How to End Up on Instagram’s Explore Page in 2023
The Explore page is where you want to be, but how in the world do you end up there? Let us take you through the various tips and tricks to get your content on Instagram’s Explore Page.
Posted 2 months ago
Written by
Mackenzie TaylorPosted 2 months ago
Oh, the mighty, mighty Explore page. It’s the holy grail of Instagram. The Golden Ticket in Willy Wonka. It’s where you want your content to appear if you want to grow more and more on Instagram. Instagram’s algorithm has improved more and more throughout the years (although a lot of us still feel very burnt by it…), and it has gotten incredibly good at recommending content to people they would be interested in. From TV shows to poetry to new influencers to follow. For brands and businesses, the Explore page is where they want to be, but the big question is: How in the world do you end up there? Let us take you through the various tips and tricks to get your content on Instagram’s Explore Page.
What is the Explore page?
The Instagram Explore page is a collection of photos, Reels, videos, and even Stories that are tailored to things Instagram believes you will want to engage with. The algorithm behind the Explore page uses AI technology to learn what content you engage with to improve the content it recommends to you.
According to Instagram, they are “working to update the types of photos and videos you see in Explore to better tailor it to you.” You can find the Explore page by tapping the magnifying glass icon at the bottom of the menu. At the top of the page, you can search for other accounts, hashtags, locations, and keywords. You’ll also be able to see different categories that Instagram believes you’ll want to explore, like sports, travel, and beauty.
The best part of the Explore page? Once you click on a photo, it will open up a continuous scroll feed of content that is related to that photo.
How does the Explore page work?
Well, as we stated above, it’s based on how you interact on the app already. If you’re seeking out images of your favorite band or TV show, you will see a lot of that band and TV show on your Explore page.
According to Instagram, the content on a user’s Explore page is based on:
- The accounts that someone already follows
- What the people an account follows like
- The types of posts an account engages with most often
- Posts with high engagement
Why do you want to be on the Explore page?
The question should be, why wouldn’t you want to be on the Explore page? The main reason is that your content will get more reach and exposure by being on the Explore page.
If you end up on the Explore page, the benefits are:
- Higher engagement on the content that you have shared as your content gets shared to more people
- More conversions, if you have a call-to-action on your content
- More followers if your content is engaging enough and can convert people into following you
Now, ready to get your content seen on Explore? Of course, you do. Let’s get started:
1. Share engaging content
While this seems like a no-brainer, it’s definitely important for us to highlight. Always make sure that you’re sharing content that you know your niche audience is going to like and engage with! If you want to land on the explore page, engagement is the #1 way to get there. Go through past photos and videos to see what caused the biggest engagement on your feed. Was it a photo? Video? Were you giving tips and tricks? Was it a styling post? Something that was more real and BTS? Give your audience what it wants, get the engagement you need, and you might start seeing your posts on the Explore page.
2. Try Reels
Newsflash: Instagram wants (and needs!) Reels to do well, so they are pushing HARD on making sure that people use them. So what does that mean? With that push, they’re also pushing more and more Reels onto the Explore page.
Not only that, Reels has its own dedicated tab, and if you’re discovered and go viral in the tab, the chances of you ending up on the Explore page are incredibly high.
Beware though: Instagram does mark down those who have the TikTok watermark on their video.
3. Post when your followers are online
Spoiler alert: Post when your followers are online. I know, wild concept. Instagram’s algorithm prioritizes timeliness and quick engagement when someone posts, so making sure that you’re actually posting when your followers are active is going to be key. ICYMI: We broke down the best times to post on Instagram here, and you can see the best times to post for your own personal account by using Flick.
4. Set Up a Schedule And Get a Steady Flow Of Engagement
A key to getting onto the Explorer page is consistency. The Instagram algorithm wants to see that you are an active poster who is going to bring a steady flow of content to its users. That’s why you want to make sure that you are always posting. But, let’s be honest, not everyone has time to sit on Instagram and set up posts all day. That’s where Flick’s Scheduler tool comes in.
Flick’s Scheduler makes it easy for you to post consistently, helping put you on the Explore page
With Flick’s Scheduler, you simply create your posts and then send them to the schedule app to be posted at the times when you will get the best engagement.
Now you can create an account that brings consistent content to the platform. Instagram will see that you are an active poster and will likely push some of your best engagement posts onto the Explorer page.
Create a batch of posts
To make things easy for you, the Scheduler allows you to batch schedule your posts. That means that you can schedule one or two weeks’ worth of posts and you are done. As you can see, with the right tools, creating an active Instagram account is easier than you would expect!
Optimizing your schedule
While there are other apps out there that let you schedule your Instagram posts, Flick goes a step further and helps you figure out the best time to post your content. This gives you a major edge on getting onto the Explorer page. Now, let’s take a look at how you can optimize your posting times!
