Do the Algorithms Matter As Much As We Think They Do?

I’m sure you’ve heard this term everywhere (or maybe have even said it yourself):

“The algorithm just doesn’t like my content”. It can feel like this “viscous” algorithm is out to get us sometimes, especially as reach has been steadily decreasing for most users. Is this true though? Do these algorithms hold the key to success and visibility on social platforms? While it’s true that algorithms discern which content to push, it’s not as sinister as many make it out to be.

What Do These “Sinister “ Algorithms Want from Us?

To understand what the algorithms want, we must understand what their purpose is. The broad purpose of these algorithms is to keep users engaged on the platform for as long as possible. The way that these apps, such as Instagram, make money is through advertising. So, the longer users remain on the platform, the more revenue the ads generate. So… what kind of content do the algorithms want to push? They prioritize content that is more likely to keep users engaged. So let’s talk about the formula for this. 

The Formula 🥼🧪🔬 for Engaging Your Audience

Creating truly engaging content requires a mix of art 🎨and science 🧪. While creativity is important, it’s also important to know what specific tactics will keep your audience engaged. The key to engaging your audience is to create content that is visually captivating, thought-provoking, educational, or entertaining. This starts with having great ideas 💡 for your content. 

Know Your Audience 🧠👥

This is why knowing your audience is key. If you have too broad of a target audience, you won't know who you’re speaking to. So, once you’ve niched down your audience, you want to think of their problems and how you solve them. Then sit down with a piece of paper 📓🖊️ and write at least 20 of these. Get into detail because this list will be the backbone of your content. 

Hook “Em In 🪝

So, now you’re getting inside the brain of your audience, you need to think of how you can get them interested in your content. You do this by having a great hook. On carousels, the goal of your hook is to get your audience to scroll past the initial slide. For reels, your hook needs to draw your audience in to keep them watching to the end. The most important part of using a good hook for Reels is to make sure it’s said within the first 4 seconds of the reel. (And make sure to add text on the screen with the same hook so that those watching without sound will be hooked in as well.) A good hook however isn’t the only thing that matters, think of hooks as a promise. If a promise isn’t fulfilled, people will be disappointed and will lose trust in you to follow through on what your hook promised. 

Keep it Moving 🤸

To keep your audience interested throughout the entire Reel, you need to keep things moving. Your content should be changing every few seconds (especially if it’s a longer reel). People’s attention spans are short so we must embrace this fact. The best way to do this is to use short clips, change locations, and keep it entertaining. 

Be experimental with your content, try new things, and learn what keeps your audience interested and engaged. On top of using quick cuts and changing locations, you can keep your audience engaged by using visuals and graphics so they can focus on something other than you. Another extremely important thing to remember is ALWAYS to use closed captions (or some text on the screen). Most people watch Reels without audio on (I know I do). Because of this, you can be certain that viewers will IMMEDIATELY scroll past your Reel if you don’t have captions or at least some text to show them what you’re saying. 

Lastly, include a call to action 🏃 in your reels! Your viewers are so much more likely to comment, like, follow, or share if you remind them to! 

So, to summarize the “Formula” looks like this:

🧠Get into the minds of your audience by brainstorming their problems (related to your product or service) and how you solve them.

🪝Use great hooks to draw your audience in from the get-go.

👍Create genuinely good content so your audience doesn’t lose trust in your content going forward. 

👀Keep things changing and moving to keep your audience interested past the hook (this is primarily the case for Reels.)

🧮Use visuals, graphics, and closed captions to give your audience something to focus on outside of you.

🏃Use Call To Actions People aren’t likely to give you a follow, comment, save, or like your content if you don’t tell them to! 

Leverage Pop Culture in Your Content 🎤📺📱

Instead of ALWAYS hopping on the next trend with your content, try referencing pop culture in your content. Think trending topics not trends. Pop culture spreads like wildfire 🔥take advantage of this and hop on the train 🚂. Pop culture is an integral part of our lives, and referencing it in your content will help your audience to connect with you and feel like we’re all sharing a big inside joke.

What You Should Do 🗒️

Start taking accountability for your content and do what YOU can do to make it perform the best it can! While Algorithms do play a role in determining the visibility of your content, they don’t matter as much as many think they do. By creating content that is tailored to your target audience and keeps them engaged and interested, we can focus on what’s in our control.

By coupling these things with consistency, we can “hack” the algorithm and see success with Instagram. ⭐️