How to become an influencer using the Instagram algorithm in 2023
If you’ve ever thought about how to become an Instagram influencer, especially with the recent Instagram monetization options, you’ve probably heard and read a lot about how the Instagram algorithm works these days and the recent major shift towards more video content, more reels, Instagram suggested posts and, as everyone usually is, you’re probably very confused as to what works and what doesn’t on Instagram right now.
Most of the information you’ll find online about the Instagram algorithm is about how the recent Instagram updates affect brands, and if you’re looking to become an Instagram influencer, you should know you’re also a brand, what’s called “personal branding”, and the same rules apply to you. Since Instagram is rolling out updates and changing the landscape every other day now, we’re here to help you figure out how to become an influencer using the Instagram algorithm in 2023, and how to navigate the most recent Instagram landscape.
Let’s get started with how the Instagram algorithm works right now:
-Interest:
Instagram has revealed that feed ranking and appearing in the Instagram explore tab has less to do with the amount of Instagram engagement a post is getting and more to do with interest, meaning how relevant that post is to the kind of content that you’re interested in. What you can take away from that is instead of worrying about how many likes your posts are getting and how much reach, so what you need to focus on is building your personal brand, which is what you’re all about on Instagram, then tailoring your content according to that and what your target audience wants from your type of content.
Niche down. Choose something you have a passion for and that unlocks your creativity, which makes it easier to find ideas that fit all kinds of Instagram formats and generate interest quickly.
Check the accounts the people who fit your audience persona are interacting with, learn what content in which format is successful for them, and try to create similar content without imitation. It increases your chances of appearing in the most recent Instagram update; Instagram suggested posts.
-Recency
Timeliness is a crucial factor that informs the Instagram algorithm. How recent a post is has a lot to do with its Instagram post ranking, it will show audiences the posts created in between their Instagram sessions, so you need to monitor when your audience is most active and time your posts within that window of activity.
-New features
Instagram’s new features are usually highly promoted and very highly ranked on the feed as Instagram rewards users who use their new features and promotes their content organically to encourage more users to use those features. You’ve seen it at the beginning of 2022 with reels and we’re seeing it now with the reels dual camera feature, so take advantage of Instagram’s new features to give your content an organic reach boost.
-Encourage Instagram engagement
The best way to signal to the Instagram algorithm that hey, this content right here, this content is great, is to elicit and encourage engagement from your audience, ask questions and reply to comments, start a conversation, answer questions, go live, etc. Instagram will organically push content with which there’s a lot of interaction and engagement
-Collaborate with your favorite brands
Why wait for brands to reach out? Once you’ve gathered a healthy following, reach out to local, medium-sized brands on Instagram that you love, tag them in your posts/stories, and send them emails, DMs, and comments asking to collaborate. Don’t mass send or spam though. Brands with a message/values usually have a very invested and engaged following on Instagram, that would be willing to engage with someone promoting the brand they believe in and, as we said before, Instagram engagement is the best way to signal to the Instagram algorithm that this is content that should be promoted.
-Instagram ads
Let’s be realistic, there’s no real organic growth on Instagram in this day and age, not with the current Instagram algorithm and Instagram updates, and in all honestly, if you’d like to see any real Instagram growth or results, especially in the beginning, you need to get the hang of Instagram ads/Instagram sponsored posts.
-No fake followers/engagers
A lot of wanna-be influencers tend to lean towards buying a large number of followers with a likes/comments package and it did actually work on Instagram for a time if we’re being honest. However, bots and fake followers will not organically and naturally interact with your content in any real capacity, and over time, your account may be in trouble by violating Instagram community guidelines/rules.
And since it isn’t hard to tell that the followers/engagement on an account isn’t real, it will harm your reputation and credibility in the long run, which is everything if you actually want to become a respected Instagram influencer.
-Instagram Hashtag Research
The Instagram algorithm categorizes content in many ways, and one of the most powerful of them is Instagram hashtags, now slapping generic hashtags like #designersofinstagram or something similar on every post won’t work for you, but what will work is taking the time every once in a while to do hashtag research on what’s used by the community your target audience is a part of.
Explore your own Instagram explore page, scroll down the list of hashtags to find non-generic ones with a decent amount of accounts using them, and make the Instagram hashtags you use relevant to your post.
Finally, you need to use your Instagram analytics to your advantage, so check your Instagram insights regularly, find out how your Instagram audience is interacting with your content, which type of content is doing best and which topics are resonating with them, what the best posting times are, and optimize your Instagram strategy accordingly.
Need help with your personal branding and Instagram strategy? Book a free consultation with our creative team now.
