Instagram in 2025: Why Shares and DMs Matter More Than Likes
Instagram is shifting focus to shared content in private messages. Content that resonates emotionally and sparks conversation now travels further.
Instagram Ranking Explained
Instagram doesn’t have a singular algorithm that oversees what people do and don’t see on the app. Each part of the app – Feed, Stories, Explore, Reels, and more – uses its own algorithm, tailored to how people use it.
- Feed is your personalized home base within Instagram to help you catch up with friends, family, and interests. This means your fans’ feeds will have a mix of content from the accounts they’ve chosen to follow, recommended content from accounts we think they’ll enjoy, and ads. They’ll also see a mixture of videos, photos, and carousels.
- Stories are a way to share everyday moments and grow closer to the people and interests you care about. The stories your fans see are from people they’ve chosen to follow, as well as ads.
- Explore was designed to help you discover new content and creators. The grid is primarily made up of recommendations – photos and videos that we go out and find for your fans from accounts they don’t yet follow.
- Reels is also designed to help you discover new things, with an emphasis on entertainment. Much like Explore, the majority of what you see is from accounts you don’t follow. We first source reels we think you might like and order them based on how interesting we think they are to you.
