Instagram is a tricky place. It’s an environment where hundreds of millions of people, brands, and influencers compete for attention and only a fraction of them manage to get may be one of their posts go viral on Instagram.
The competition is fierce, so you need to know how to stand out from the crowd if you want to be successful on Instagram. That’s easier said than done – especially if you don’t have a big budget for advertising or don’t have any followers yet.
But there are ways to hack into Instagram’s algorithm for virality that won’t cost you anything at all! In this article, I’ll explain what makes content go viral on Instagram and share some tips that will help boost your engagement rate (and hopefully get more followers).
Availability to Go Viral on Instagram
Availability is a numbers game.
- The more followers you have, the more likely you will appear in the feed.
- The more posts you have, the more likely you will appear in the feed.
- The more likes you get, the more likely you will appear in the feed.
While you cannot control the first and the third, you control the second one. You can post more often and get better results. If you are short on time you can schedule Instagram posts in advance.
Engagement to Go Viral on Instagram
Engagement is the measure of how much people like your posts.
The more engagement a post has, the higher it’s going to rank in Instagram’s algorithm.
Engagement is measured by:
- Number of Likes and Comments on your posts. The more likes and comments you get, the better your post will rank!
- How many people see your video or watch it for at least 10 seconds. The more views you have, the better your video will rank!
Engagement basically has a snow ball effect. However, do not fall for services that give you fake engagement as it will instead hurt your chances to go viral on Instagram.
Duration
You’ve heard it from everyone: longer videos get more views.
This is because longer videos are more likely to be seen, shared, and liked than shorter videos.
To make your video go viral, you should use the Instagram algorithm for virality by making sure that your video is at least two minutes long.
The algorithm changes but there are some constants
The Instagram algorithm is constantly changing, but there are some constants. The algorithm is based on engagement and the user’s behavior, preferences, demographics and past behavior. If you can crack the algorithm you can go viral on Instagram with every post.
This means that you have to keep engaging with your Instagram followers by posting content relevant to their interests. This should result in more likes, comments and shares. If people like what they see then it will be shown to more people because of its popularity.
Conclusion
The Instagram algorithm is a moving target, but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn to use it to your advantage. By understanding how the algorithm works, you can make better decisions about your content and how best to promote it on Instagram. And remember: as long as people are following you for your photos and videos, then there’s no reason not to keep sharing them!