How the Instagram Algorithm works in 2025

Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms and a major part of our social life nowadays. With over 2 billion active users, it has become a crucial tool for online businesses, influencers, and individuals to connect with their audience and promote their content. In fact, the Instagram algorithm of 2025 offers a collection of tools to get your brand or company in front of the users who want your content the most. However, to succeed on Instagram, you need to understand how its algorithm works. In this article, we will explore the key components of the Instagram algorithm and how you can use them to your advantage. You can join our community to learn how to build successful online businesses by combining technical skills with digital entrepreneursip.

What is Instagram Algorithm?

Instagram’s algorithm is a complex, evolving, and intricate system that determines which posts reach your target audience through different content formats. They also predict what users are most likely to find interesting and engaging based on their past interactions on the platform.

Instagram doesn’t have one overarching algorithm for all their content formats. Instead, Instagram ranking across Feed, Stories and Explore work in different ways to reflect user behavior on each format. These algorithms consider factors or “signals” like engagement, relevance, timeliness, relationships and user activity to personalize the content for each user.

The impact of Instagram’s algorithm on your visibility

The Instagram algorithm significantly impacts a user’s visibility by determining which content appears in users’ feeds based on factors like engagement, relevance to the user’s interests, and recent interactions. So, posts with high engagement are more likely to be seen by a wider audience, while those with low engagement might struggle to gain visibility. This can make it challenging for new accounts to reach a large audience without actively working to increase engagement through strategies like posting consistently, using relevant hashtags, and engaging with other users.

In 2025, Instagram will influence your visibility through a mix of personalization and discovery. Don’t think the algorithm is working against you. It’s actually trying to connect you with what your current audience is interested in, or their past interactions, mixed with what new Instagram users want to see. Therefore, consistency, creativity, and meaningful engagement are key to staying visible to both new and existing followers while exploring the combination of content options.

How does the Instagram Algorithm work?

The Instagram algorithm works by analyzing what your audience interacts with most (such as – likes, comments, shares, and saves) to determine what content gets prioritized in their feeds and on Explore. Instagram algorithm aims to create a better user experience and help increase user engagement. So, algorithm focuses less on big brands and more on “chances to break through.” This adjustment also rewards creators for unique content. In addition, there isn’t just one algorithm for Instagram. It functions slightly differently for each type of content.

How the Instagram Feed works

Instagram Feed is the page on Instagram where you discover photos and videos from your recent post or the one you follow. It is a place where you can showcase your content and interact with what others have to showcase. The Instagram feed algorithm relies on building a list of content a particular person will not only like but also engage with. Therefore, when looking for Instagram algorithm signals in the feed posts, four ranking factors are very important.

User engagement: Likes, shares, saves, and comments add to the signal of interest for individual users.
Post popularity: Each post gets weighed for authority and popularity based on how quickly interactions are adding up.
Poster appeal: It’s not just about the content. The Instagram algorithm also weighs the potential for future appeal between a user and the person who posted the content.
Interaction history: Another key signal for the Instagram algorithm is the frequency of interaction and engagement between a user and another account.

The special sauce of the Instagram algorithm recipe isn’t finished there. The next step is for the mathematical process to balance letting other users see people they like without seeing too many posts, while also offering suggested posts without alienating favorite accounts.

How the Instagram Stories Algorithm works

Instagram Stories are a feature that allows users to share photos and videos that disappear after 24 hours. They are designed to be quick, memorable, and fun. Whether it’s video content, graphics, photos, or text, Instagram Stories largely appear for people who are close to your brand or business accounts. Therefore, the ranking factors have significant impact on Instagram Stories algorithm.

Relationship: Instagram works to prioritize friends and family in Stories.
Engagement: You can also add how often you engage with a Story from a particular account. It could be as easy as tapping to “like” a Story or sending a direct message to a creator.
Interaction history: Even without touching a like button, the time users spend viewing a Story will factor into the Instagram algorithm. Whether they watch a full video or just a few seconds of it, it matters.

Once again, Instagram’s specially tailored algorithm for Stories is designed to create engaging content that people can’t resist consistently interacting with.

