Instagram is shifting its focus to promote original content and creators, particularly within the Reels feature. This move has significant ramifications for aggregator accounts, which primarily share content created by other users.
Instagram’s new algorithm aims to provide smaller accounts with more exposure within the app. The company believes that the conventional ranking system has led to a disproportionate reach for larger accounts and content aggregators. The new changes will hopefully rectify this and provide all creators with a fair chance of reaching new audiences.
While the specifics of the new ranking system remain undisclosed, Instagram hints that popularity, as determined by the number of followers, will no longer be a deciding factor. The revised algorithm will showcase content to a small audience that is likely to enjoy it, irrespective of their following status. Engagement with the content will then dictate its reach to broader audiences.
Content aggregators, who primarily repost content created by others, will face significant changes. Instagram plans to replace reposted Reels with the original video in its recommendations. Reposted content will also carry a label tagging the original creator, ensuring due credit.
Aggregator accounts that frequently repost content will face severe penalties. If an account reposts unoriginal content more than ten times in a month, Instagram will stop recommending their Reels altogether. This could drastically reduce the reach of aggregator accounts.
This algorithm overhaul reflects Instagram’s recent efforts to downplay the significance of follower count. Instagram has been trying to ensure that the visibility of content is determined by its quality rather than the popularity of the creator. This has led to some discontent among creators, who feel that their posts are not reaching their entire follower base.
While the latest changes are currently limited to Reels, they suggest that Meta plans to focus on other metrics besides follower count in the future. This might disappoint creators who have amassed large follower bases over the years, but the company believes it is a fairer way to level the playing field for all content creators.
In 2022, Instagram had updated its algorithm to prioritize original content. Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, had expressed his intention to prevent the platform from overvaluing aggregators. However, it appears that these changes did not achieve the desired effect, leading to the latest algorithm overhaul.