BREAKING: Instagram CEO SHOCKS with NEW Algorithm Updates (2024)

Summary

In this insightful video, the CEO of Instagram reveals nine key aspects of the platform's algorithm, emphasizing 'sends per reach' as the most critical metric for content success. He advises that short-form content should be understandable without sound, given half of viewers watch without it. Early engagement is crucial, and the algorithm favors content that prompts sharing among friends, not just public interaction. The video also discusses the importance of follower counts, the distinct algorithms for different Instagram feeds, and the emerging 'DM flywheel' where private messaging drives content sharing. The CEO hints at a future where Instagram prioritizes direct messaging over public posts, reshaping content strategy.

Takeaways

• 📈 The most important metric in the Instagram algorithm is 'sends per reach', which measures how many people share your post with their friends relative to the total impressions it gets.
• 🎥 For short-form content like Instagram Reels, it should ideally be understandable with the sound off, given that approximately half of the users watch videos without sound, emphasizing the importance of visible captions.
• 🔥 Early engagement is crucial; if a post gets shared rapidly within the first hour, it's more likely to be noticed by the algorithm, suggesting the importance of prompt interactions like comments and shares.
• 🚫 Do not rely solely on Instagram's analytics dashboard, as it may not show all the important metrics like 'sends per reach', and consider using alternative tools like automated Google Sheets dashboards for better insights.
• 🔢 Follower count matters as it correlates with reach, but its importance is diminishing as more content is discovered through recommendations rather than following.
• 🗣️ Instagram's mission is to connect people with friends, not just to the world or news, which means content that is more likely to be shared among friends has a higher chance of rising to the top.
• 📲 There are different algorithms for the home feed, explore feed, and Reels feed, with each having unique factors for content ranking, although some factors like 'sends per reach' and engagement are consistent.
• 💬 The 'DM flywheel' concept suggests that sharing content through direct messages can drive more engagement and is likely to be prioritized by Instagram in the future.
• 😀 Creating content that triggers an emotional reaction, such as excitement or fear, can increase the likelihood of it being shared, leading to more 'outlier views'.
• 🏆 Building a brand with short-form content can be challenging due to the volume of content consumed, but it's possible by standing out and making an impact with each piece of content.
• 📹 Long-form videos may not be as effective on Instagram for sparking conversations and should be considered for platforms like YouTube, where they can be more impactful.

Q & A

What is the most important metric in the Instagram algorithm according to the CEO's interview?

The most important metric is 'sends per reach', which measures how many people share your post with their friends divided by the total impressions.

Why is 'sends per reach' more important than likes or views on Instagram?

'Sends per reach' is more important because it indicates how engaging and shareable the content is, which is a key factor in the Instagram algorithm.

How can captions improve the performance of videos on Instagram?

Captions are important because roughly half of the viewers watch Instagram videos without sound. Visible and clear captions in the feed can help convey the message even without audio.

What is the significance of early engagement on Instagram Reels?

Early engagement, such as shares and comments within the first hour, is crucial as it signals to the algorithm that the content is engaging and should be shown to more people.

Why is it recommended to create short-form content that can be viewed with the sound off?

Since about half of the viewers watch Instagram videos without sound, creating content that can be understood without audio ensures wider accessibility and comprehension.

What is the 'DM flywheel' and how does it relate to Instagram's mission?

The 'DM flywheel' refers to the cycle where users share interesting content with friends via direct messages, sparking conversations and further sharing. This aligns with Instagram's mission to connect people with friends.

How does Instagram differentiate between the home feed, explore feed, and Reels feed in terms of algorithmic preferences?

While factors like 'sends per reach' and average view duration rank equally across all three, the home feed prioritizes content from accounts you follow and mutual follows, focusing more on friend interactions like comments.

What is the impact of follower counts on the reach of Instagram content?

Follower counts are important as they correlate with the potential reach of content. However, in a world where recommendations play a larger role, the reach is increasingly coming from the recommendation system rather than just followers.

Why is it advised not to use the 90-second Reels feature for long-form content?

The 90-second Reels feature is not recommended for long-form content because views over 90 seconds are not being recommended in the explore page order, limiting the content to only the creator's followers.

How can understanding the 'DM flywheel' help content creators?

