The algorithm’s #1 goal: keep people on the platform longer.
If someone watches your video and immediately leaves Instagram, your reach gets punished.
If your content makes people stay, watch again, or share, Instagram rewards you with more reach.
The most powerful metric? Shares.
When someone shares your reel, it forces others to spend more time on Instagram → the algorithm LOVES that.
Lesson: Stop chasing likes. Start creating shareable content that makes people say “you need to watch this.”