In a recent post on his personal profile, Adam Mosseri, CEO of Instagram, announced that the platform’s recently revised algorithm now emphasizes the shareability of posts via direct messages (DMs). To highlight this visibility criterion, Instagram is gradually rolling out a share counter visible on each post.
🔹 Instagram Favors Posts Frequently Shared Privately
What was previously assumed is now confirmed: Instagram’s algorithm, which already prioritizes posts generating interaction, increases the visibility of content frequently shared privately.
This insight into the app’s internal workings isn’t surprising, given Instagram’s continual adaptation to new user behaviors, with users increasingly preferring private channels. At the end of 2022, Adam Mosseri had already observed that users “post more Stories and send far more DMs than they post to their feed,” which led him to introduce features that prioritize interactions within smaller circles.
According to the CEO, the number of shares has become “one of the main indicators” Instagram uses to rank posts and Reels. Intended to reward creativity and originality, but also potentially provocative content that stirs emotions, this ranking method will allow certain posts “to increase their reach over time,” he says. However, he warns, “Don’t force things as a creator. But, if possible, create content that people want to share with a friend or close contact.”
This criterion is added to the three major recent changes to the algorithm, also aimed at rewarding unique content likely to generate engagement in all forms.
🔹 Instagram Introduces a Share Counter
Consequently, Instagram is gradually introducing a share counter, similar to the comment counter, which will appear on each post. Initially tested with a small number of users, it is already visible on some posts and should be rolled out to everyone in the coming days. No specific release date has been announced yet.