In the modern digital landscape, social media is more than just a platform for entertainment and connecting with friends. It is an essential marketing tool for businesses to increase their visibility and audience engagement as well as to help boost sales. With the rise of paid social advertising, businesses often neglect the organic aspect of their social media strategy to their own detriment. If this applies to your business, no need to worry! This article is your guide to unlocking the power of organic social media to amplify your Instagram presence and optimise your content for the ever-changing algorithm.
Why is Organic Social Media an Important Component of Any Digital Marketing Strategy?
Organic social is an essential tool to generate brand awareness and build relationships with your customers. No one wants to be bombarded with advertisements and call-to-actions when using social media, therefore being able to share genuine, entertaining content without a sales focus can help you communicate your brand’s personality and connect with customers on a personal level. This type of content is also a great way to generate engagement as it can serve as a forum for brand enthusiasts to react to your posts and share their thoughts.
Exceptional organic social content not only sparks creativity and engagement but also drives substantial earned media and word-of-mouth marketing. When publications and individuals share your innovative content with their audiences, it amplifies your brand visibility and reputation, ultimately leading to sustained sales growth over time.
How to Optimise Your Content for the Instagram Algorithm
1. Editing In-App Favoured by Instagram Algorithm
The Instagram algorithm favours content that is edited within the app, particularly for Reels and Stories. This is because editing with Instagram’s tools demonstrates that you’re actively engaging with the app and ensures that your content is optimised for the platform’s formats and features which is proven to provide a better user experience. Therefore, to enhance visibility and engagement on your posts, it is best to avoid third-party editing software and stick to the native editing tools in the Instagram app.
We have begun implementing native editing as part of our social media strategy across the business and have seen the impact this can have with one of our key client, @rebelsport.
Pattern ran a sequence of tests and learned to put Instagram’s advice to the test, for one of our key clients rebel we found a distinct contrast between the reel that was edited using third-party tools and the reels edited in-app. The reel that was not built in the Instagram app only generated 78 total engagements: 75 likes, 1 comment, 2 shares and no saves. Comparatively, one of the natively edited reels gained 5,395 total engagements: 5,175 likes, 25 comments, 95 shares and 100 saves. Another reel that was edited in-app generated 707 total engagements, highlighting the impact that this strategy can have on the success of your content.
2. Utilising Trending Songs
Another method for outsmarting the Instagram algorithm is to use trending sounds, which in turn increases your video’s reach and engagement. Trending songs on Instagram typically gain popularity through user-generated content. When a song is used in many videos and gains traction with users, the algorithm identifies it as trending. This visibility boosts the song’s usage and presence across the platform, showcasing your content to users already exploring or engaging with content associated with that song.
We have begun using trending songs as part of our social media strategy. For one of our major clients, @rebelsport, we noticed a significant impact.
There is a noticeable gap between the reel with the original audio and the reel with the trending audio. The reel with the trending song reached 8,200 users versus 3,122 for the reel with the original audio. The popularity of trending audio with both users and the Instagram algorithm makes it a simple and effective strategy to reach a wider audience with your content.
3. Appearing Relevant to your Audience
One key factor Instagram’s algorithm considers is user interest. It analyses which accounts and posts a user interacts with, and if these are similar to your content. If the algorithm detects that a user engages with posts similar to yours, there’s a higher chance your content will appear in their feed.
Another crucial element is the relevancy of your post. Each post you make receives a relevancy score that influences how many and which users see it. This score can be affected by factors like the timeliness of your post and current trending topics.
To gain insight into popular content and audio trends, you can browse the Explore page, though these trends may vary by demographic. Additionally, you can use the ‘inspiration’ section of your ‘professional dashboard’ to find out which types of audio and content resonate most with your followers.
By identifying which audios and reels resonate most with your audience, you can tailor your content to attract users who are most aligned with your brand.
Implementing these strategies will help optimise your organic social media content for Instagram’s algorithm, ensuring it reaches your target audience effectively and drives significant engagement.
Pattern is a leading global brand accelerator, so if you require more tips and tricks on the above or want to know how we can transform your brand’s social media, contact our team now.
