- Why does Instagram promote certain content?
So I've studied the Instagram algorithm to figure out
why some accounts gain millions of followers
while others never see much success at all.
Instagram just made an algorithm update
and there are tons of content on YouTube all over the place,
videos online that are just pushing outdated strategies.
So we're gonna cut through all that noise
and I'm gonna show you some growth hacks that are
gonna help you explode your reach right now.
If you're trying to grow your account for your business
or because you wanna become an Instagram creator
then just keep on watching this video
because I've got what you need.
But before we hop into it, hey guys, what's up?
What's going on?
My name is Michelle Bali,
I am a creative strategist
and this YouTube channel is called Learn with Shopify.
It is an official Shopify YouTube channel that's
gonna help you start, run and grow an online business.
So if you are an entrepreneur
maybe you're an aspiring entrepreneur, then make sure
that you are hitting that subscribe button
to learn everything that you need to know
all the way from starting your own Shopify store
to running Facebook ads.
So make sure that you're hitting subscribe.
Now, if you guys aren't already aware, Instagram recently
made an algorithm update and one of the major changes was
that they amalgamated all the video content
now to be in reels.
So why is this important?
It's important because reels are gonna be the key
to boosting your reach and getting more followers
on Instagram.
The CEO of Instagram announced this change, and the truth is
showing your IG reels to a wider audience
is actually in Instagram's best interest.
There's a little bit of a fire under Instagram's butt
because TikTok is coming in hot.
There's some tough competition coming from TikTok.
So Instagram needs to start prioritizing more video content
because that's what people wanna see.
These days, short video content
is the new currency of attention.
Now, considering that Instagram used to be a photo
sharing app, this next piece of advice may be
a little bit confusing, but what I think you should do
is I think you should abandon photos altogether.
Literally forget carousels, forget single photos
just make reels all day every day.
Focus on making reels because they're gonna
get you 120% more reach than photos could.
Add captions on your reels.
This is because only 15% of people are actually
watching their video with their sound on.
So if you don't have captions
you're gonna be missing out on the other 85% of people.
They're just gonna scroll right by your stuff.
So make sure that you are adding captions
in order to hook people in.
So if you wanna add captions
you're just gonna go and grab the caption sticker
like this and it will automatically generate captions.
Now, if you're not loving the native tool within Instagram
then you can actually check out the app store.
There's gonna be tons of free options there
and it will give you more control
of the look and the feel of your captions.
Instagram also launched some new content creation
features that's gonna help make your videos
more interesting and more dynamic.
So we've got Dual
which allows you to record on the backside
of your phone while also showing your reaction.
And then we also have green screen
and split screen just like TikTok.
These features are really great because
if you are trying to create content with added spice
you don't have to go into post production
you can literally just edit it right within Instagram.
This makes content creation a little bit more scalable
if you are trying to post really frequently
and really consistently
so definitely leverage these tools.
Start your videos off with a hook.
So people are actually gonna lose interest
in less than two seconds.
That is a fact of life.
Two seconds before someone starts to scroll.
So you wanna start your video with audio
and visuals that take up a lot of space.
Maybe someone's jumping into frame,
maybe you have someone dancing, maybe you have
like a really crazy interesting fact
you're sharing right away.
Or maybe you have like crazy visuals
of like someone skydiving or like a landfill or something.
Maybe you're telling a joke with a quick punchline.
I don't know, the point is
is that the hook is what is gonna get people
to continue to watch, and then when Instagram sees
that your content is being watched, they're gonna push it
out to more people, which means more exposure for you.
So how often should you be posting?
Well, you should be posting one to two times
per day in the current state that Instagram is in.
And I know it's like should you quit your day job
in order just to do this?
But if you choose formats that are simple to complete
you can actually make it a lot easier on yourself.
It can be time consuming, yes, that's true,
but honestly anything worthwhile is.
So if you're posting reels
and you're doing that consistently, you're gonna be golden.
Actually, I'm currently working with an e-commerce brand
and one of the things that we've noticed
even though we're a brand that has a really large following
is that nothing other than reels is working right now.
So take it from me, reels is the key to exposure
and it's gonna be the key to more followers.
Instagram is making a point to make their search
function better on the platform.
So when you think about the way
that YouTube or Google search function works
you know that when you search something
you're gonna get the results that you're looking for.
So Instagram is trying to improve that about their platform.
So what that means for you is you wanna include keywords
you think people will be searching into Instagram
into your content and into your profile.
