Publishing content when you feel like it in the hope something sticks is not a good growth strategy in 2025-2026.
This week, I'm breaking down the 2025-2026 Instagram algorithm tricks based on insights from a recent business talk in LA with Jay Shetty.
What Jay shared about growing from 100K to 17 million followers on Instagram aligned perfectly with what I've been teaching my clients.
Today we’re covering why watch time beats watch rate, how binge-worthy content is the future, and why you need to stop making random posts and start creating a show.
The 2025-2026 Instagram algorithm is shifting, and if you don't adapt now, you're going to spend the next year wondering why your content isn't working.
Here's what you need to know.
Stop talking to everyone (because you're actually talking to no one)
Before we even talk about the algorithm, we need to address the biggest mistake I see entrepreneurs make: they don't actually know their ideal customer avatar.
Someone will tell me they have their ICA figured out. I'll ask them to describe her. They'll say “she's 25-45, she's has brown hair and 2 kids.”
Excuse me, but that's not your ideal customer avatar. That's just demographics and vague descriptions.
You need to know your ideal customer so well that you could tell me what she talks about when she's having drinks with friends on a Friday night. I call this the café conversation test. What does she moan about? What keeps her up at 3am? What does she google when she's procrastinating?
When you know HER, you know what content to create. You know what pain points to address. You know what language resonates. And that's when your content stops being noise and starts being magnetic.
Watch time is the new king (not watch rate)
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, has been talking about this in his Friday Q&A sessions. The algorithm is now prioritizing watch time over watch rate.
Here's the difference:
- Watch rate is the percentage of your video that people watch. If you have a 30-second reel and people watch 15 seconds on average, that's a 50% watch rate.
- Watch time is the total amount of time people spend consuming your content, including replays.
Instagram wants people to stay on the platform. When your content gets people to watch longer, to replay, to binge-watch your other content? The algorithm rewards that with higher reach and ranking.
We've been testing this on my account (I always use my own account as a testing ground for algorithm changes), and here's what I’ve been seeing for myself: I need to get at least 50% of people to watch past the first three seconds. If people drop off within those first three seconds, it seems to signal to Instagram that my content isn't performing well.
So how do you improve watch time? Create content that's actually captivating. Stop with the long intros. Get to the point. Make people want to keep watching.
Binge-worthy content is the future
Think about how you consume content now. When you discover a new Netflix show, do you watch one episode and wait a week for the next one? No. You binge the entire season in a single weekend!
That's how people are consuming Instagram content too. And that's what you need to create: content that makes people want to watch the next video, and the next one, and the next one.
Jay Shetty talked about this in his business session, and it's something I've been implementing with my clients. Stop making random posts. Start creating a signature series.
One of my clients, Anna, has a hair accessories brand called Clips. She started doing weekly founder vlogs every Thursday. Her audience is obsessed. When she misses a Thursday (even by a few hours), people notice. She's not just posting content, she's creating a show that people look forward to.
Another client in my Authority Accelerator has a women's clothing shop. We talked about creating a “help me get ready for today” series filmed in her closet. Same format, different outfit each day. That's binge-worthy content people turn on notifications for.
The mistake most people make with content is they follow too many creators and think they need to do everything. Vlogs AND get-ready-with-me's AND sit-down podcasts AND interviews AND trends. But if you look at accounts that have actually grown significantly in the past year, they have one signature series that people can binge-watch.
The algorithm loves dependability (and so does your audience)
Here's something people underestimate: the algorithm rewards consistency.
If you post every Monday at 9am for at least four weeks straight, and those posts get high engagement, the algorithm starts to recognize that you're dependable. It will start pushing your content out to more people (according to Jay!).
But this isn't just good for the algorithm. It's good for your audience (they know when to expect content from you) and it's especially good for YOU.
When you commit to posting consistently and actually follow through, you're building confidence. You're teaching yourself that you're someone who keeps her word. You're proving to yourself that you're capable.
It's like when you set your alarm, don't snooze, and actually go to the gym. You feel amazing because you did what you said you'd do. The same thing happens with content consistency.
Zoom out from what you're selling
Here's something else to consider: people don't buy products. They buy from founders.
With AI creating more and more content, authenticity is going to be the thing that sets you apart in 2026 and beyond. AI can create information content, but it can't travel, get into trouble, go through messy experiences, and talk about it authentically on camera. You can.
So zoom out from the thing you're selling. Show your personality. Share the behind-the-scenes. Be real and raw.
I follow Grace Beverley (founder of Tala activewear, Shreddy and the Productivity Method), and I've bought from her multiple times without even looking at the details of her products. Why? Because I love following her ‘show’, which is essentially her Instagram Stories. When I watch the first story, I want to watch all the other stories. That's the power of binge-worthy, authentic content.
Stop guessing and start strategizing
Instagram can feel confusing, and I get it. Should you post reels or carousels? What about Stories? When is content top-of-funnel versus bottom-of-funnel?
I've been analyzing content with my team, combining statistics with information from Instagram headquarters, and I've clearly identified which content formats serve which goals.
Listen to the full episode where I walk through all of these insights in detail.
PS I created an Instagram Cheat Sheet that breaks it all down: when to post reels, what they should be about, how to use Stories strategically, when to use carousels versus static posts. No more throwing spaghetti at the wall hoping something sticks.
Message me ‘IG SHEET' on Instagram @fastforwardamy and I'll send you the cheat sheet so you can stop guessing and start growing.
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