Instagram’s CEO: Hashtags Don’t Work. Do This Instead

Summary

Instagram has shifted away from relying on hashtags for content discovery, with the platform now using advanced AI technologies like voice, visual, and text recognition to categorize content. Instead of focusing on hashtags, creators should optimize content by incorporating niche-specific keywords, leveraging pattern recognition, and engaging with recognizable figures in their industry. To boost visibility, creators should focus on building content chains and using targeted calls to action. By adapting to these AI-driven strategies, creators can increase engagement and ensure their content reaches the right audience, resulting in more views and growth.

Takeaways

• 😀 Hashtags are no longer effective for Instagram growth; Instagram has moved on from them.
• 😀 Instagram's algorithm now uses AI to categorize content, analyzing voice, visuals, and text to find the right audience.
• 😀 Niche-specific phrases and keywords in your script and captions are now key to getting higher engagement.
• 😀 AI is constantly learning from user behavior, helping Instagram better predict who should see your content.
• 😀 Pattern recognition is crucial for increasing visibility; using recognizable figures or objects in your content can help match it with the right audience.
• 😀 Content creators can boost engagement by incorporating industry experts, celebrities, or viral figures to trigger the algorithm.
• 😀 Including relevant objects and background elements in your content can help the AI understand your target audience better.
• 😀 Reaction content that adds value to already popular content can help match your audience with pre-validated viewers.
• 😀 Creating a content chain is essential; build on successful posts to keep the algorithm working in your favor.
• 😀 Use targeted call-to-actions in follow-up videos to increase user interactions and help the algorithm understand your audience better.
• 😀 Hashtags can still be useful, but only as an SEO tool and in a specific way, which is detailed in another video.

Q & A

Why has Instagram moved away from hashtags?

Instagram has moved away from hashtags because they are no longer as effective for content categorization. The platform now uses AI technologies, including voice, text, and image recognition, to categorize content and match it with the appropriate audience.

What is the main reason Instagram's algorithm now focuses on AI?

Instagram's algorithm focuses on AI to better understand the content through voice recognition, text, and image analysis, allowing it to match content with more relevant and specific audiences. This makes the algorithm smarter than the old hashtag-based system.

What role do keywords and phrases play in Instagram's new algorithm?

Keywords and phrases are now crucial for helping Instagram's AI categorize content. Instead of relying on hashtags, creators should use niche-specific keywords naturally in their scripts and captions to signal to the algorithm the relevant content and audience.

How does pattern recognition benefit content creators on Instagram?

Pattern recognition helps content creators by associating specific topics, people, objects, and content formats with pre-validated audience groups. Including recognizable figures or objects related to the content helps Instagram's AI match it with the right audience faster.

What is the 'content chain' strategy for Instagram creators?

The 'content chain' strategy involves creating follow-up videos based on successful posts. If a video performs well, creators should produce additional content with similar themes or keywords to maintain momentum and continue engaging the same audience.

Why should creators avoid keyword stuffing in their Instagram content?

Keyword stuffing can harm content performance because it feels unnatural and doesn't align with Instagram's focus on context. The algorithm values natural language and relevance, so creators should integrate keywords organically into their content.

How can creators use 'power people' in their content?

Including well-known or semi-famous figures in content helps Instagram’s AI recognize the association between the creator's content and popular topics. This can boost the content’s visibility to a relevant audience who follows or engages with those figures.

How does Instagram's AI learn from user behavior?

Instagram’s AI continually learns from how users interact with content. It observes metrics like likes, saves, and comments to predict which content will be engaging for specific audiences, allowing it to recommend relevant content more effectively.

What mistake do most creators make with content strategies on Instagram?

Most creators make the mistake of treating each video as a one-off post. Instead, they should create a content chain and build upon successful content, ensuring the algorithm sees a pattern and continues to recommend their content to a relevant audience.

Can hashtags still be useful on Instagram?

Hashtags can still be useful as an SEO tool but are no longer central to Instagram's algorithm for content discovery. Creators can use hashtags strategically to enhance their visibility in search but should rely more on AI-driven content optimization.