Understanding the 'DM flywheel' can help creators produce content that is more likely to be shared in direct messages, which Instagram may prioritize in the algorithm, leading to increased reach.

What is the challenge of building a brand with short-form content on Instagram?

The challenge is that short-form content can be consumed quickly and may not leave a lasting impression on the viewer, making it harder for the creator to build a recognizable brand.

Outlines

00:00

📈 Instagram Algorithm Insights: Key Metrics and Content Strategy

This paragraph delves into the Instagram CEO's recent revelations about the platform's algorithm, focusing on the importance of 'sends per reach' as the most critical metric for content performance. The CEO emphasizes that the number of people who share a post with friends is more significant than likes or views. Additionally, the discussion highlights the need for content to be engaging without sound, as roughly half of Instagram users watch videos without sound, making captions crucial. The speaker, Jordan, shares his experience and insights, including the creation of a free overlay for better caption visibility. Early engagement is also crucial, with high shares in the first hour often leading to greater reach. The paragraph concludes with a critique of Instagram's analytics dashboard, suggesting the need for a more accurate measurement tool, such as an automated Google Sheets dashboard.

05:02

🔍 Understanding Instagram's Content Discovery and the DM Flywheel

The second paragraph explores the differences in Instagram's algorithm across the home feed, explore feed, and reels, noting that while engagement metrics like sends per reach and average view duration are consistent, the weightage may vary. The home feed prioritizes content from followed accounts and mutual follows, encouraging more interaction like comments. The speaker discusses the platform's mission to connect people with friends, not just the masses, and the importance of sharing content that would be suitable for individual conversations. The 'DM flywheel' concept is introduced, where sharing content in direct messages (DMs) starts a cycle of engagement that can lead to more views and shares. The paragraph also touches on the potential shift in sharing habits from public to private DMs and the implications for content creators.

10:03

🎥 The Impact of Short Form Content and Building Brand Identity on Instagram

In this paragraph, the focus shifts to the challenges and opportunities of short form content on Instagram. The speaker discusses the algorithm's preference for short videos that spark conversations and are more likely to be shared, thereby connecting people with their friends. The importance of total watch hours over views is highlighted, suggesting that longer videos may not be as effective on Instagram. The speaker recommends compiling long-form content for platforms like YouTube instead. The paragraph also addresses the difficulty of building a brand identity with short form content due to the sheer volume of content consumed, making it harder for creators to stand out and be remembered. The speaker advises against using the 90-second reel feature unless there is a compelling reason, as it may not be recommended in explore or shown to a broader audience.

Keywords

💡Instagram Algorithm

The Instagram Algorithm is the set of rules and processes that determine the order of posts in a user's feed. It is crucial to understanding the video's theme as it discusses how content is surfaced and promoted on the platform. The script mentions that 'the percentage reach per thousand Impressions is the most important stat' in the algorithm, indicating the significance of how widely a post is seen relative to the number of impressions it receives.

💡Sends Per Reach

Sends Per Reach is a metric that measures how many people share a post with others for every thousand impressions it gets. This metric is highlighted in the video as a key indicator of a post's performance on Instagram. The script uses this term to emphasize the importance of sharing behavior in the algorithm's evaluation of content.

💡Impressions

Impressions refer to the number of times a post is displayed in a user's feed, regardless of whether it was clicked on or engaged with. In the context of the video, impressions are a fundamental part of the Instagram Algorithm, as they are used to calculate other metrics like 'sends per reach'.

💡Video Performance

Video Performance is the measure of how well a video does on Instagram, typically in terms of views, engagement, and shares. The video script discusses various factors that contribute to video performance, such as 'send sends per reach' and 'watch time,' which are important for evaluating how content is received on the platform.

💡Watch Time

Watch Time is the total amount of time users spend watching videos. It is mentioned in the script as a factor that Instagram's algorithm considers, although it is noted to matter less than 'sends per reach.' This concept is important for understanding how the algorithm values user engagement with video content.

💡Captions

Captions are the text overlays on videos that provide context or dialogue. The script points out that 'captions are so important' because roughly half of the viewers watch Instagram videos without sound. This highlights the need for clear, visible captions in the feed to ensure content is understandable and engaging even without audio.

