I recently spoke with a Meta Account Expert, who shared some algorithm secrets to growing your Instagram following and engagement. Some I already knew, but some were a surprise. Read on for the tips they shared with me on growing my account.

Secrets to the Instagram Algorithm

When I got the chance to schedule a call with what Instagram calls a Meta Account Expert, I signed up right away and prepared a list of questions. A lot of what they mentioned is the same stuff you hear over and over again, but I did get some interesting information that might help if you are still trying to figure out what to do, how often to post and how many hashtags to use.

Get on Threads

Throughout the call, the main objective seemed for them to be encouraging us to use threads. So if you aren’t on there, do it now. I honestly don’t like it all that much, but if they are pushing it this hard, then you need to use it in combination with your account if you want to grow.

You can find me on Threads at @SewGeekMama

They suggested posting one or two times a day on Threads, which I’ve already failed at. I only remember it one or two times week, which they said was better than nothing. So even if you can’t give it a lot of attention, it still helps.

Reels Still Matter

Even though they’ve taken away the Reels bonuses, the person I spoke to admitted Reels are still prioritized over a photo. They suggest turning your photo into a Reel for maximum exposure.

They suggested using trending music and looking for Reels that are trending and do whatever they are doing. The overall message I got was: hop on the bandwagon, do what others are doing, join the crowd.

Unfortunately I am the WORST at following a trend. I either get interested after it is no longer trendy, or don’t like it all.

Post on Instagram 3-5 Times a Week

As for your regular Instagram account, they suggested just posting 3-5 times a week is best. So for everybody out there hustling to post something every day, read that again. Posting too often floods your feed and they can’t show everything to everyone so think quality over quantity. Or maybe they just want you to have extra time for Threads. This is actually the opposite advice I’d heard for Tiktok accounts, where apparently the more you post, the better.

Use Only 5-8 Hashtags

Stop wasting your time and space trying to max out your 30 hashtags. Just pick 5-8 really good ones and go with that. Instagram isn’t going to reward you for posting as many hashtags as possible. The Meta Expert said an average of five hashtags is best, with a couple narrow focus ones and a few large ones.

Do a Follow Challenge

I’ve been stuck just under 20k for a year, and they suggested to do a follow challenge where I give away a prize if I reach 20k. I’m not really sure what I’d give away or how I’d choose who gets the prize. I’m still thinking about that one and not sure if I want to try it.

Has It Helped?

I’ve been implementing these tips for a couple weeks and I’ve seen a little improvement in followers and engagement. I do like just using a handful of good hashtags and not feeling pressured to post every day. I plan to keep trying it.

Here’s the info they sent as a follow-up e-mail on improving Reels views:

Use Hashtags

Use 3 to 8 hashtags to increase the reach of your content. Make the hashtags as specific as possible and appealing to your vertical or base. For example, don’t use hashtags like #explore or #viral, but do use the name of your location, the brands you showcase or use, or other such information. 

Post When Your Audience Is Active

Use Insights in Professional Dashboard or Meta Business Suite to understand when your audience is most active. This can also help you understand the demographic of people most engaging with your content. 

Post Consistently

Post throughout the week 3 to 5 times, and develop a schedule through Meta Business Suite. The optimal upload cadence is different for every creator, based on different factors like your audience and type of content you’re making. 

Best Practices for Audio

Add music to your reel by tapping the Audio icon. You’ll see an expanded browser where you can search for music by genre or theme. Use a song’s beat as marks for dance moves, editing transitions and effects.

Collabs

You can use Instagram Collabs to co-create reels with other accounts. The creator of the original reel can invite another account as a collaborator. If the account accepts the invite, their username will be added to the reel and the reel will be shared with their followers, and on their profile. Accounts that accept a collaboration invite can see all likes and comments on the reel.

Experiment with Timing

You can create up to 90-second reels on Instagram. When choosing a length for your reel: select Length, then set your reels length to 15, 30, 60 or 90 seconds. Switch up the timing to see what your audience likes.

Schedule with Meta Business Suite

Use Meta Business Suite to schedule a week or two of content ahead of time, especially if you are planning to take time off. Distribute content out for as long as you anticipate you’ll be gone.

Good luck with your Instagram account, and remember you can find me on all social as @SewGeekMama & @GeekMamasBlog

About the Author

Candy Keane is a digital content creator and long-time cosplayer, most well-known for being on the cover of the Star Wars documentary Jedi Junkies. After making costumes professionally for over a decade, she now writes about geek culture and mom life, and continues to cosplay for fun, while sharing her love of costumes on Instagram @SewGeekMama. Her first children’s book, I’m Going to My First Comic Convention, was published in 2020 and won a Story Monsters Approved award for Excellence in Literature.

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