Instagram Updates Primary Metric to Views

Follow The Metrics

For over ten years the number of Instagram followers you have has been equated to the value of your brand. While this perspective was already becoming outdated by 2019, recent algorithm changes behind-the-scenes and publicly continue to confirm that Meta’s focus has shifted away from follower count and towards views.

Since April of this year, Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, has made several statements to creators stating that follower count was no longer a strong ranking indicator for organic content distribution. It’s been clear to observers that Instagram’s goal is to push the Instagram experience closer to the “For You” curation algorithm of TikTok.

Last week, Instagram announced that they are updating their algorithm to prioritize “Views” as the number one metric across all content, both paid and organic. This includes reels, live streams, in-feed videos, photos, carousels, and stories.

What Does This Mean For Businesses & Creators?

As the algorithm continues to shift away from follower count metrics this could mean that smaller accounts have a better chance of being viewed by new audiences. Instagram has stated as much:

“Historically because of how we’ve ranked content, creators with large followings and aggregators of reposted content have gotten more reach in recommendations than smaller, original content creators. We think it’s important to correct this to give all creators a more equal chance of breaking through to new audiences.”

For small businesses that yearn for a return to the days where organic social media marketing strategies were abnormally cost-effective, this is great news. More than 50% of the content shown on Meta platform feeds is now recommended by AI.

However, the fact that they mention this change will equally apply to boosted content indicates that views will also become a primary ranking weight for advertising creative. Meaning that it’s more important than ever to optimize your ads to integrate seamlessly with the platform.

Why The Change?

It’s a result of the great social media shift. Users no longer follow accounts the same way they used to. Creators also post less on Meta platforms than they used to as a result of feeling punished by the algorithm for either not having enough followers or not reaching enough new people. Especially compared to TikTok and YouTube shorts where it seems, at least to creators, that it’s easier to grab attention.

If Instagram wants to reclaim its former glory it needs to attract vibrant new creators to the app and reward them for their efforts in posting content. It’s still the third largest social media app as of 2024 so the potential is certainly there. Time will tell if these changes will produce the results we all want to see.