongside average watch time and like rate.13 To increase the likelihood that your reels are shared, make them highly relatable to a specific audience.
Informative content earns sends, too. One of the signals Instagram uses to predict DM shares is whether a post is informative, like news, product reviews, tutorials, and how-tos.14
14. Make your reels controversial to increase watch time.
People are far more likely to comment on and react to posts that contradict their beliefs, especially when their core values feel challenged.15 Reels watched all the way through are likelier to get engagement in the comments. While people read or write comments, your reel still plays in the background, increasing watch time.
15. Make sure your reel fills the screen.
Reels with borders are less likely to be recommended because they don’t provide a great viewing experience for users.16 Make sure you film vertically and fill up the entire screen to optimize for both the algorithm and engagement.
16. Make sure your reel isn’t pixelated or blurry.
Footage in reels shouldn’t be blurry or pixelated because the algorithm is less likely to recommend low-resolution reels.17 This doesn’t mean you need an expensive camera. Smartphones will work for most things, but make sure you’re shooting close enough, with enough light, and in the right mode to make it a pleasant viewing experience.
17. Skip watermarks and avoid heavy text on reels.
If the reel has a watermark or too much text, the Instagram algorithm will assume it does not offer a great viewing experience. Both are negative ranking factors and may reduce the likelihood of your reel getting seen.18
18. Test new content ideas with trial reels.
Trial reels are shared with non-followers only, so you can see how a reel performs before your audience ever sees it. Instagram shows the trial to people who don’t follow you and reports back on views, likes, comments, and shares. A trial that performs well can be shared with everyone, and a flop disappears without cluttering your grid or dragging down your engagement. Trial reels are the lowest-risk way to experiment with new hooks and formats.
19. Balance experimenting with doubling down on what works.
Recommendation algorithms constantly test new content against proven performers, and the creators who grow treat their own accounts the same way. Spend part of your posting schedule experimenting with new hooks, topics, formats, and tone, measure which ones earn saves, shares, and watch time, and repeat your winning patterns while you keep testing. My guide to explore-exploit algorithms covers how to run this system on your own content.
20. Create serial content to turn viewers into followers.
Serial content splits a story or challenge into parts, like “day one of turning my garden shed into a studio.” A series gives viewers a reason to follow you so they don’t lose the thread. It also compounds through recommendations: Watching a reel all the way through is one of the strongest ranking signals, and the reels system feeds viewers more content similar to what they’ve recently engaged with.19 People who finished part one keep getting served part two and part three, even before they follow you.
Demystifying the Instagram Algorithm
If you want Instagram to promote your content, you need to understand how the content ranking algorithm works.
Each section or content type on Instagram has its own algorithm, which optimizes for different things based on user expectations:20
Feed: “Feed is your personalized home base within Instagram to help you catch up with friends, family, and interests.”
Feed content includes:
Content from the accounts you’ve chosen to follow.
Recommended content from accounts Instagram thinks you’ll enjoy.
Ads.
Stories: “Stories are a way to share everyday moments and grow closer to the people and interests you care about.”
Stories content includes:
Stories you see are from people you’ve chosen to follow.
Ads.
Explore: “Explore was designed to help you discover new things.”
Explore content includes:
Recommendations from accounts you don’t yet follow while considering the recommendation guidelines.21
Reels: “Reels are also designed to help you discover new things, with an emphasis on entertainment.”
Reels content includes:
Recommendations from accounts you don’t yet follow while considering the recommendation guidelines.22
How Instagram Ranks Recommended Content
Both feed posts and reels are subject to the same recommendation guidelines. While posts from people you follow may break some of these rules (you have chosen to follow them and can choose to unfollow them), recommended content is held to a higher standard.
Meta explains how the AI system behind each surface selects and ranks content, including the input signals it weighs and the predictions it makes about each viewer.23 For the feed, ranking works in four steps:
Gather available posts: The system collects the potential posts it could show you, starting with accounts you follow, and removes anything that goes against the Community Guidelines.
Weigh the signals: The system considers input signals about each post, such as who created it and what type of content it is. A lightweight model narrows the pool to roughly 700 of the most relevant posts, and integrity processes that limit problematic content trim the pool further.
Make predictions: Prediction models estimate what you’ll find most valuable, including how much time you’ll spend on a post, whether you’ll share it in a DM, whether you’ll swipe through a whole carousel, and whether you’ll turn the sound on for a video.
Rank posts by score: The system calculates a relevance score for the roughly 500 posts that remain and orders your feed by it, while balancing the mix of content types.
The reels feed runs on the same architecture with a pool of about 100 of the most relevant reels at a time.24
Adam Mosseri has named the three metrics to watch if you’re optimizing for reach: Average watch time for reels, like rate (likes per person reached), and send rate (sends per person reached).25 Look for patterns in your own insights so you can repeat what works.
Three categories of content may not be eligible for recommendations:26
Content that impedes Instagram’s ability to foster a safe community:
Topics like self-harm, suicide, eating disorders, violence, sexually explicit or suggestive content, and regulated products.
Content that trivializes death or depression.
Content that promotes weight loss products or cosmetic surgeries.
Content that is low-quality or associated with low-quality publishing:
Unoriginal content that is largely repurposed from another source without adding any material value.
Long captions unrelated to the underlying content.
Coordinated comment networks intended to artificially drive engagement.
False or misleading content:
Claims rated false by independent third-party fact-checkers, in countries where Meta supports fact-checking.
Instagram also avoids recommending entire accounts, not just individual posts. An account that recently violated the Community Guidelines, repeatedly posted non-recommendable content, built its following through misleading practices like purchasing likes, or has been banned from running ads won’t be suggested to new users.
Reels also have some additional considerations:
Reels are prioritized when the reels system predicts users will:27
Reshare the reel or share it off Instagram.
Watch past the first three seconds and keep watching longer than most viewers of same-length reels.
Comment on the reel.
Use the reel’s audio in a reel of their own.
Follow the reel’s author.
Reels de-prioritization factors:28
Low-resolution
Watermarked
Muted
Contain borders
Majority text
Have already been posted to Instagram
🔒 Premium Member Resources
Premium members get the tools to put this article into practice: A pre-publish checklist plus Claude skills that check and improve your Instagram content for you.
1. Instagram Algorithm Content Optimization Checklist
Use this checklist before posting to ensure your content is optimized for all the important ranking factors.
2. Claude Instagram Content Optimizer Skill
The Instagram Content Optimizer checks any Instagram content before you post it. Send a rough idea, a finished caption, a reel script, or a carousel plan and get back specific fixes for what would limit reach. It works at the idea stage, too: Workshop a concept before you film anything, and it will tell you how to shape it for recommendations, whether that means testing it as a trial reel or splitting it into a series. Every claim traces to an authoritative primary source so you don't have to worry about Claude parroting bad advice from fake gurus.
3. Claude Hook Library and Hook Writer Skill
The Hook Library and Hook Writer share one foundation: 200 proven hook templates for reel openings, caption first lines, carousel intros, and story hooks. Use the Library to browse and filter by archetype, tone, or emotional trigger when you want a swipe file. Use the Writer when you want hooks written for your specific content, tied to named patterns from that same library. Analyze mode goes the other way: paste a caption or reel opener that already landed and the Writer breaks down the archetype behind it, which you can then browse for more of in the Library.
You’re now an Instagram algorithm expert! Remember social media algorithms get updated over time to account for new variables. I’ll continue to update this article when things change.
To endless possibilities,
Casandra