Instagram hits out at TikTok users with algorithm tweaks

Instagram hits out at TikTok users with algorithm tweaks

Instagram is overhauling its recommendation algorithm in what analysts say is an attempt to capitalize on TikTok’s woes.

Changes to its system for recommending content, particularly on Reels – its short-form video service – will prioritize original content and “give all creators an equal chance to break through”.

Experts say the Meta-owned platform is trying to copy what has fueled TikTok’s success – as its potential ban in the US looms large.

But some in the creator community say the change may be too late for users who have lost patience with Instagram’s approach to its Reels feature.

In a blog post, Instagram said it would “correct” its previous approach to recommending content, which prioritized accounts with larger followings and “aggregators” who repost a lot of other creators’ content.

The changes will roll out over the next few months.

Jasmine Enberg, principal social media analyst at eMarketer, says it’s clear what Instagram has in its sights.

“The battle for TikTok creators is on,” he told the BBC.

TikTok’s highly personalized algorithm and Page For You recommended content have made it the “platform of choice” for smaller and emerging creators interested in breaking through, he said.

Being so adept at promoting viral videos, regardless of who made them, is what has helped make TikTok so popular around the world – and that’s what Meta is trying to copy, especially with the future of its competitors in doubt, at least in the US.

“Instagram wants to be the platform of choice for those creators if TikTok is banned,” explained Ms. Enberg.

US TikTok ban: When and why can the app be banned?
‘Sick and tired’
But this isn’t Meta’s first time messing around with Instagram — and there’s no guarantee it’ll work, for creators or viewers.

Katy Cowan, who runs Creative Boom – a Manchester-based platform for design creatives – told the BBC that this has become a “football” for smaller creators.

He thinks the change may come “too late” for those frustrated by frequent platform and algorithm changes.

“I think people are just sick and tired of Instagram changing things,” he said.

“I love Instagram and it’s where I built my audience but the constant fluctuations in reach and stifling growth make it not worth the investment in time,” wrote filmmaker Travis Meadors on Meta’s texting app, Threads.

Under the changes in the coming months, “aggregator” accounts that repeatedly post content that they did not create or edit the material, will not be included in areas of apps recommended to users, such as in the Explore or Reels feeds.

Instagram will also “reward” the original creator by replacing duplicate videos with the original in recommendations where it finds multiple versions.

This will not apply to content that is remixed or edited to become a meme or parody, he said.

It will also use a label that attributes the original creator to reposted content.

“It takes a lot of time and effort to create original content, so those who create it should get credit and distribution even if it’s reposted by other accounts,” Instagram said.

Meta isn’t the only social media firm revamping its offerings in the face of TikTok’s struggles.

Popular live streaming platform Twitch – which is owned by Amazon – has also just launched its own TikTok-style short video feed to all users.

A “Discovery Feed” on the Twitch mobile app will provide users with a personalized, scrollable mix of clips and live streams to “help viewers quickly find content to enjoy and help streamers get discovered, even when they’re not live”.

Whether these changes are what creators – and customers – actually want is less clear, says Kate Cowan.

Many are now looking to other platforms like LinkedIn for an audience.

Some, he said, feel the key to reaching people in the future may lie in approaches from the past, and “back to traditional marketing” such as face-to-face events and meetings.