💡Early Engagement

Early Engagement refers to the initial interactions a post receives shortly after it is published. The video script suggests that posts that receive a high volume of shares and comments within the first hour are more likely to be promoted by the algorithm, indicating the importance of capturing attention quickly.

💡Instagram Analytics Dashboard

The Instagram Analytics Dashboard is a tool that provides insights into a user's content performance. However, the script advises not to fully trust it, as it may not show all relevant metrics, such as 'cents per reach,' which is important for understanding the value of a post according to the algorithm.

💡Follower Counts

Follower Counts represent the number of users who follow an account. The script mentions that having more followers can increase the reach of a post, but it also points out that the importance of follower counts has diminished as the algorithm now prioritizes content recommendations over following relationships.

💡DM Flywheel

The DM Flywheel is a concept introduced in the script that describes the cycle of sharing content through direct messages, which leads to further engagement and sharing. It is considered a significant factor in the Instagram Algorithm as it promotes interaction and connection between users, aligning with Instagram's mission to 'connect people with friends.'

💡Short Form Content

Short Form Content refers to brief pieces of media, such as Instagram's Reels, which are typically under a minute long. The script discusses the challenges of building a brand with short form content due to the sheer volume of content that can be consumed in a short amount of time, potentially making it harder for creators to stand out and be remembered.

Highlights

The most important metric in the Instagram algorithm is 'sends per reach'.

For evaluating video performance on Instagram, focus on 'sends per reach' rather than likes or views.

Duration and watch time matter, but they are less important than 'sends'.

Successful short-form content should ideally be viewable with the sound off, highlighting the importance of captions.

Approximately 50% of Instagram users watch videos without sound, emphasizing the need for visible captions in the feed.

Early engagement, especially within the first hour, is crucial for content to gain traction.

Instagram's analytics dashboard may not fully reflect the importance of certain metrics like 'sends per reach'.

Follower counts are important, but reach is increasingly influenced by the recommendation system rather than just followers.

Content that stimulates a desire to share with friends is prioritized by Instagram's algorithm.

Different algorithms operate for the home feed, explore feed, and reel feed, each with unique factors.

Instagram's mission is to connect people with friends, not just the world or news, which influences content prioritization.

The 'DM flywheel' effect, where content is shared in direct messages, is a significant driver of engagement.

Sharing in private DMs is predicted to increase in importance over public sharing on feeds and stories.

Content that triggers emotional reactions, such as fear or excitement, can lead to higher sharing rates.

Building a brand with short-form content can be challenging due to the rapid consumption and lower memorability.

Instagram's algorithm favors short-form videos that spark conversations and sharing, rather than long-form videos.

Creators should consider posting compilations of short-form content to platforms like YouTube for better visibility.

Total watch hours are more important than views on any platform, indicating the value of engagement over mere viewership.

