Instagram is all about networking and creating connections. To help you increase your reach and grow your account, Instagram provides you with a “Suggested for You” feature. While scrolling on Instagram, you must have seen this feature with some profiles below it. But have you ever thought about what this feature is all about or how it works? If yes, this guide is what you need. Here, you will get to know more about this feature and the kind of algorithm behind it.
What Does “Suggested for You” Mean on Instagram?
‘Suggested for You’ is a metric on Instagram that shows some users you may know. With the help of this feature, you can find some of the users that you may know and can grow your network on Instagram. There are many factors that determine the algorithm of Instagram to find the list of such users. The next section is a compilation of them.
Also, read What Does it Mean When Someone Mentions You on Instagram Live
Factors Affecting the ‘Suggested for You’ List
As mentioned above, there are a lot of factors behind the ‘Suggested for You’ list. Below I have mentioned some of them:
- Activities Performed by You: Your activities on Instagram include different things like who you are following, things you like, comment on, or saving a post or a reel. In short, determine what kind of content you are engaging with. You will get to see similar types of accounts in the suggestion list.
- Analyzing the Post’s Information: The next factor that determines what type of accounts will appear in the list depends upon what type of content you are posting on it. Instagram analyzes the types of content you post and also what are the things you are including with it. It includes the caption, keywords, and hashtags, everything related to the post.
- Explore Activity: Another thing that will affect the list is the interactions you do with the explore page. What you are browsing or engaging with on the Explore page also influences the main feed of your account.
- Accounts Interactions: How your audience interacts with your content also affects what resonates with the audience. The algorithm checks for comments, shares, or direct messages that are related to your audience.
- Recent Activities: Every new activity on Instagram is a major factor affecting the suggested list on your account. What type of recent posts you are adding to your content also affects the suggested list.
- Checking the Mutuals: The next thing that is majorly looked at is the relationships you have with other people. There are two types of people on every account, with whom we interact the most and others with whom we interact less. The mutuals of you and the other person with whom you interact the most are likely to have appeared at the top of your suggested list.
- Your Location: One of the factors that determines your suggested list is the location you are at. The users that are around your location will also appear at the top of your list. I know, it looks stupid factor, but is actually a major reason behind people appearing on the suggested list.
Tips to Manage the Suggestion List
If you also want to manage your suggestions, there are a few steps that you must take care of. Below I have mentioned a few of them:
- Clear the Search History: When you regularly clear the history, it helps you to reset the suggestions that are given by Instagram. It is because what type of users you are searching on Instagram is also a factor that determines your suggestion list.
- Keep the Account Private: If you shift the settings to the private account, only the people you want to approve will follow your account and see the posts you follow on the account.
- Have an Eye on the Interactions You Make: It is very important to keep a check on the accounts you are interacting the most with. Thus, make sure to know with whom you are interacting well and how frequently you are doing it. If you don’t want to get suggestions from mutuals with an account that you follow, try to have fewer interactions with them.
- Using ‘Not Interested’ Feature: When you scroll through the reels or the posts on the explore page, have you ever seen a special feature known as ‘Not Interested.’ When you mark the content as Not Interested, it will never again show up on your feed.
Does Instagram Suggest Users Who Search for You?
It is one of the most common doubts that people face on the Instagram app. Unfortunately, there is no official statement made by Instagram on it. However, it is equally important to know that the app does consider the profiles that are visiting on your account and also on the search activity. So, if you are searching for a person a lot of times, it is quite possible to get that user in the suggested list or vice versa.
Also, read What Does It Mean to be Verified on Instagram
Conclusion
“Suggested for You” is an important feature on Instagram that helps you to grow your network. It shows you some users that you may know depending on various factors. The major factor that affects the list of users in this section is the mutual of the people you are already following. In addition to that, the type of accounts that you interact with the most or the type of content that you post on your account also affects the profiles shown in this section.
However, if you think the list has unnecessary profiles, you must try to manage it. To manage the list, keep the search history clear and mark “Not Interested” on the type of content that you don’t want to see again.
FAQs
How to Appear on Someone’s Instagram Suggestions?
If you want to appear on Someone’s Instagram suggestion, the main thing that you need to do is to create content that is related to their interest. Try to align your content with the type of accounts they are following.
Why Does My Ex Come Up in My Instagram Suggestions?
There could be different reasons behind it. The three most common reasons for this are:
The interactions you made with them in the past
You have recently searched their profile
They are searching your profile
If you don’t want their profile to appear in your suggestion list, the best thing you can do is simply block them.