What are the main factors that drive a post's reach on Instagram? Do you need to post short videos to get noticed within the app? Is Instagram currently focusing on promoting certain types of posts or creators within the app?
In a new interview with Collin and Samir, Instagram chief executive Adam Mosseri offered insight into each of these elements, which may provide further direction on Instagram strategy and how the company will approach the platform going forward.
You can watch the full 90-minute interview here , but in this post we’ll highlight some key takeaways.
First, Mosseri spoke about the importance of video in apps and how it has revolutionized content engagement.
According to Mosseri:
“At this point in most countries, more than half of the time spent on Instagram is video. Video is not the only thing we do. We're trying to do it differently from YouTube or TikTok, which I think are a little more laid-back, passive experiences. We're trying to create an experience that's a little more participatory, an active participant — an experience where you find a Reel, send it to a friend, talk about it with another friend. But it's a big part of what we do, because there's so much demand for it. At the end of the day, we're a business, and we have to figure out how to meet demand as it shifts.”
That's not surprising — Meta has been touting the value of video content on its app for years, and Instagram has clearly shifted from a focus on stills to video content — but it's interesting to see Instagram still choosing to prioritize sharing behavior, even as it pushes video viewing, powered by AI-based recommendations.
It's a shift led by TikTok, which has moved from follower count graphs to the content itself, creating new opportunities for social platforms to surface a wider range of content to users through structured “recommended” feeds based on in-app behavior.
But it's interesting to hear what Mosseri has to say about this element.
“There's a lot more irrelevant content. [profiles you don’t follow] You may be following more accounts than you have relevant content. You may be following hundreds or even thousands of accounts. [and] Most accounts don't post anything to your feed on a given day, so let's say there are 100 or 200 things to look at on a given day. Today, there are hundreds of millions of pieces of content posted by accounts you don't follow, some of which might be really interesting to you.”
What's interesting here is that Meta has been telling us for years that we're following too many accounts. This is the basis for the controversial News Feed algorithm, because users follow so many profiles and pages that it's impossible for them to see all of the updates that are assigned to them based on their following graph. So Meta has been telling us that it needs to rank in the feed algorithm, but Mosseri is basically saying that people aren't following enough profiles or they're not following the right profiles, so Meta needs to show them more.
So does this mean that, in theory at least, the core concept of the News Feed algorithm is dead? Perhaps because people are posting less and less content hits the queue every day, the old justifications seem to have evaporated.
So that's why we need chronological feedback, right?
That means Meta will be able to derive a lot of engagement from its recommendations, which is likely reason enough to keep its new “For You” style approach, but it's an interesting consideration in the broader calculation here.
Mosseri also discussed how algorithms currently rank content and what the most important factors are that define a post's reach.
What are some important considerations these days? Send:
“By far the most important thing to consider when evaluating the performance of videos and other content on Instagram is the number of sends. We look at sends per reach – that is, of the people who watched your video, how many sent it to their friends? Because that tends to be the content that performs best and tends to bring the most value to the community as a whole.”
Mosseri said Sends now aligns better with how people use the app, which is centered around private engagement.
“If you see a great basil planting video, like a time-lapse video, [a friend]it's a funny moment, because you discover something that someone made, something creative, something beautiful, something interesting, and you share it with your friend. And your friend is excited to receive it, and you might actually have a conversation about something that you love, like growing basil, and then he comes back to Instagram and maybe actually checked out some stuff. Then he might see a great football highlight and send it to me. That's the flywheel. You discover something, you send it to your friend, you start a conversation, and that helps them discover more things on their own.
Mosseri also points out why short-form video works better with Instagram, as it allows people to connect more with friends, as opposed to longer content that requires more attention and individual focus.
Interestingly, Mosseri may also be offering some insight into how Instagram is working to rank more “wholesome” content, both on IG and Reels.
“My hypothesis is that what you share with one friend or in a group chat tends to be healthier than what you want the whole world to know. [reshares or reposts are all bad]but I think they're biased toward, 'The whole world needs to know about this horrible thing that happened,' or about this injustice, or something a little more niche, a little less personal.”
Meta has made it clear that it wants Threads to be a healthier version of the Twitter of old, and to that end, it has deprioritized more polarizing discussion topics, including politics, with the aim of encouraging healthier, more helpful engagement.
One way to achieve this is to rank content based on the number of shares and where it's shared, another factor that can influence your broader strategy.
Mosseri said other factors that influence the rankings include likes and watch time.On average, “shares per impression” is now the most important factor when it comes to reach.
This again falls in line with the larger social media shift towards private sharing, but it’s interesting to see how and why Instagram is taking this factor into account.
But much of the discussion has focused on opportunities for creators and how Instagram is working to improve its systems to keep creators adapting to the platform.
Mosseri shared insights about Instagram's approach to monetization and the difference between long-form and short-form content, while also noting that Instagram is trying to focus on smaller creators who aren't yet reliant on other platforms.
If you're a creator looking to get a better grasp on how Instagram is evolving in this area, this is a must-watch (though there's too much content to adequately summarize here).
Regarding other elements:
- Mosseri also noted that roughly half of video impressions are watched with the sound muted.
- Mosseri said Meta prioritizes creators over publishers because “we believe power across industries will continue to shift from institutions to individuals.”
- Mosseri said the ban of TikTok in the US is concerning in the sense that it will lead to more platforms being banned in more territories and “countries and governments using it as a tool to push their own agendas.”
It's a fascinating, in-depth discussion of the current state of Instagram, with valuable insights from the people in charge. While it won't answer all your questions, there are some interesting comments that might change your perspective and plans.
You can watch Adam Mosseri’s full interview with Colin and Samir here:
