#326 The Instagram Algorithm EXPLAINED (2025)

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I learned something about the Instagram algorithm that I didn’t know before, and it’s going to BLOW YOUR MIND. Not only that, but once you see it, you can’t unsee it, and it’s going to completely change the relationship you have with your growth potential on the app. This may change things for the better for some of you… but for others, it may mean you might never actually grow. But at least now you’ll understand WHY.

I learned something new about Instagram that I didn’t know before. Now, for someone who studies marketing and has been doing social media marketing for the past seven years, to say that is a really big deal. So, I wanted to make this the piece of content I give you to tell you something I learned that I didn’t know before.
It might sound trivial at first, but it’s almost like I can finally see the matrix of Instagram. I don’t have the experiment results to prove it yet, so this might be a little preliminary, but I know some of you are really going to appreciate the tidbit anyway.
Hi, my name is Ina Coveney. I am a business coach, social media strategist, and podcaster. This is the Superhumans Podcast, where I interview the most successful people I know about how they made it, how they accomplished their dreams, so you can have a chance at becoming a superhuman too. Every week, I come here and give you a solo episode or a lesson. If I’ve learned something new or if there’s something I feel you really should know, these are the episodes where I deliver that information. So, welcome.
Now, I can’t wait to tell you what I learned about Instagram that I didn’t know before. First, you need to know that I have been experimenting on Instagram for a very long time, creating content in every way, shape, or form. I’ve done trends, talked-to-camera videos—everything you can imagine. I’ve jumped on trends, done the silly dances, and created face-to-camera videos. I’ve used trending audio for 100% of my content. I even posted two to three reels per day for an entire 30 days. I’ve tried all the strategies they tell you to do, but still, my audience is small. My audience has only grown by a thousand followers in two years.
So, what’s the problem? Why isn’t the algorithm helping me out here? I think I figured out why. Before I continue, you need to know that I am at the stage of my business where I am scaling my offer. I have the Superhuman Academy, which includes a variety of marketing courses to help you. If your Facebook account gets hacked, there’s a course for that. If you want ongoing access to me for questions, we have the Lifetime Coaching Mentorship. You pay once, and you’re in for life at a very reasonable price. If you need help with engagement, monetizing your audience, or creating your offer, we have courses for all of it at the Superhuman Academy. You can find it at realsuperhumans.com/academy. I have all the courses, and I’m ready to scale.
If you’re not at that stage yet, if you don’t have an offer that’s ready to scale, you need to take care of that first. Growing your audience will come later. First, you need a business that works, with offers that people want. Once you have that, you can focus on growing your audience. Now that I am in the audience growth stage, I’ve been researching how to break the algorithm to finally grow my audience.
This brings me to what I learned, and I really hope it helps someone out there. Suppose you created a piece of content about how to make the most perfect apple pie. Your account might be about nutrition or feeding your kids, and you created this reel because it’s related to your niche. You want people to know how to make the perfect apple pie. But here’s the thing: even if people are searching for how to make the perfect apple pie, your reel isn’t going to be shown to them. Here’s why.
It turns out Instagram doesn’t catalog your content for consumption. Instead, it categorizes your entire account. That’s the key to discovering the matrix on Instagram. If someone searches for apple pie, Instagram doesn’t scour the billions of reels to find which ones are about apple pie. It looks at the accounts that talk about apple pie. So, if your account is about nutrition, feeding your kids, or making amazing food at home but not specifically about apple pies, your reel won’t be shown. Accounts that consistently create content about apple pie are shown first.
How does Instagram know this? It knows through your bio and your consistent content. It’s not enough to create one reel about apple pie; you need to talk about it all the time. Instagram wants to ensure that it shows the person searching for apple pie the most relevant accounts.
If you’re talking about different topics—even if they’re loosely related to your niche—and you’re not using the right keywords to tie all your content to a single idea, your content isn’t going to get seen. Another factor in this categorization is what you consume. If your Explore page is filled with Ariana Grande, Wicked, and Taylor Swift, Instagram will have a harder time categorizing your account as the thing you talk about.
Luckily, Instagram has a solution. You can go to your Instagram account, click on the three-dot menu, and go to Content Preferences. There, you can clear your suggested content and reset it. This tells Instagram to forget everything it knows about you and start over. From that point, you can train the algorithm by consistently engaging with content in your niche.
Even with this, I’m not sure it will fix anything on my account. I post about email marketing, my podcast, and inspiration—more than just one specific thing. I know my current account likely won’t grow because of that. So, I’m doing an experiment. I’ve created a new secret account where I’m applying everything I’ve learned. It might not be hard to find, but I’m testing focused content to see what happens. Once I have results, I’ll share them with you.
If you’ve learned something today, send me a DM. Tell me what you learned and if you can also see the matrix now. I’d love to hear from you. You can find me at Ina Coveney—but don’t forget, my last name ends with an “E-Y.” I can’t wait to hear from you, and I’ll see you in the next one.

Let the BINGE begin

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