Boosting engagement: Debunking common Instagram algorithm myths

One of the main things that can impact an influencer’s social media engagement is the notorious Instagram algorithm. Renowned for its ever-changing rules, the algorithm has been a topic of discussion since Instagram stopped its chronological feed back in 2016.

Every influencer will have an opinion on this change, stating that it either helped them to attract more followers or halted engagement with their posts altogether – but is there a way to beat it?

Sam O’Brien, CMO of performance marketing platform Affise, shares his insight on the matter below:

“The Instagram algorithm can be very tricky to navigate, especially for people that are new to the influencing world. Social media influencers who have been making their money through brand deals and sponsored posts for years, may have already worked out how to boost their engagement despite the precarious rules, while people at the beginning of their careers online will still have to learn and navigate what works best for them.

“Once Instagram stopped displaying posts in chronological order, posts started to appear to people based on their interests and the relevance certain topics had to them, such as fitness, food, art or make-up etc.

Before Instagram started to share some much longed for information on how their algorithm worked in 2021, people had been in the dark for years, with brand collaborations failing to achieve the engagement levels they once were. Despite Instagram revealing how their algorithm works, there are still several myths circulating its process, causing further confusion.”

As part of its Influencers: Mapped report, the experts at Affise have looked into some of the most common algorithm myths relating to Instagram that users of the platform continue to discuss and debate to this day, in order to see whether there is any truth behind them.

The algorithm is out to get you

Contrary to popular belief among influencers, the algorithm was not created to limit the reach of your posts or engagement. Due to the fact that many influencers felt they were receiving fewer likes on their photos, rumours started to circulate that Instagram was deliberately hiding certain accounts.

Despite the fact that the lack of a chronological timeline may mean certain influencers have had to find new methods of getting their posts seen by a wider audience, Instagram insists there was no malice intended when the change was made.

There is an optimum time to post each day

Strangely enough, there is actually some truth to this. Despite the fact that an exact time cannot be calculated, due to followers living in different time zones, working different hours, and many more variables, studies have proven that certain times have been better for boosting engagement rates than others.

During these studies, it was highlighted that each day came with a different peak time to post, which varied from country to country.

For example, in the UK, posting on a Monday at, 6am, 12pm and 10pm will apparently get you the highest levels of engagement. On Saturday, unsurprisingly, the best times to post were a lot later in the day, at either 11am, 7pm and 8pm, possibly due to people not working and sleeping in, and then being busier during the day.

The more hashtags, the better

Despite there being many influencers that may feel otherwise, hashtags do, in fact, help your posts reach a wider audience. Each hashtag allows people to search using the ‘tagged’ search bar on the explore page, making it far easier for new potential followers to view your content.

However, don’t fall into the ‘the more hashtags I post, the better’ trap and load each of your posts with 30 hashtags, as this could result in being penalised by Instagram. Try to be as specific as possible, as studies have shown that the most common number of hashtags is 1-3, but using up to 11 can generate more success.

For example, if you are posting a photo of a particular makeup brand, make sure to hashtag the name, the type of makeup, or whether it is cruelty-free or not – anything you can think of to get it out there. Using the search bar could also allow you to quickly research what other people are hashtagging for their similar content, so you can include popular ones in your content too.

Shorter captions are more effective

This myth is entirely dependent on what kind of content you are posting. For example, if you are simply showing your followers a picture of a coffee or a house plant, shorter captions would be more appropriate.

However, if you are tackling a subject that is more hard-hitting, such as body positivity, then a longer caption is more likely to capture the attention of your viewers, as it would highlight that you have taken the time and effort to write something sensitive, compassionate and from a personal perspective.

Always judge each post individually, as varying caption lengths could also offer some variety to your page that both your audience (and the Instagram algorithm) are craving. If your captions are regularly hundreds of words long, it could be off-putting and cause unfollows and a lack of engagement.

Instagram stories can help boost engagement

Once again, there is an element of truth behind this, as posting regular Instagram stories allows you to constantly stay at the forefront of peoples’ feeds. However, as they are only available for 24 hours, it is actually more effective to save your story posts to the highlights bar on your profile page.

If your posts are all saved and, even better, arranged neatly with different thumbnails for each one, your followers will easily be able to browse them by searching through the categories and remain on your page for longer.

For example, if you are a skincare influencer, you could organise your story highlights by separating the different formulas, such as cleansers, toners, and SPFs – which would, in turn, make it easier for followers to recommend you to friends.

While there are many different techniques that can be utilised to increase the reach of your photographs, the most important thing to remember is to post regular, imaginative, creative content that you feel your followers would be interested in – you know your brand and what will work best for it