Adapting to Instagram's Newest Algorithm Changes: Shareable Original Content is now King

Instagram has instituted a significant change to its algorithm, which led to immediate fluctuations in engagement and presented challenges for brands relying on organic reach. Cyberwoven's Digital Marketing Team, or the DMT as we like to refer to ourselves in-house, has taken an in-depth look at the app's changes, adjusting to how we can best support our clients going forward.

So, What's Happening with Instagram's Algorithm? 

Instagram's latest update, emphasizes original content and meaningful (shareable) engagement: 

• Original Content Focus: The algorithm now prioritizes original posts over reposts. Brands need to create unique, engaging content to maintain visibility. 
• SEO from Other Social Media Platforms: With an emphasis on original content, the algorithm uses SEO from other social media platforms to determine if the content is original. This means if a brand uses Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn and posts the exact same content on each platform, then the algorithm considers the content reposted and not original. 
• Meaningful Interactions: The algorithm values comments, shares, and saves over likes, pushing brands to foster genuine engagement with their audience. 
• Direct Sends Priority: Instagram, for the first time, now gives more weight to content shared via direct messages than just on Stories, encouraging more personalized interactions. 

These algorithm changes present an opportunity to demonstrate Cyberwoven's expertise and adaptability.

Impact on Brand Analytics 

These changes have led to:

• Decreased reach and impressions for accounts relying on static images, reposted content, and original content shared on multiple social media platforms. 
• Fluctuations in engagement metrics, affecting predictability. 
• A need for increased resources to create original content. 

How Cyberwoven Can Help Our Clients 

Content Strategy Adjustment: 

• Encourage brands to focus on creating high-quality, original content. 
• Prioritize shareable content, evaluating whether proposed content meets their followers' interests and non-follower interests. Ask yourself, "Would I want to share this with someone directly?" 
• Adjust content for each social media platform used, tweaking copy and assets to appear original for each specific platform rather than using identical content for each platform. 

These algorithm changes present an opportunity to demonstrate Cyberwoven's expertise and adaptability. By guiding our clients through these shifts with proactive strategies, we can help them continue to grow and succeed on Instagram. Additionally, we can recommend strategically using Instagram Ads to counteract the drop in organic reach. 

Interested in learning more? Feel free to contact us directly here.