Instagram’s Explore Page Content Algorithm

The Explore page is the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the Instagram app. This is where users are actively looking to discover new content and new accounts. The Explore algorithm searches for content and accounts that are similar to those that users are already following or engaging with. The algorithm picks up on trends, popular hashtags, and successful formats like Reels, promoting them to new viewers through the Explore page. In order to recommend the most entertaining and relevant Reels to their user base, the Explore algorithm looks for:

Post popularity: The algorithms look at a post’s popularity. Signals such as the number and speed of likes, comments, shares and saves determine a post’s popularity. To rank well in Explore, create high-quality and engaging posts that encourage likes, comments, shares and saves. Use relevant and trending hashtags that your audience is likely to be interested in to increase your post’s visibility.
Interactions on Instagram: As always, a user’s previous activity is a strong signal to the algorithm on what to show them next. If a user has interacted with an account or theme of content, Instagram uses this interest to recommend similar accounts and posts. Create compelling content that catches the user’s attention on their busy Explore pages and holds their attention enough to like or share. Keeping up with Instagram trends and creating niche content will strike a chord with people that are not following your brand right now, but are likely to, based on their previous activity.
Account popularity: Unlike the others, the Reel algorithm doesn’t only look at existing user activity. Since the objective is to curate accounts and content that a user might like, the algorithm also takes account popularity into consideration. Popularity signals, such as the number of followers or recent engagement levels, help algorithms find compelling content from various users.

Since the Explore page is the best way to expand the reach of your content, it is critical for businesses to improve their number of followers, likes, shares, etc., as this directly impacts the chances of being featured here.

How the Instagram Reels Algorithm works

Reels are a content type – short videos that you can easily create, personalize and share from within Instagram. So, the Instagram Reels algorithm prioritizes videos that are likely to get the most engagement. It considers factors like who you interact with, what type of content you like, and when you post. To make sure your Reels are ranked higher, consider the following signals:

User activity: The algorithms look at what Reels users like, save, reshare, comment on and engage with to determine the preferred content. To rank well in Instagram Reels, encourage viewers to like, share and comment.
Reel Content: This includes signals about the content within the video, such as the audio track or visuals, as well as its popularity. Use trending audio tracks and relevant hashtags to increase discoverability and rank well on Instagram Reels.
Recency: Reels are also prioritized by recency, ensuring users see the latest trends and content. Also, be sure to post reels consistently and at times when your target audience is most active.

Instagram Algorithm Tips to Improve your Account

Now that we know more about how to look for signals and insights into the page algorithm, it’s a good time to revisit the strategy of your Instagram accounts.

Follow the Community Guidelines

Learning the community guidelines of Instagram will help you to understand the dos and don’ts of the community. You should know what content is not allowed as far as images, videos, and Instagram captions are concerned. While obvious topics like violence, hate speech, and bullying aren’t allowed. Let’s look at the top five things that might catch a content creator off guard:

Hashtag risks: Hashtags can get banned for different reasons. Usually, it’s tied to misuse or inappropriate content. Using them can hurt your reach without warning. As a trick, tap a hashtag to see the results. If nothing shows up, it’s likely (permanently or temporarily) banned.
No nudity: In general, stay away from nudity (full or partial) unless there is an obvious medical or artistic justification.
Copyright issues: Don’t clip movie scenes or lay a track of popular music on content unless you have copyright permission. Trending audio on IG is generally okay under a license agreement, but business accounts might run into trouble.
Don’t bait users: Instagram shuts down inauthentic engagement tactics. Don’t directly ask or trick people into engaging.
Unexpected item bans: Promoting alcohol, tobacco, or supplements can violate the rules, even if those items are legal.

Instagram restricts visibility for potentially sensitive content, even if it doesn’t directly violate policies.

Complete your profile information

A complete Instagram profile actually helps the algorithm figure out where to place your content. By filling out your bio, adding a profile picture, and including relevant links or contact information, you’re making it easier for the platform to understand who you are and who might want to see your content. A clear and relevant bio also signals to the Instagram algorithm that your account is active and valuable, increasing your chances of appearing in searches, on the Explore page, and in followers’ suggested posts.

Use relevant keywords in your bio

The Instagram algorithm increasingly relies on relevant keywords in your bio to categorize your account and connect you with the right audience. Keywords in your bio act as a constant signal to the platform about your niche or focus.

Create unique content

To create unique content for Instagram, you can try using carousel posts, polls, contests, and behind-the-scenes content. You can also collaborate with influencers and schedule content in advance. Let’s look at the best tips for creating a unique content.

