Learning how to 'hack' Instagram can be a full-time job in itself.

As the most popular social media platform, having a grasp on how to get ahead on it is every digital marketer's dream. However, not only knowing the basics of the platform but how to capitalize on it is an ever changing, ever-growing battle.

And although it can seem like a complicated situation, luckily for you, we've broken down the basics into how you can not only understand the technical aspects of Instagram but thrive off of their principles as well. Check them out below:

The Basics of The Platform

Before we take a look at the nuts and bolts of how Instagram works, we need to understand how the platform took off and the reaction to that. According to Omnicore Agency, there are approximately 500 million daily active users on Instagram, making it one of the most popular social media sites people use on their day-to-day.

As for the reason why it took off, the key principle of Instagram you should understand is that it was always designed and intended to be a platform focused on human behavior, which is why everything from the elementary user experience to the type of content that's generated from their algorithm is based upon how much behavior they can study.

The design is a feedback loop: by inputting data into what you 'like' and don't 'like', Instagram is able to provide more content you might 'like', thus keeping retention and engagement for longer periods than most apps.

With this design in mind, Instagram's biggest focus has always been on engagement; or essentially how much you like, comment, or share content.

To boost the amount of engagement on the platform, Instagram rewards certain behavior; for example, as noted by Brandwatch, posts with one hashtag get 12.6 percent more engagement than posts that don't. Why is that the case? Not only do hashtags help compile topics of conversations into one central point, but they also help people become exposed to more types of content from different sources, which is the ultimate goal in gaining more of a following.

Beyond just the standard aspects of engagement, you also have to look at why some people were willing to engage with a photo in the first place. After all, most people would agree that they don't traditionally 'like' content that looks bad or isn't a well-taken photo, which is why Instagram introduced filters.

As noted by STPE, approximately 18 percent of posts use some sort of photo filter, which goes to show that aesthetics matter. Yes, with filters, it turned Instagram into a medium where practically anyone could start producing content without much skill, however, even with being able to buy Instagram followers, the game has changed quite a bit...mainly because of the algorithm.

How The Algorithm Works

The algorithm is a core factor of why and how Instagram has been successful. As noted by Power Digital Marketing, the algorithm was introduced in March 2016, which completely changed how people decided to market for Instagram.

At first, everyone was looking for a hack or way to try and circumnavigate the system, which didn't always come with the best results. While at the time you could buy Instagram likes and other digital marketing materials, that didn't necessarily equate to real engagement from the algorithm, which marketers found frustrating.

The biggest thing that helped marketers start being successful around the algorithm is learning what type of content they should produce and why. While it's easy to say 'produce a lot of content', and the rest will come...that's not necessarily the case with those coming out with the most work. In fact, probably the biggest factor in gaining traction with the algorithm is learning how to produce quality work, which often starts with knowing what you, yourself, would like.

When learning how to beat the algorithm, the most important consideration you should make is the quality of your content, as well as how fresh and original it actually is.

While it's easy to get lost in what your field is up to or how you can fit in the crowd, the most significant aspect sometimes is going against the grain, as well as producing works that will push the conversation forward.

Ultimately, you know your industry best, which is why it's important to sit down and hash out the different executions that you can have on Instagram that might get the conversation going. Although it won't be perfect at first, doing a few iterations of trial and error Q&A will help tremendously, providing you with the feedback you need to make your business the best it can be while delivering consistently on Instagram each and every time.

What You Can Do To Master The Tech Behind Instagram

When looking to master the tech behind Instagram, one of the first considerations you should make is how original your content is, as well as if it's something that you'd engage with objectively.

Even though this is a principle we stated above, it's important to remind people of the core to why they want to know more about the tech behind Instagram in general...which often comes down to engagement.

According to AdEspresso, brands see 10x more engagement, which goes to show that people will resonate with your brand as more than just a representation of yourself. And to tackle that comes with knowing how you best fit on Instagram.

Ultimately, the best thing you can always do (no matter how the algorithm changes) is to produce great content. Regardless of what the trend is or testing how people might respond slowly, the most successful strategy to beating algorithm is simply a balance between volume and quality.

Quite simply, not everyone will like every piece of content you produce, however, it's important to remain authentic to your brand. Once you learn how to stick true to your guns, it's off to the races from there.

As you start to generate more content and materials for social, be mindful that the tech behind Instagram and what surrounds it has largely stayed the same. Considering that the platform has and always will be designed around human behavior, the ultimate goal is to understand how you, yourself, would respond to something and then work from there.

While it's helpful to implement strategies like how to buy Instagram followers, including supplementary materials will only work if you produce amazing content first. From there, it's all about keeping things consistent...ensuring that no matter the tech, your strategy for Instagram will always remain constant.

What's your opinion on the current state of Instagram? Comment with your insights below!