How To Grow Your Instagram Profile In 2025

Published on April 9th, 2025

Staying ahead of platform changes is critical for creators aiming to build visibility and engagement on Instagram in 2025.

In a recent conversation with content strategist Brock Johnson, Instagram Head Adam Mosseri shed light on new platform shifts, creator strategies, and evolving algorithm behavior.

While the insights weren’t revolutionary, they did offer a clear lens into Instagram’s priorities—and how creators can align their efforts for better growth this year.

Here’s a breakdown of the key points from the discussion, refined for a professional, digitally-savvy audience.

Instagram Feed Is Now a Discovery Engine

Instagram’s main feed has transformed from a personal sharing space to a discovery engine—driven increasingly by AI-powered recommendations.

“There are more photos and videos shared in DMs than in Stories, and more in Stories than in the feed,” Mosseri noted.

This shift underscores a major platform insight: regular users post less in the feed, focusing more on Stories and DMs.

As a result, Instagram is leaning into AI-driven content suggestions to keep the feed relevant—turning it into a curated space where creators can thrive.

What it means for creators:

The main feed now serves as a discovery hub. Expect your content to be surfaced to new audiences—even if they don’t follow you—so long as it aligns with platform engagement signals.

For reach and growth, feed posts remain more powerful than Stories.

The Algorithm Changes Daily—but Subtly

Creators often speculate about major algorithm updates when engagement dips. According to Mosseri, algorithmic updates happen daily, but in micro-adjustments.

“If you see a huge swing, it’s likely the world changed—not the algorithm,” Mosseri explained.

For example, spikes during holidays or cultural events may influence performance far more than backend changes.

What it means for creators:

Focus less on decoding the algorithm and more on consistent, value-driven content. Analyze performance trends contextually—consider audience behavior, timing, and broader events.

Search and Discovery Are Getting Smarter

Instagram is investing in improving its search engine visibility and on-platform discoverability.

The platform’s machine learning models are getting better at understanding video content, captions, and context.

This aligns with broader trends—TikTok’s sophisticated visual recognition has long given it an edge in surfacing addictive content. Instagram is now playing catch-up.

What it means for creators:

Well-optimized captions, clear visuals, and metadata alignment (e.g., alt text, subtitles) will matter more. Rich, relevant content will increasingly surface in both Instagram and external search results.

Feed vs. Stories: Know Your Strategy

While Stories remain crucial for engagement and community building, Mosseri emphasized that creators see significantly higher reach from the feed.

“Stories are awesome, but your average creator reaches way more people in feed.”

Feed content—especially reels and carousels—has the potential to introduce your brand to new, unconnected audiences.

What it means for creators:

Maintain a two-pronged strategy:

Use Stories to deepen relationships and drive conversations.
Use Feed posts (especially Reels) to boost reach and growth.

Time Spent ≠ Primary Metric (Unlike TikTok)

Mosseri addressed a common assumption that Instagram, like TikTok or YouTube, is optimizing for time-on-app.

“We’re not trying to maximize time. If we did, you’d just see longer videos and fewer posts from your friends.”

Instead, Instagram’s focus is split between entertainment and connection. That said, half of your main feed is now content from accounts you don’t follow, a necessary trade-off to keep users engaged and exploring.

What it means for creators:

Focus on creating content that’s both watchable and shareable, but don’t aim for length.

Short, high-impact Reels or carousels that balance information and entertainment align best with IG’s current priorities.

Shadowbans, Hashtags, and Posting Behavior: Clarified

A few common myths were addressed:

Shadowbanning: Instagram does limit the reach of some content, but creators are notified unless in extreme cases. The platform avoids the term “shadowban” as it suggests hidden suppression without transparency.
Hashtags: No longer a key growth tool.

“Hashtags don’t significantly increase reach anymore,” Mosseri stated.
Posting While Active: Interacting with your audience while posting can help drive profile visits—but it’s correlation, not causation.

What it means for creators:

Stop relying on hashtags alone for discovery.
Focus on topic clarity, video quality, and engagement timing.
Monitor content penalties through IG’s in-app notifications, and adjust content accordingly.

What’s Next: New Features & Creator Tools

Mosseri hinted at upcoming features, including the “Blend” option—a personalized feed combining content shared between two users.

He also emphasized branded content tools and monetization updates in the pipeline, signaling Instagram’s commitment to empowering creators with revenue opportunities.