Check this out ... Instagram has decided to shake things up with Instagram Reels, by focusing the algorithms more on "original content." This means a big shift for Instagram accounts that mainly repost others' content. They're also tweaking how Reels are ranked, aiming to give smaller creators a better shot at getting noticed.

Here’s how you can tap into the new IG algo update as a creator to make your Reels hit:

• Smaller creators are now being given more distribution, so now is the perfect time to add new profiles.
  
  

• Focus on original content. Be you, be original, be different.
  
  

• Stopping reposting other people’s stuff, it’s gotten way out of hand. If you want to make commentary about what other people have posted, quote them and put a callout to their profile name so people can view their post. 
  
  

• This is your time to shine! Come up with creative new ideas and post them.

   

In their latest blog post, Instagram shared that they're adjusting their ranking system to help those with fewer followers get more exposure. They've noticed that large creators and those reposting content have been getting more of the spotlight, and they want to level the playing field.

Here’s the changes that Instagram is making, as they cited in the post on the Instagram Blog: 

• A new input to ranking that will give smaller creators more distribution.
  
  

• Replacing reposts with original content in recommendations.
  
  

• Adding labels to reposted content, linking to the original creator.
  
  

• Removing content aggregators from recommendations.

   

It's not totally clear how Instagram plans to make these changes fairer, but they're starting by not just favoring accounts with lots of followers. They'll show new content to a small group of people who might like it, regardless of whether they follow the poster. If that content does well, it gets shown to even more people, and so on. These changes are rolling out slowly over the next few months.

There are also quicker changes coming for how Instagram handles "original content." If Instagram spots identical Reels, they'll highlight the original one and even tag the original creator on reposts. But don't worry—if you're adding your own twist with a voiceover or turning something into a meme, your content won't be affected.

For those who repost a lot, Instagram is getting tougher. If an account posts unoriginal content ten or more times in a month, Instagram won't recommend their Reels at all. This could really impact those popular aggregator accounts that rely on sharing others' clips, especially if they're promoting products or services.

Right now, these new rules only apply to Reels, but Instagram might expand them to other types of posts later on. Even though some creators are frustrated that not all their followers see their posts, these updates show that Instagram is trying to move away from focusing solely on follower counts.

Instagram's boss, Adam Mosseri, has been actively discussing these changes and addressing creator concerns on Threads. He's been explaining why sometimes even popular posts don't reach a lot of followers, like in a recent chat with nature photographer Nate Luebbe. Although it's tricky to always know what's truly original, Instagram keeps trying to make things better for creators who bring fresh, new content.