Instagram's New Ranking System Rewards Originality

pcmag.com:

Instagram this week announced several changes to the social network aimed at empowering creators. Chief among them: ranking for originality.

"I know a lot of you are skeptical of ranking, but it really does help us make sure that Instagram is more valuable to each and every person who uses the platform," Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, said in a Wednesday video. "If you create something from scratch, you should get more credit than if you are resharing something that you found from someone else," he continued.

Mosseri and Instagram clearly believe you should be recognized for making a new Reel rather than sharing a clip originally posted on another platform.

Instagram last year began taking steps against resharing, tweaking its algorithm to downrank Reels with the TikTok logo (ironic, considering the short video feature is itself a ripoff of ByteDance's service). "One of the things that I've learned from speaking with creators is how important getting credit for the work they do is to them," Mosseri said.

Another way to give credit where credit is due is by using product tags. Previously limited only to business accounts, the feature is now open to anyone who wants to tag a product—clothing, furniture, house plants, you name it—in photos and videos, helping drive traffic to a company or creator they love.

Lastly, Instagram introduced enhanced people tags, which let creative users set their own descriptor—artist, rapper, fashion stylist, photographer, etc.—that appears alongside their handle when identified in images and clips.

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