# Instagram Explains How its Algorithm Weighs Time Spent Watching Longer Clips

Attempting to work out the optimum strategy to your Instagram video content material, now that views and watch time are the first drivers of algorithmic engagement within the app?

This might present some further context.

As we speak, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri has offered some extra perception into how its content material algorithm measures watch time as a share of a video, versus a binary depend.

Or, actually, the way it doesn’t

Some creators have raised considerations that posting longer movies on IG may very well be a damaging on this respect, as a result of it will require longer watch time to succeed in a sure share threshold, which may make it tougher for these longer clips to achieve algorithmic favor.

However Mosseri says that the system really calculates not solely relative watch time, primarily based on completion price of a clip, but additionally watch time in isolation.

As defined by Mosseri:

“We don’t need to penalize longer movies, which is why we take a look at not solely the proportion of a video that was watched, but additionally the variety of seconds. In case you watched 10 seconds of a minute lengthy video, that’s simply as many seconds as if it was 10 seconds of a ten second video, so that you gained’t be penalized.”

Mosseri doesn’t present any perception into the algorithmic weighting of every component, so it’s arduous to know whether or not completion price is extra beneficial as a attain driver than time spent viewing. However the level right here is that Instagram is working to make sure that creators don’t endure attain penalties for importing longer clips, even when they don’t attain the identical completion charges.

I imply, presumably, completion charges would weigh extra closely, and it will be higher to your content material when you had extra folks viewing your longer movies by way of to the tip. But it surely shouldn’t be a serious influence if individuals are watching a portion of every video, even when they don’t sit by way of the entire thing.

And with Instagram additionally not too long ago increasing Reels to three minutes, that’s an essential proviso, because it appears to be like to get extra folks posting longer clips.

Basically, it’s in Instagram’s curiosity to maintain folks posting longer clips, as it will probably assist to reinforce engagement, and as such, it has no motive to penalize longer movies primarily based on view charges. Having folks view to completion could be a optimistic sign, however Mosseri says that point spent remains to be a relative indicator.