Transcripts

two days ago this interview with the CEO

of Instagram dropped and he shared nine

things about the Instagram algorithm

that I did not know before for example

the percentage reach per thousand

Impressions is the most important stat

in the Instagram algorithm but one of

the most important things to look at if

you're trying to evaluate how your

videos or anything is doing on Instagram

is definitely the send sends I would

look at send per reach so of the people

who saw it how many of them sent it to a

friend yes not likes not even view

duration but don't believe me just

listen justes like watch time matter or

length of time I spend on a on a real

yeah they definitely matter they matter

a lot less than sense and even if you

already watch the podcast I'm sure you

didn't fully pick up on at least five of

the nine things that I will share next I

watch the podcast twice and spend more

than 20 hours to condense only the

valuable insights for myself my team and

for you and I selected only the valuable

Parts the valuable clips that we watch

together by the way if you're new I'm

Jordan did over $4 million in Revenue

hired over 50 people and started making

videos on YouTube since 2012 and I

promise you you will learn more from

this video than the original one because

I respect your time and you basically

get all of the insights without missing

one of them without having to watch 92

minutes and I even share more and also

created a checklist you can use yourself

or send to your team including practical

tips on how to apply the algorithm

insights that Adam shares himself so

let's start with the most important

metric in the algorithm sents per reach

so is that the most important factor

then when it comes to reach shares her

impressions on on average on average

yeah that is is how many people send

your post to friends divided by the

total Impressions you get so in this

example of course 20 cents are better

than five with the same amount of views

number two if you want to have a

successful short form piece of content

it ideally should be able to be viewed

with the sound off how many people watch

Instagram with their sound off it was

roughly half that's why captions are so

important that's why you got to make

sure your captions are visible in the

feed not just in the full screen viewer

one of the classic mistakes is put your

captions and you don't even see them

until you expand the video

50% probably watch your RS without sound

I mean I didn't know this and most

editors put the captions on the bottom

probably yours as well so I created an

overlay that you can download for free

and send to your editor or use yourself

if you edit your own videos you can find

it in the link in the description number

three early engagement any of our reels

that you know hit the the I would say 3

four million plus Mark which is only a

few but the ones that have it's

relatively immediate that they got they

start getting shared M yeah it's it's

like within the first hour if we are

getting if there people are sharing them

in their stories at a high velocity then

yeah that's what we're you see the

finger you notice this important early

engagement is the holy Grill and I must

say this is absolutely true based on my

own personal experience for instance

this video that I posted some time ago

got more than 10 times the amount of

Impressions and the main thing I noticed

is because it got a flood of comments in

the first hour so ask yourself how can I

get comments sents in the DMs and story

shares in the first two hours again I

share some of my IDs in the checklist

number four don't trust the Instagram

analytics dashboard is that a stat that

like you give to us yeah you can look at

shares and you can look at reach and

then you you divide those too we should

make it and I have had this conversation

many times with the team it's amazing

how little influence I feel like I have

on a day-to-day basis so the most

important stat cents per reach is not

shown in their professional dashboard

and of course I want to measure it so I

saw to work on an automated Google

Sheets dashboard and if you want free

access when it's ready you can join the

free WhatsApp group below again it's

free but only for serious creators no

spam no promotions and no questions that

can be answered on Google all right

number five how important are follower

counts follow account is super important

because you're going to have a much

better chance of reaching anybody who

follows you than anybody who doesn't

follow you so there's a really strong

correlation between how many followers

you have and how many people you reach

that said they matter less today in a

world where there is more time spent

looking at recommendations than before

the larger percentage of your average

reach will be through the recommendation

system simply said most of your reach

comes from recommendations not your

followers so assume you're talking to

strangers instead of people who know you

already because they likely don't even

Alex josi with 2.6 million followers

does this listen up way more people

don't know me than know me but you kind

of fall into this trap of assuming

you're talking to your warm audience

rather than what you're making the

content for which is people who've never

met you before and so keeping that top

of mind which is that we want to make

sure that we welome welcome everyone and

that we don't have inside jokes that

only people who are on the inside feel

it because then all it does is it

excludes people that are new and you

want new people to follow you right

number six are there different

algorithms for each of the three feeds

that Instagram has and then I'm talking

about the home feed the explore feed and

the R feed and the answer is yes there

are differences in those three places

what are are all those factors that we

just talked about sends per reach length

like essentially average view duration

on a video engagement like that those

factors rank equally across those three

Discovery platforms no not quite the

same so in feed we try to heavily

preference content from accounts that

you follow and accounts where you've got

Mutual follows so if you and I follow

each other we're probably friends in

real life so that content will got it

that content we will value more um in a

number of ways one of is like we just

shift more of the weight and the value

model towards things that friends would

do with each other's content like

commenting which would matter Less in an

unconnected content where if you're

commenting on a public real you know