So like let's say you run a business where
you do people's nails, for example
maybe you're a nail technician,
then you might wanna include the keywords nail technician
in your bio, your captions, your hashtags, all that.
So make sure that you're focusing on keywords.
So speaking of hashtags, are they dead?
Hashtags aren't dead, they're not,
but they're definitely different from what they used to be.
Now the best way to use hashtags is to
create amazing content that people are gonna wanna see.
Then based on your engagement
the Instagram algorithm understands
that your content is keeping people on the platform
and that's when it starts to push content
on the hashtag pages and the explore pages.
So essentially your content isn't gonna get more views
or more followers just because you're using hashtags.
But if your content is good
then Instagram will start to leverage the hashtags
that you've used to give you an extra push.
It's Instagram's world, we're just living in it.
But if you ask me my personal opinion, no one asked
but I'm gonna say it anyways.
I actually don't like hashtags.
I find them to be
like cluttered and not necessary, but they still work.
And if you are serious about Instagram growth
and you wanna seize every opportunity you can
in order to explode your account, then use them.
So if you do wanna learn more
about how you can create really amazing content
and blow up your Instagram following,
then I recommend you download
this free social media template.
It is designed to help you create
a rock solid Instagram strategy
and you're gonna learn how to create content that breaks
through all that noise that we're seeing on social media
and you're gonna really learn how to provide value
to your audience and make you money online.
So if that sounds good to you
you can click the link right over here
or in the description box below.
Don't worry, it's not gonna stop this video
it's just gonna open a new tab
so that you can have it ready for when you're done
watching this video here.
Posting times.
The time at which you post your content is really important
because the minute you post your content
you wanna show Instagram that your video is popping
that there's tons of people watching and engaging.
But the thing with that is
that you need to make sure that you're posting
during the times that your audience is actually
on Instagram in order to get that engagement right away.
So super simple.
You're just gonna take a look at your analytics,
just like this here and see when your audience is
on most and then just literally post during those times.
Simple as that.
But if you're like
I'm doing all these things, Michelle, I'm still not growing.
This is a crazy tip that I actually
just learned from YouTuber here, his name is Chris Hau.
He says you should check your account
to see if you are shadow banned.
You know if you ever use like a follow and unfollow app
or maybe you're like doing too many actions at once,
Instagram might think you are a robot.
This is against Instagram's policy
so you could actually be shadow banned.
So let's check this out together
and see if you are shadow banned.
So you're gonna go into your settings
account, account status, and then you'll find
out whether you have any strikes against you.
And if so
that could be what is actually hindering your growth
so make sure that you are checking that out.
Instagram rolled out a feature called notes.
So not everyone has this yet
but it's almost been said to be kind of like Twitter
kind of like MSN status update.
And if you're looking for this
this is gonna live in your direct messages tab
and only your close friends can see this
or accounts that you follow
and they follow you back, can see your notes.
Now, Instagram is still testing this feature out
and I personally thought that once they did roll it out
that not a lot of people would use it
but randomly I'm seeing a lot
of my friends are using it, which I find super interesting.
I don't see this as being
like a growth tool considering only people
in your network can see your notes.
But I see this more of an engagement tool.
The more that you show up in people's feeds
the better chances you have
of connecting with your audience.
So if you are trying to add more one-on-one touch points
with your audience, then definitely take a stab
at notes just to see how your engagement does get affected.
Instagram offers a massive opportunity to drive traffic
to your online store.
If you have Instagram shop, you can link to your products
and this is a really great way to make it easy
for your customers to make a purchase from you.
You can even take advantage
of Instagram's latest feature, shopping on Explore.
This makes reaching new customers so much easier
than before.
And if you do wanna grow your business with Instagram
and you do wanna manage your store effortlessly
and you wanna offer a seamless shopping experience
for your audience, then I recommend
that you sign up for a free trial with Shopify.
You can use the link in the description box
for a free trial to start building your Shopify store.
Okay, who's gonna show me up in the comments?
What Instagram algorithm hacks have I missed in this video?
I wanna know.
Are you using some hacks that are really
helping you with your strategy?
Let me know in the comments section below.
Other than that, guys
thank you so much for tuning into this episode.
And if you are new here, don't forget to subscribe
because we are a channel that helps you start
run and grow an online business.
So if that's you
you need these tips in your life, hit that subscribe button
hit that like button for us, hit that notification bell.
My name is Michelle Bali
and I will see you guys in the next one.
Bye.