How to Promote and Grow an Online Store on Instagram - Understanding How Instagram Algorithms Work

In this article, we’ll guide you through the process of promoting your online store on Instagram, highlight the key points for profile setup, explain how the algorithms work, and discuss all the potential pitfalls.

Popular social networks have long attracted people’s attention, and entrepreneurs have also taken notice, realizing that these platforms offer a vast and endless market of potential customers.

Let’s talk about the platform that any business owner would consider first: Instagram. Recent years have shown that even with the large number of stores and brands, a new entrepreneur can still find their own customer base. It’s all about quality, not quantity.

If you’re just starting out with this social network to promote your store, and want to understand how to set up your profile, find out tips and tricks for attracting users without financial investment, our article How to Attract Followers on Instagram in 2025 will help you.

We’ll break down how Instagram’s algorithms work and how they influence the promotion of your online store’s page.

How Instagram's Algorithm Works

Every social network has its own algorithms, so it’s important to understand and use them to your advantage to maximize business benefits.

Instagram's algorithm is responsible for evaluating content and selecting what’s most relevant to each user based on their interests. The feed, stories, reels, and explore sections each have their own specific algorithms responsible for their unique functions. So, even if you’re following 20,000 accounts, you’ll only see content filtered specifically for you, based on what’s most likely to be interesting and useful.

From this, we can conclude that the developers of this social network have worked to ensure that you spend your time as productively as possible and remain engaged with Instagram, benefiting both the platform and users.

What the Instagram Algorithm Evaluates in a Post:

⦿ User Engagement: If a post receives a high number of interactions (likes, comments, shares) relative to the number of followers, the algorithm considers it to have good engagement and be of interest to users.

⦿ Post Content: It analyzes the post’s text for topics and themes to show it to users based on their interests.

⦿ Account Profile: It tracks the profile’s reputation based on the number of visits and profile views.

Based on this evaluation, the algorithm shows content to those who are likely to find it useful.
 

How to Get Featured in Instagram Recommendations

Getting featured in Instagram's recommendations is a dream not only for bloggers but also for entrepreneurs selling products and companies/experts offering services. Some may think it’s not a crucial goal or question what extraordinary benefits it could bring to their business. However, it’s a common desire for a reason: being featured in recommendations doesn’t just mean exposure to a large audience, but as your post or Reel gains traction, Instagram will boost its reach even further. This results in increased visibility, which can lead to profile visits, new clients, and ultimately, more sales.

If you haven’t yet started using the popular Reels feature, which has recently become fully available in Ukraine, you should read our article Reels as a Promotion Tool on Social Media and Its Features. This tool is a fantastic way to promote your content for free.

Recommendations are designed to help users discover new and useful content based on their preferences. If the content of your store is featured in the "Explore" tab, you will surely find your target customers.

The recommendation algorithm suggests photos and videos based on the content users interact with most frequently. It analyzes user activity, as well as information about the creator and the post itself. You will attract attention if your post quickly gains engagement, so it’s essential to produce high-quality content. The algorithm also filters out inappropriate content, such as smoking or nudity, ensuring it doesn't appear in the "Explore" tab.

If you sell lingerie or electronics, make sure to choose appropriate images or videos to ensure they are allowed in the recommendations.
 

What Determines the Success of a Page According to Instagram's Algorithm

To successfully promote a store on Instagram and gain more views and traffic, you first need to understand the platform and what influences its algorithm:

Interaction with key profiles: Frequently visited accounts with high engagement, as well as family and close friends, play an important role.

User interests: The app tracks what specific users search for, like, comment on, and the topics they are interested in. Based on this, it analyzes and provides relevant information, such as profiles.

App usage: The less frequently a user visits the social network, the more curated and filtered the most interesting content becomes to keep them engaged and prevent them from leaving the platform altogether or visiting only once a year.

Post timing: Currently, the time you post doesn’t significantly affect whether your followers will see it. Instagram analyzes the content while the user is inactive and shows them what the algorithm deems suitable and necessary once they return.

These are the key factors that influence Instagram’s algorithm. Don’t waste time on "hacks" or stories about how to manipulate the algorithm. Instead, focus on creating quality content and promoting your business profile effectively.

How to Properly Promote an Online Store on Instagram

For your business profile to gain activity and attract new followers (potential customers), it’s essential to work in multiple directions at once. The main goal is to make your profile attractive and useful, which will make promotion easier and more effective.

Appearance and Content of Your Store’s Profile:

• Instagram values aesthetics, not just for individual posts but for the entire profile. If you have no experience managing social media profiles and are trying to go beyond making a personal profile appealing, it’s worth hiring a specialist who can create a content strategy based on your preferences, develop a visual direction, and effectively convey information to potential buyers.

Use Direct Messaging (DMs) to Communicate with Customers:

• Establish a personal connection, provide consultations, and assist your clients. This doesn’t only boost sales, but the Instagram algorithm also takes personal interactions into account, making your content more likely to appear higher in your followers' feeds instead of getting lost.

Post When Your Followers Are Most Active:

• Use the statistics panel to analyze when your target audience is most active on the social network. Posting during these times will help you get more reach for your new posts.

Build a Connection and Engage with Your Audience:

• As mentioned, Instagram shows profiles with higher engagement more frequently. Consider your follower as a friend or part of your family. Respond to comments and show activity yourself to remind them of your presence.
• You can visit their profiles and leave likes to attract attention, which is tracked by Instagram's algorithms.

Promote Your Store via Instagram Bloggers:

• A quick way to attract new followers and increase sales is through influencer marketing, but it’s important to choose influencers that align with your brand and audience.

For more on working with influencers and selecting the right one for your brand and audience, check out our article Instagram Advertising: How to Properly Set It Up and Work with Bloggers.

As you know, promoting an online store requires a strategic approach, and Instagram advertising has its own nuances to ensure success and achieve your goals.

Summary:

In any business, it's essential to understand every detail to avoid mistakes and, more importantly, problems. The same applies to promotion on any online platform, whether it's a website or a social media account—it’s crucial to know the intricacies involved.

In our article, you’ve gained insights into Instagram’s algorithms, which not only help you understand how the platform works but also highlight that there’s always more to learn, even with popular social networks like Instagram. It’s perfectly normal—you excel in your business and feel at home in your field. So, don’t hesitate to trust others and invest in hiring professionals. This approach will save you money in the long run, rather than overspending.

Intent Solutions has extensive experience in promoting websites, online stores, and businesses on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook. We offer services in areas such as SEO website promotion, SMM, targeted and contextual advertising.

If you're looking for a personalized approach based on experience and deep knowledge of the industry’s nuances, and want to elevate your brand to the highest level, contact our team. We’ll help you achieve your goals together.

We are focused on business, efficiency, and results.
We are focused on the Client.

For consultations and price inquiries, reach out to us through available messaging platforms.