Observed Signal · May 27, 2026 · Policy Update · Source: onlinemarketing.de · Impact: 4/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Instagram now prioritizes engagement over Reels views
Instagram head Adam Mosseri said in a video that raw Reels view counts are no longer the primary indicator of short-form video success. Instagram’s ranking now gives greater weight to engagement signals — including shares, saves, sends, likes and watch time — and differentiates performance inside a creator’s audience (Connected Reach) from discovery outside it (Unconnected Reach). The platform also highlights newer Reels metrics such as Share Rate and Skip Rate and has expanded the Insights tab (including Edits) to surface these signals. Mosseri and Instagram advise creators and social teams to prioritise engagement rate and reach type over headline view totals; the article reiterates earlier comments from February 2025 about watchtime, like rate and send rate being key ranking factors. The guidance was reported on 2026-05-27.
A major social platform (Instagram) signalling an algorithmic/metric prioritization change affects how creators, publishers, and advertisers measure performance and optimize content and campaigns.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Adam Mosseri said raw Reels view counts are not the main indicator of success.
- Instagram’s algorithm now emphasises engagement signals: shares, saves, sends, likes and watch time.
- Instagram distinguishes Connected Reach (followers) from Unconnected Reach (discovery outside followers) as important insights.
- Instagram surfaced new Reels metrics such as Share Rate and Skip Rate and expanded Insights (including Edits) to help creators analyse performance.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mappedOntology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Mosseri: Engagement, Not Views, Drive Reels Ranking
Instagram head Adam Mosseri said creators should not equate high view counts with Reels success. In a recent video he explained that Instagram’s algorithm now weighs engagement signals — likes, comments, saves, shares/sends and watch time — more heavily than raw reach. Mosseri highlighted metrics such as Connected Reach vs. Unconnected Reach and pointed to specific Reels metrics (Watchtime, Like Rate, Send/Share Rate, Skip Rate) as better indicators of long-term relevance. The piece, republished on t3n and originally from OnlineMarketing.de, recommends creators focus analytics on engagement rates and audience composition rather than vanity view numbers.
Instagram Adds Skip Rate and Share Rate Metrics
Instagram has introduced two new performance metrics — Skip Rate and Share Rate — for individual Reels and Posts, and has redesigned its Insights area to centralize key measurements. Skip Rate reports how many users actively skip a Reel, a metric previously only inferable from watch time or retention; Share Rate shows how often content is shared, a signal Instagram sees as critical for reach. Collab Posts, Trial Reels, Crossposts and boosted (paid) content are not yet supported by the new metrics. The Insights overhaul places top metrics (views, reach, average watch time, follows) more prominently and adds breakdowns by followers and non-followers. Instagram is also testing a paid “Instagram Plus” tier that may provide additional analytics such as Rewatch Insights and more detailed viewer information. The changes target better creator and marketer optimization of short-form performance.
LinkedIn says don't treat leads as finish in B2B
At LinkedIn's B2Believe event in its new Empire State Building space, executives and practitioners called for a shift from lead-centric B2B marketing to a 'full journey' approach that links signals, targeting, creative, full journey, and measurement. Jae Oh, senior director of product management, revealed that fewer than 10% of upper-funnel audiences make it into bottom-funnel campaigns, urging marketers to connect awareness with demand capture. Research from LinkedIn's B2B Institute with eMarketer showed 77% of marketers say they no longer target individuals, yet only 31% have a playbook for activating audiences down the funnel. Practitioners from Canva, SAP, Mastercard, and others shared examples of aligning marketing and sales on common signals. LinkedIn also outlined a product roadmap focused on cost-per-opportunity targeting, multi-format campaigns, agentic workflows, and incrementality forecasting.
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