How the IG Algorithm is Changing (and What to Do)

The world is evolving, and we're leading the way. These resources are designed to equip creators, founders, and brands with the tools to stay at the forefront of marketing, community building, and content strategy.

1. Follower Counts are Dead 

Why This Matters:

• Instagram has moved from a "who you follow" algorithm to a "what you interact with" model, taking cues from TikTok.
  
  

• Follows are now a weak indicator, while engagement (views, likes, shares) is a stronger signal of success.
  
  

• Older accounts with big followings often have inactive, mismatched, or bot followers, which drags down engagement.
  
  

What You Should Do:

• Focus on views per post as your main performance metric—not follower count.
  
  

• Make content that’s valuable or entertaining even for people who don’t follow you.
  
  

For Brands:

• Micro-influencers outperform celebrities due to higher trust, better engagement, and greater ROI.

2. Shares are the #1 Growth Hack

Why it matters:

• The #1 signal for the algorithm is sends per reach—how many people share your post out of the people who saw it.

• A single share can lead to 50–300+ additional views, especially when content snowballs in share loops.

What to do:

• Make share-worthy content — think:

• Relatable stories

• "You gotta see this" moments

• Niche down

3. STOP chasing Quick Hacks

What changed:

• Hashtags & trending audio are dead — This no longer impacts reach like they used to.

• Clickbait Reels — 3-second B-rolls with “read caption” CTAs might boost watch time short-term but erode trust.

• Follow-for-follow or follow trains — Completely inorganic and hurt your brand in the long run.

What to do:

• Focus on value-first content that hooks people and keeps them watching.

• Create for humans, not the algorithm.

• Look at it like a matchmaking service where your content serves consumers one-to-one. Not one to many.

• Be intentional, not manipulative.