Yesterday, for the first time I had a photo I posted to Instagram receive 1,000 likes, a pretty cool milestone.
One of my hopes is that some day I would get a pic on Instagram’s popular page. So, was this enough to make it?
Nope.
Even with 1,000 likes (400 of them in the first hour), that still wasn’t enough to reach the popular page.
The criteria to make the popular page is based on a secret algorthm. Nobody outside of IG knows exactly what the formula is, but it seems to have to do with number of likes, recent likes per minute , and the percentage of followers who like the photo.
Also, it’s important to note that there are a fixed number of photos on the popular page. So as more people use IG, the most popular pics are getting more and more likes all the time. More celebrities and professional photographers are also using IG, driving up the average number of likes the photos on the popular page have. Just a couple of weeks ago I saw some photos on the popular page with ~500 likes (though they got that many in ~30 minutes). This morning I haven’t seen any with less than 2,000 likes.
Kudos to the handful of EAvers who have made the IG popular page including
- Kevin Henney (e)HNY (Statigr.am)
- David Sanger Photography (e)DSP (Statigr.am)
- Steven Johnson (e)PROFJOHNSON (Statigr.am)
And the quest goes on. 🙂
BTW, if you’re into Instagram, be sure to check out the How to Rock Empire Avenue with Instagram blog series.
Paul ~~> (e)PDSTEIN
Empire Avenue Tips 
Jun 13, 2012 @ 12:07:03
Reblogged this on Jason Ramsey's Blog.
Jun 13, 2012 @ 12:45:02
Thanks Jason!
Jun 13, 2012 @ 12:07:31
I know, instagram is awesome, but if I pay attention to the numbers I just get pissed.
Jun 13, 2012 @ 12:49:04
LOL Jason. The most important number (from an EAv perspective) is your IG network score, and you’re doing pretty good there.
Jun 13, 2012 @ 13:14:35
That’s a nice picture, Paul. It deserves the likes.
Jun 13, 2012 @ 13:36:00
Thanks!
Jun 13, 2012 @ 14:23:23
Paul . In my experience it is strictly based on the number of likes in the first half hour or so. Depending on time of day it can require 30 to 40 a minute for the first 20 – 30 minutes. Occasionally I’ve had one pop at 11 or 12 minutes but generally it is at the 20 or 30 minute mark, and never much longer.
I don’t believe percent of followers is part of the algorithm any more.
At any time there are between 160 and 170 popular pix. They stay up roughly three hours.
Jun 13, 2012 @ 14:42:54
Thanks for the insight David. If anyone would know it’s you. I imagine there’s some variation in the time of day and day of the week as there are more uses online at different times & days. This morning when I was writing this post, there were some pics on the popular page that had been posted 8-10 hours before. Now, though, I’m seeing most pics were posted 30-90 minutes ago.
Also just saw one with 675 likes in 40 minutes (~17 likes/minute) but most seem to be higher than that, in the range you mentioned.
>>I don’t believe percent of followers is part of the algorithm any more.
Any particular reason?
>>At any time there are between 160 and 170 popular pix
The IG app is showing me 20 while statigr.am is showing 32. But I have noticed that if you refresh, it some some pics that are the same as prev & some new ones. Refresh again & it may some from the first view, some from the second view, some from both, some from neither. So, maybe you’re right that there are a bunch and they show a random? sampling. Is that what you’re thinking?
Jun 13, 2012 @ 21:27:50
Paul, 3 hours is max except for very database problems, which apparently happened last night.
The 20-40 a minute is for what it takes to pop. They may slow down after that so the average after an hour or two will be less.
You can get the popular images via the API and yes it is always a random subset of 32.
Jun 13, 2012 @ 22:01:24
Good to know, David. Thanks for the info!
1000 Instagram Likes, Enough for the Popular … – Empire Avenue Tips « Empire Avenue Rocks!
Jun 14, 2012 @ 01:23:32
Aug 24, 2012 @ 08:05:32
I have seen many website who does this Popular page stuff, I have tried a few and it actually works, Its good for people who need exposure for themselves or there work etc. You can check out sites like this http://www.fansandfollowers.org/instagram-popular-page/
Which does this, I have used them and it was a success , the link is just for reference 🙂
Its how fast the likes are delivered I guess, i still have no clue its the only thing but whatever it is I was on Popular page haha