So is the person that views your story first really your #1 fan? Let’s discuss.
Have you heard that rumor that the first people to view your story are the people who “stalk” your page the most?
We recently heard this and subsequently found ourselves deep diving into learning more about the Instagram Story algorithm — resulting in this blog post. In this post, we’ll explore how exactly the IG Story algorithm works, why some Stories garner more views than others, and how you can increase follower engagement on your Stories!
First, the algorithm
When creating your unique algorithm, Instagram will try to look for some kind of “signal," or patterns in your behavior on the app. Instagram takes into account who you manually search for, interactions such as likes, direct messages, and comments, and past experiences, like whose story you frequently view. Using machine learning, the Instagram algorithm will try to track profiles you seem closest to, ie. friends or your favorite influencer.
This “signal” that Instagram picks up influences the order of Instagram stories you see at the top of your profile. So those who you keep an eye from afar, or closest friends, should be the stories that you're shown first. Story order is also chronologically ordered by most recent. However, if you notice certain users always have their story show up on your page, you most likely view their stories or profile frequently, or just interact with them more than other accounts.
This means that the first few people you see at the top of your story viewers list are either the people you interact with the most or people who view your profile most frequently according to StatusBrew. Many researchers have also shown that when below 50 people view your story, it is chronologically ordered by who viewed your story first, but once your story reaches over 50 views, the algorithm changes.
Instagram Stories play a significant role in how well your followers feel connected with you, and by posting on your story (and by posting frequently), you can strengthen your relationship with your followers.
Now, how do you get more views on Instagram Stories?
First off, you need to learn why you might not be getting as many views as you want. If you notice some of your stories have lower views, this could include a variety of factors as listed below:
You’re not posting consistently.
You’re not posting during the time your followers are most active.
The content you post isn't providing much value to your followers.
Your stories aren’t engaging enough of your audience’s attention.
To view more reasons as to why your stories aren’t getting many views, check out Sarah Chetrit’s experience explaining more in detail.
In order to increase views on your Instagram stories, here are 4 tips that can help you boost your story game, and help you with engagement on Instagram in the long run.
1. Make your stories engaging ✨
In order to grab the attention of your audience, the best way to do so is to make your stories engaging which will help further connect you with your followers. Consider adding interactive features to your stories like polls, Q&As, the “Add Yours” sticker, and a few more.
2. Post consistently ✍️
Just like how you would want to post consistently to grow on any social media platform, you want to make sure to do the same with Instagram Stories. If you’re only posting on your story once a week, Instagram won’t prioritize your stories as much and people won’t know to view your profile for any story updates. As blogger Sarah Chetrit mentioned from past experience, posting consistently from 3-5x a day can give your followers something to look forward to, but if that’s too much, just posting on certain days can work too. By posting content actively, your story will have the best chance of reaching your followers.
3. Post at the right time ⏱
Knowing the optimal time to post on Instagram should be your goal if you're serious about getting more views on Instagram Stories. When you post stories while the majority of your followers are online, your stories have a better chance of being seen. You can figure out how to find the best times to post on Instagram through your Instagram Analytics.
4. Add stories to your highlights 🤳
Because stories disappear after 24 hours, adding interesting stories to a few Instagram highlights can give new followers an idea of what your profile is all about — plus all those stories you’ve created won’t have to go to waste. This will lead to more story views as well!
Now that you’ve learned more about the Instagram story algorithm, it’s time for you to test out these methods yourself and boost your Instagram game. You can use these tips to your advantage and become a pro at posting stories in no time! 🚀
