Getting featured on Instagram's Explore Page is one of the most underrated discovery tools on the app.
As a feed of content curated by the algorithm, the Explore Page can help you reach the right audience, boost engagement, and grow on the platform.
So, how do you secure a spot on Instagram's Explore Page in 2024? We're sharing 10 tried-and-tested tips, below.
Table of Contents
- How Does the Instagram Explore Page Algorithm Work?
- How to Get on the Instagram Explore Page
- Tip #1: Take a Look at Your Own Explore Page
- Tip #2: Start Making Reels
- Tip #3: Post When Your Audience Is Online
- Tip #4: Experiment With Carousel Posts
- Tip #5: Use Strategic Hashtags
- Tip #6: Partner With Other Brands and Creators
- Tip #7: Run Contests and Giveaways
- Tip #8: Add Keywords to Your Captions
- Tip #9: Use Instagram Analytics to See What’s Working
- Tip #10: Try Instagram Explore Ads
How Does the Instagram Explore Page Algorithm Work?
Instagram's Explore Page algorithm curates content on a user-by-user basis, making every Explore Page unique.
It does this by tracking the type of content users regularly interact with, and showing related posts on their Explore Page.
To access the Explore Page, users can simply click the magnifying glass symbol at the bottom left of their screen:
According to Instagram, content on the Explore Page comes from accounts you don’t already follow, since its purpose is “to help you discover new things.”
Keeping this in mind, landing a coveted spot on Instagram's Explore Page can give your content a serious boost in engagement — especially as you'll be reaching people who already engage with similar posts or videos.
To learn more about the Explore Page algorithm, read: This Is How the Instagram Algorithm Works
How to Get on the Instagram Explore Page
Instagram's Explore Page is curated by the app’s algorithm, which decides what content to serve users based on four main factors:
Information about the post: How popular a post seems to be — based on how quickly users are interacting with it (e.g. liking, commenting, saving, sharing).
Your activity in explore: How you've interacted with various posts in the Explore feed in the past.
Your history of interacting with the person who posted: If you've interacted with an account in the past, it signals that you may be interested in their content.
Information about the person who posted: How many times users have interacted with them in the past few weeks.
In other words: The number one way to get your posts on the Instagram Explore Page is to make them as engaging as possible.
But there are other things you can do to improve your chances too. Discover these 10 tactics, below.
Tip #1: Take a Look at Your Own Explore Page
Before you start creating new content, take a step back and do some research.
Spend time on your own Explore Page and ask yourself:
What types of posts are featured?
What hashtags and keywords are used in the captions?
What makes these posts so engaging?
Once you have a better sense of what works, you can use this as inspiration for your own content strategy.
FYI: Later is a social media management tool trusted by over 7M brands, creators, and social media managers. Create an account today — for free.
Tip #2: Start Making Reels
It's no secret, Instagram is prioritizing Reels.
The popular video feature is showing no signs of slowing down, so it’s important to make Reels a big part of your strategy in 2024.
Not only does it have its own feed tab, but it takes up more space on the Explore Page too!
To learn more about creating engaging Instagram Reels, bookmark this: The Ultimate Guide to All Your Reel Questions
Tip #3: Post When Your Audience Is Online
Your content has a much better chance at increased reach and engagement if you post when your audience is online.
But how do you know when that is?
To find the answer, Later analyzed thousands of Reels, and found that the overall best time to post on Instagram is early in the morning.
By posting earlier in the day, accounts benefit from less competition, while also tapping into traffic from users during their first scroll of the day — even if that’s a few hours after the post was shared.
PS: When you create a Later account, you can take advantage of the Best Time to Post feature so you can reach your unique audience when they’re most active.
Tip #4: Experiment With Carousel Posts
Another way to boost engagement on Instagram is by experimenting with different post formats.
Think: Single static images, carousels, and video content.
Here at Later, we discovered that carousel posts have the highest average engagement rate of all feed post types (excluding Reels).