Content Calendar: The moment you create an Instagram account, you should think of setting up a content calendar. This notion has made its way around the marketing community for a reason. It provides an important visual representation of your Instagram content strategy and a preview of your brand’s story.
Scheduling: Schedule your content in advance. Scheduling your instagram content in advance can save you time and energy while also boosting your engagement.
Create Carousel Posts: Don’t limit yourself to a single image or video — create carousel posts to tell a captivating story or share a series of related content. Carousels allow you to swipe through multiple images or videos in a single post, providing a more interactive and immersive experience for your followers. Showcase your brand, share a step-by-step tutorial, or present before-and-after transformations.
Polls and Quizzes: Polls are a fun, engaging way of collecting valuable information from your followers. For example, you can create hashtag poll (create a poll using a catchy hashtag related to your industry, allowing your audience to vote on their preference or opinions, and driving engagement on your post. You can also pose interactive questions or organize quizzes to raise brand awareness and engagement, and gather valuable insights from your audience.
Contents and Giveaways: These types of campaigns incentivize engagement and sharing, giving your brand more reach and brand awareness for a low cost (the value of the prize).
Behind-the-scenes content: Take your audience behind the scenes of your business operations or events, offering a glimpse into the day-to-day activities with a fun and engaging twist. The behind-the-scenes posts are one of the most engaging content ideas for Instagram because you can offer exclusive insights so that the audience feels like an insider.
Influencer Partnership: Collaborating with influencers can help in reaching a wider audience and building credibility. Choose influencers whose values align with your brand and whose followers are your target demographic. Influencer partnerships can amplify your content and drive engagement.

Share content regularly

You can share content regularly on instagram by posting potos, videos, stories, reels, or even going live on a consistent basis, which helps maintain engagement with your followers and grow your audience on the platform.

Motivate users to engage

Motivating engagement is key. You should ask questions in captions, use interactive tools like polls or quizzes in an Instagram Story, or share something that sparks a reaction. But, you should community guidelines-banned topics or engagement bait.

Try Stickers on your Stories

You can use stickers on your instagram stories. Stickers can make your stories more interesting and encourage users to engage with them. Spend some time looking at the sticker options for Instagram Stories; there are options like polls and the emoji slider, and the list grows more powerful each week. You can try the following sticker features.

Add yours: This sticker feature allows you to interact with others by writing and posting a prompt. Viewers can then respond by replying to your story, posting their response or opinion to their own story. This can be a great starting point for meaningful discussions.
Reveal: This engaging Story format blurs the content you post and asks viewers to respond to see the result. You don’t need to read the DM before users watch the Story reveal. The payoff is immediate, and you also get an interaction boost.
Frames: You can post a Story in a frame that requires users to shake their phones or tap (aka interact) “Shake to Reveal.” Then, the photo comes into focus.

Add relevant hashtags to your posts

Using relevant hashtags helps categorize content and allows it to appear on the hashtag pages. Like the Explore page, hashtag pages are discovery tools. The Instagram algorithm considers not only the hashtags you use but also how well your content performs (engagement, quality, and relevance all play a role). Understanding how to use hashtags strategically can help social media managers dominate these pages. It also helps to understand what a “relevant” hashtag means. For example, if you’re a Fashion Designer in Lagos in Lagos, you don’t want to post just #fashion or #designers. Try #LagosFashion or #LagosFashionDesigner.

Include your location in the post

Location tagging can make a big difference in getting your posts discovered. Tag the location on posts or Instagram Stories to help the Instagram algorithm work in your favor. When you include a location, your post appears on that location’s page, giving it a chance to be seen by people exploring that area. Keep in mind, these are people who might not otherwise see your content. Also, location tagging tells the algorithm your content is relevant to a specific set of users.

Final Thoughts

As important as Instagram ideation is, remember to create content that is unique and tailored to your audience. You can relying on the metrics provided by insights and the current algorithm signals. Also, it’s essential that you focus on relationship building and high-quality content while engaging with Instagram users. The truth is that Instagram algorithm changes will always happen. But if marketers are willing to change with them, you’ll find surprising new ways to reach your audience. Therefore, by comparing trends, new tools, and insights, you’ll be ready to read those signals no matter how much the algorithm adjusts in the coming year. You can join me on our community where I break down my experiences and strategies into actionable, battle-tested content through videos, blogs and online courses. You may also want to see our 25 best business ideas you can start in 2025.