Instagram Shares Tips to Boost Content Recommendations & Reach: What Creators Need to Know

Instagram has shared an update regarding its initiative to enhance visibility for smaller creators, which it asserts has resulted in considerably more chances for creators to engage with a wider, more targeted audience within the app.

In April of the previous year, Instagram unveiled a new drive to support original creators by curtailing the reach of aggregator accounts and prioritizing original content over reposts whenever feasible.

Additionally, Instagram introduced an algorithm update that affords new content greater initial visibility through preliminary audience testing.

As Instagram elaborates: “When you post a reel on Instagram, it’s shown to both followers and non-followers. Among non-followers, your reel is initially recommended and shown to a small audience of people that we think will enjoy it. As this initial audience responds to these reels, the best-performing reels are then shown to a slightly wider audience, then the best of those are shown to an even wider group, and so on. This process is designed to level the playing field by distributing content based on its engagement, not just the creator’s follower count.”

Evolving engagement behaviors

Instagram has observed shifts in how individuals interact with content and navigate the platform. These alterations aren’t merely fleeting trends; they are beginning to forge how creators can be uncovered on Instagram today. Below are some of the most notable trends identified:

Growth in reels and recommendations

• The global viewing time for videos on Instagram surged by significant double-digit percentages year-over-year in Q4 2024. As users invest more time on Instagram engaging with the recommended reels, the overall potential reach for creators expands. This ultimately allows interactive creators to connect with even more individuals and accelerate their growth with every reel they share.
• Reels are also being shared among friends and sent to each other, with individuals resending reels more than 4.5 billion times daily across Instagram and Facebook.

Further expansion for creators

• Recommendations not only enable users to explore their passions deeply but also assist creators in being discovered by larger audiences.
• The increase in recommendations particularly favors creators seeking to broaden their reach and attract more followers. When your content is promoted to new viewers, those individuals could become your future followers. Creators who consistently publish captivating reels and follow Recommendation Guidelines are optimally positioned for growth.
• Moreover, recommendations offer creators significantly greater potential today than before, as your reels have an enhanced chance to go viral if they continue to resonate positively when presented to wider audiences.

Instagram has announced that this new feature is now fully active, leading many creators to experience an increase in their view counts.

Moreover, Instagram indicates that as the total video viewing time within the app has risen, it has created additional opportunities through this mechanism, as a greater number of viewers engaging with more videos allows creators to gain more visibility.

IG also mentions that an increasing number of users are recommending more Reels to their friends “with people resharing reels over 4.5 billion times every day across Instagram and Facebook.”

Leveraging these developments

This surge in activity, alongside the improved recommendation algorithms, has resulted in more chances for smaller creators to enhance their visibility within the app.

To capitalize on this, Instagram recommends that creators post “recommendation-friendly content” to qualify for the best exposure opportunities.

By “recommendation-friendly,” Instagram is referring to content that complies with its Recommendation Guidelines, which encourage creators to steer clear of posting “low-quality, objectionable, or sensitive” content, material, or anything that might not be suitable for younger audiences.

Instagram additionally recommends that creators:

• Post regularly: Since individuals frequently view reels from accounts they don’t follow, each reel you post has the chance to engage a vast, new audience.
• Develop content that can exist independently: If you aim to connect with new viewers, your reels should make sense to those unfamiliar to you.
• Enhance your content with audio: Adding audio to reels can infuse them with energy and capture the interest of new viewers.
• Keep experimenting: Not every post will resonate, but each one provides a learning opportunity. Your insights will build over time as you continue to expand your creativity and discover what resonates with audiences.
• Welcome uncertainty: Recommendations make it harder to foresee the impact of each post, but they create a level playing field for all creators.

A few simple tips that could assist you in aligning more effectively with Instagram’s revised strategy for recommending content.