Instagram has announced how ranking works in a way that helps creators best leverage the platform. Excellent insights here for 2025 strategic marketing planning.

We have a video from Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram and a summary below from Mya Shell, a Chicago-based senior social media manager.

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A post shared by Adam Mosseri (@mosseri)

This is BIG NEWS for social media marketers, creators, and anyone who wants to understand what the heck is going on over on Instagram.

Here’s a breakdown of what they shared:

Instagram organizes content into two primary categories:
✨ Connected Reach – Content shown to your existing followers
?‍♀️ Unconnected Reach – Content shown to audiences who don’t follow you yet

The top three metrics that influence ranking are:
⏱️ Watch Time – The more time someone spends on your content, the better
? Likes – The day-one metric that still holds value
? Sends – The key to reaching new audiences and driving discovery

Now here’s where things get a bit more detailed:
✨ For connected reach (current followers) – likes carry more weight
?‍♀️ For unconnected reach (non-followers) – sends are more important

So what does this mean for your strategy?

If growth is your priority, focus on creating content that is highly shareable and encourages your audience to send it to others. (think relatable posts, memes, anything you’d send to a friend or put on your story)

To nurture your current community, prioritize content that resonates deeply and encourages likes. (such as alleviating pain points or teaching them something new)

And for both? Hold you audience’s attention and get your watch time up. Start with a good hook – visuals, sounds, and words. (I’m obsessed with the keyboard clicking sounds overlayed on videos atm)

? I love that Instagram is giving us this level of transparency. It empowers social media managers to fine-tune strategies and confidently explain why we’re prioritizing specific metrics.

It also feels like we’re a part of the IG team when we get to hear from the CEO himself about upcoming features and provide insight in his comments.

Let me know what other Instagram updates you want broken down!
(there’s a ton happening rn, especially to our profile pages ?‍? )