Since Facebook purchased Instagram, the digital giant has been an absolute nightmare for digital marketers. Some say the biggest set back has been the Instagram algorithm. But get it right, and the algorithm can be your best friend, clearing out the competition.

So, how can you use the algorithm to your favour?

1. Hack your engagement

There are hundreds, if not thousands of accounts just like yours out there. All of them are just as interested in engagement as you are. Find accounts that are like yours and reach out. Make a group of like accounts and create an Instagram pod. Every time you update your profile, let the pod know. Together you can like and comment on every new post each other creates. Ensuring the comments are genuine and engaging, the algorithm will flag your post as popular and insert it into your followers' feeds.

2. Post engaging content

Now, I know this seems like a no-brainer, but there is a little more to it. Have you ever noticed that your Facebook feed seems to be filled with the same people and pages, to the point where you completely miss the activities of some of your closest friends and favourite brands? This is because your feed is populated by the people and pages that you have more recently engaged with. The same now goes for Instagram. Post a highly engaging post, and anyone who likes or comments will see your posts for the following weeks.

3. Bring the likes to you

This is easily the most manual way to hack the algorithm, but it still works. If you allocate a period of your day to commenting and liking content on Instagram, then make sure it is right before you post. The engagement will prompt others to come back to your page and do the same, forcing your feeds engagement to spike.

4. Get the right hashtags

I could talk all day about hashtags. But in short, you really want to do your research. Choose a handful that relate to your particular image, and then ensure you have the most engaging and relevant hashtags for your industry.

Now, these are my current hacks, but check back because I will keep this updated.