The takeaway? While it's great to mix up the formats you're using, getting creative with carousel posts can help you get more engagement.
Looking for a little inspiration? Check out these eight creative ways to use carousel posts on Instagram.
Tip #5: Use Strategic Hashtags
Hashtags may not be as popular as they were in 2012 but they’re still a valuable tool for discoverability and increasing your odds of appearing on the Explore Page.
Think of them as a way to label your content.
Instagram will try its best to label your posts accurately, even if you don’t have hashtags, but including them makes categorization simpler for the algorithm to serve your posts to relevant users.
To level-up your hashtag strategy, use Later’s Instagram Hashtag tools. With them, you can find the most relevant hashtags for your content — in just a few clicks.
Tip #6: Partner With Other Brands and Creators
Partnering with brands and creators on Instagram means you can easily tap into each other’s audiences — a handy tactic to increase your engagement and secure more Explore Page features.
And in any good partnership, the collaborators should share something in common.
That way, content that comes out of your collaboration resonates with both audiences equally — leading to higher engagement.
Take for example this partnership between cosmetics brand Kosas and beauty influencer Steph Hui:
Since both camps share similar ethos and work in the same industry, the collab (and content produced!) feels like a natural fit.
It’s the perfect recipe for landing on tons of Instagram Explore Pages!
FYI: Later's influencer marketing solutions are trusted by enterprise brands to discover creators, manage campaigns, and more. Learn more.
Tip #7: Run Contests and Giveaways
On Instagram, contests and giveaways are an effective way to encourage engagement from your community, reach new audiences, and get on the Explore Page.
It’s even better if, like Toronto-based vegan restaurant chain Fresh, you combine this tip with the previous one (collaborate with another business or creator) to run a joint giveaway.
Double the visibility and engagement? Check!
Launch your first Instagram giveaway without a hitch by following our step-by-step guide: How to Host an Instagram Giveaway.
Tip #8: Add Keywords to Your Captions
Adding keywords to your captions can help the Explore Page's algorithm understand what your content is all about.
The best Instagram captions have:
A killer first line that introduces the topic and convinces you to keep reading
A specific call-to-action (if you want viewers to leave a comment or go to your website, tell them!)
Clear, descriptive language that’s easy for the average user to understand
A consistent tone of voice so your audience can differentiate you from other brands
While all of the above elements are important, the third point is the most essential to get on Instagram's Explore Page.
By using relevant, descriptive keywords in your Instagram captions, you can help the algorithm label your content correctly.
TIP: With Later's AI Caption Writer tool, you can write engaging Instagram captions in seconds.
Tip #9: Use Instagram Analytics to See What’s Working
Sometimes your best-performing Instagram posts will surprise you.
A photo or video that you didn’t think would resonate does, and vice-versa. That’s why it’s crucial to track your social media performance.
You can access your Instagram analytics directly through the app, but it’s often easier to use a third-party tool, like Later's Instagram Analytics, to measure how your posts are performing.
Later's Instagram Analytics lets you track up to 12 months worth of Instagram feed posts, Reels, and Stories, and filter by key metrics like engagement, reach, likes, comments, and more.
It’s the easiest way to get a visual overview of what posts are performing best, so you can tailor your strategy and get on as many Instagram Explore Pages as possible.
Start tracking your Instagram Analytics with Later's in-depth tools, today.
Tip #10: Try Instagram Explore Ads
If you’re looking for a guaranteed way to reach users via the Instagram Explore page, Explore Page Ad placements are a solid option.
Image via Instagram
While your ads won’t appear directly on the Explore Page, once a user clicks on a post from their Explore Page, they will appear between non-paid photos and videos in-feed.
It's a sure-fire way to extent your reach and improve your visibility on the app.
So there you have it — 10 different ways to increase your chances of landing a coveted spot on the Instagram Explore Page (and getting more engagement too).
Test out Reels and carousels, run a contest or two, and most importantly, track your performance!
ICYMI: With Later you can manage your Instagram posts, prep in advance, and more — for free.