it's different it's a different place um

that probably matters Less in

unconnected surfaces like explore or

real again I share practical tips in the

notion checklist but listen closely to

the following clip it's very important

to understand that honestly I've never

heard it before part of our reason to be

which is to connect people with friends

did you know that to connect people with

friends not the world not the news not

famous people but friends that's

apparently their mission which is

crucial to know for what Adam will share

in the next two clips the content that

rises to the top is the content that you

would share with an individual in a

conversation not that you would yell

from a rooftop to the whole world that's

really interesting like that it is

interesting because I always thought

that reaching the masses was much more

important but Adam is saying that they

prioritize posts that get sent to

friends even more which brings me to

probably the most important thing that I

learned from this interview which is the

DM flywheel that is an interesting

moment because you discovered something

that someone made something creative

something beautiful something

interesting and then you shared it with

a friend in this hypothetical world you

and HRA are also buds of course and then

he he psyched to get it and that you

might actually have a conversation about

gardening basil whatever you like but

then he came back to Instagram and then

he actually probably checked out some

more things and then maybe he saw an

amazing you know soccer highlight and

then he sent that to me and that's the

flywheel so again start measuring cents

per reach it's probably the most

important thing but also probably the

most overlooked one since most creators

just look at their views right so how

does this DM fly work and short you see

an interesting post you want to share

the emotion so you share it with a

friend in the DMS and your friend now

comes back to Instagram and get hooked

to do the exact same cycle that is the

DM flywheel and Adam predicts this will

only increase more in the future sharing

is going to shift from feed based

formats to messaging based formats You'

mentioned Snapchat before Snapchat is

not a stories product yes they have

stories the vast majority of sharing at

Snapchat is in messages there are way

more photos and messages shared on

Instagram in a given day than posted to

stor and there are way more photos and

videos posted to stories than posted to

feed yet people think of us as a feed

app so you're going to see that continue

to shift DMS DMS DMS more people will

share stuff in private DMS rather than

on Feed and stories for example instead

of reposting a funny meme you see or

some of those motivational quotes to

your story or even your feed you share

it in the DMS to a friend and my

prediction Instagram will continue to

prioritize DM engagement so maybe go

through your own DMS and find out why

you sent certain post to friends

recently and here colen and Samir share

their assumptions behind their outlier

views a lot of those reals are about

generative AI or about the rayan meta

about like future Tech and I think that

you know plays to multiple human

emotions one is like excitement you know

there's like the excitement for the

future isn't this crazy I got to share

it with a friend the other is fear right

like this is terrifying so I have to

share it with a friend yeah um and I

think when you tap into understanding

like triggering an emotional reaction

from someone and ideally that emotional

reaction is the desire to connect with

someone else that's where we've seen the

the highest philosophy so if you can

create content that stimulates the

desire for someone else to share it with

a friend because of emotions such as

strong fear or excitement then you may

start to see more outlier views as well

now let's hear Adam talk about the last

thing that most creators right now are

wondering about especially after

Instagram well release a new feature

that's a challenge that creators have

with short form content no matter where

it is is building brand right if you're

making long form content it is difficult

but if someone chooses to spend 20

minutes with you they will remember you

tomorrow there are times when with short

form content because you can consume so

much in such a short amount of time that

you may not actually remember the

Creator you just saw even if you loved

what you just saw right it feels like it

served the purpose of entertainment for

you like that lean back experience I

don't know if I agree so yes if you were

going to compare someone who watched one

15-second video end to end and one

15-minute video end to end so clearly

you're going to have more memory more

affiliation with 15-minute video I don't

know that means that on average the

average shortterm creator has a harder

time building a brand because the

average short fir Video Creator can make

many more videos for the in the same

amount of time for the same amount of

money so you might mean you get more at

bats I think it's what makes it harder

to stand out on the first for his first

impression are surrounded yeah so do not

use the 90 plus second real feature they

even share that views over 90 seconds

are not being recommended in explore

views page order for you pages so these

means it is only shown to your own

followers so only use the option if you

have a clever reason to do so by the way

the feature is only available to in the

US anyways but more so here Adam shares

the big reason why the algorithm loves

short ruse you start a conversation then

that helps them discover more things

themselves and they send it to someone

else and that starts another

conversation and that's why short from

video for us is so symbiotic with

connecting people with their friends

whereas in you know the world you come

from of long form video is much less so

because if you spend 20 minutes watching

or 50 minutes watching a pod video

you're probably consuming a lot less

content from Friends sending a lot less

things to friends long form videos do

not spark the DM fly view so don't post

them on Instagram but I recommend

consider posting a compilation for

example of your views to YouTube as loow

hanging fruit just try it out to see if

it has any impact and gets views by the

way if you want to know why total watch

hours matters more than views on any

platform then you may watch this video

next and maybe send this video or the

free resources to your team so they are

up to date as well without paying them

to watch 92 minutes of a podcast talk

soon