On this episode of The Instagram Stories, I'm breaking down the latest insights from Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, on how creators can maximize their reach and understand Instagram ranking. This is part four in his series, where Adam shares three key pieces of advice: first, focus on engagement rates, not just total views or likes. He explains that Instagram uses proxies like watch time, shares, and likes to determine interest, so understanding the *rate* (percentage of people who liked or shared after seeing your content) is crucial. I'll also walk you through where to find these insights on your own posts, showing you how skip rate, share rate, and like rate are ranked in order of importance for your reach.
Adam's second piece of advice is to experiment. What resonates today might not resonate tomorrow, so keep trying new things. He even mentions `trial reels` as a low-pressure way to test content with non-followers. His third tip is about post frequency: while more posts can mean more reach, it's vital to find a sustainable rhythm to avoid burnout.
We also tackle listener questions, starting with an update on the `Edits app beta` for desktop. Adam confirms it's rolling out to a limited number of creators, and I'm personally eager to get my hands on it! For `Instagram Stories`, we discuss `automatic subtitles`. While they're not automatic, Adam demonstrates how easy it is to add them using the `caption sticker` from your sticker tray, giving creators the choice. I recommend adding subtitles to all your content, including song lyrics.
Other questions covered include whether Instagram `boosts specific genres` like art or food (Adam says no, it's about user interest), if `blocking someone harms your reach` (it doesn't), or if `deleting old videos or archiving` them affects current reach (also no). We clarify the `restrict feature`, explaining that restricted users can comment, but only you see it unless you approve, and they won't know they're restricted. Finally, Adam addresses using an `old account` to start posting again, advising not to overreact if the first few posts underperform as the algorithm warms up. We wrap up with a look at Meta's new `Muse Charm` hardware and how it can interact with your Instagram account.
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