5. Discover the Best Time To Post And Increase Your Chances Of Getting On The Explore Page
After posting for a month or so with Flick’s scheduler, you will begin to get a good idea of which posting times are going to be your best performers. For some people, posting during the afternoon will work better. For others, posting at night will lead to the best engagement.
Flick’s Best Time to Post will show you when your posts are likely to get the best engagement
Flick’s Best Time to Post feature will analyze your account’s audience analytics to highlight the best times to post your content. The system uses a one to a five-star system with five stars being the best time for you to post.
Making the most of Best Time To Post
Now that you know when you should post for the next week, scheduling all of your content becomes easier than ever. You should see your overall engagement rate goes up. This will make you more attractive in the eyes of the Instagram algorithm and increase your chances of getting on the Explorer page.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say that you are posting three times a day using Flick’s scheduler function. You are posting in the morning, noon, and night to test the best time of day to post. After a week, the Best Time to Post feature tells you that you are getting the best engagement at night and the poorest engagement in the morning.
With that knowledge in mind, you can schedule the majority of your posts at night. This should boost your overall engagement rate. From there, The Best Time to Post feature will tell you exactly what time of night you are getting top engagement.
The great thing about the Best Time To Post feature is that it reduces the time it takes to get your Instagram engagement off the ground. Instead of waiting over a year to get some traction, you can optimize your account right away and begin to see positive results.
Pro tip: Be sure to engage with the people who leave comments on your top posts. Your audience will be more likely to come back to your account if they know that you are reading and responding to their comments. To help get the most “bang for your buck,” focus on responding to posts that get the best engagement.
As you can see, Flick’s Best Time To Post feature can transform the way that you engage with your audience and lead to transformative growth for your Instagram account.
6.Use relevant hashtags
One of the crucial ways you can get on the Explore page is by geotagging, account tags, and hashtagging your content. Most of the time, people use the Explore page to search hashtags, locations, and accounts. One of the best features on Instagram currently is being able to follow a specific hashtag now. If you choose hashtags well, your content can appear on someone’s feed if they follow that hashtag.
Account tags also provide a way for you to reach new audiences. Your post will appear on the user’s page under the “tagged” tab. So, if you tag a restaurant, store, or anything else, anyone who is looking up that Instagram account can be able to see your content too.
The more reach and engagement you get from your posts, the more likely they will end up on the Explore page of Instagram. Hashtags, geotags, and account tags will all help you reach new people and increase your engagement. Need help with a hashtag finder for your content, why not try a 7-day free trial with Flick?
How to locate the right hashtags
To get onto the Explorer page, you need to have the right hashtags. This can be a challenge because you need to figure out which hashtags are going to work best with a given post. Flick makes it easy to find those winning hashtags with its popular Hashtag Finder.
Flick’s Hashtag Tool shows you which hashtags are likely to lead to better engagement rates
The hashtag tool will show the competition and opportunity that each hashtag offers. Therefore, you can know which hashtags will be winners before you put them into your post. This will give you a huge edge over your competitors who are guessing which hashtags will work best for them.
The Hashtag Tool will even give you an estimate of the average likes that a hashtag will deliver for your post. As you know, more likes mean more engagement. Before you know it, you will have a grouping of hashtags that will help make your posts take off!
7. Pay attention to your analytics
As mentioned above, see which of your content is resonating with your audience and the best way to do that? By checking your analytics! You can see all the metrics and what each metric means by checking out our full guide to get started.
When you go through your analytics, see which posts are getting the most reach, impressions, and engagement overall. Focus on what types of posts they are and be sure to create content that is similar to boost the engagement on your account.
You can check to see if your content has hit the Explore page by going to that specific post on Instagram and clicking “View Insights.” It will then tell you how much your reach and engagement came from the Explore tab. If you notice that it’s high, start creating more and more content similar to what hit the Explore page and you’ll keep reaching that tab.
Use an analytics tool
If you are looking to take your Instagram account to the next level, then you need to be able to analyze your account performance. With Flick’s Analytics tool, you can track the performance of your account in one easy-to-read dashboard.
Flick’s Analytics Tool gives you a quick snapshot of your post’s overall engagement and performance.
The Analytics Tool gives you a wealth of data to help refine your posts. This includes your top-performing hashtags, the time it takes for your posts to rank, and the overall engagement of each post. With this information, you can further refine your posting strategy and put yourself in a better position to land on the Explorer page.
8. Instagram Explore Ads
I know, I know. But spending money on ads is super helpful with getting your content in front of the most amount of users possible. And if you really want to be on the Explore page, you can easily do so by purchasing an ad on the Explore page.
Now, I should point out that these ads won’t land you directly in the Explore feed grid, but they put you in the scrollable feed of photos and videos that appears when someone clicks on a post.
Getting on the Instagram Explore page can be a challenge but it isn’t impossible to do. Making sure to check your analytics, create content that your audience is going to engage in, and use relevant tags will help you get on that page and in the eyes of more and more users.
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