Instagram shares How Reels Algorithm Works as new App Rumors rise
Instagram shared more about how Reels algorithm works in a blog post and video including some good news for emerging creators. The reveal comes alongside word that Meta is considering a separate short video app.
Instagram shares How Reels Algorithm Works
Instagram boss Adam Mosseri shared a video about whether longer reels videos are punished by the algorithm because they are more likely to have a smaller percentage of watch time.
“We look at not only the percentage of the video that is watched, but also just the number of seconds,” said Mosseri. “If you watch 10 seconds of a minute-long video, that is just as many seconds as if it was 10 seconds of a 10-second video, so you won’t be penalised.”
In a blog post, Instagram also provided new details on how it recently reconfigured the Reels algorithm to promote emerging creators with smaller audiences.
New tips suggest the creators:
- post reels regularly
- include audio
- having content that can stand on its own and “make(s) sense to those who may not know you” (Is it just me or isn’t a little scary that AI can figure that out?)
- use ‘trial Reels’ to see how posts do with non-followers
- embrace unpredictability – “Recommendations make it more difficult to predict the reach of every post, but it’s the best way to give all creators a fair shot. This volatility is an opportunity to explore different ideas and get in front of new people.”
A standalone Reels app?
Meta is considering launching a standalone app for short-form videos. Whether that could mean that Reels no longer reside within Instagram is unclear.
The Information cited an anonymous source who overheard Mosseri talking about the project to staff.
Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, a Berklee College Of Music professor and founder of the Skyline Artists Agency
