Hey! Happy holidays. 👋
We're wrapping up 2025 with a look at what's actually changing heading into the new year — no fluff, just the stuff that matters.
In this issue:
The real numbers on carousels vs Reels (spoiler: it's closer than you think)
Instagram's new 5-hashtag limit
A few settings worth checking before January
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Carousels vs Reels — The Real Numbers
So you've probably seen those posts claiming carousels get "10% engagement" — yeah, that's not quite right. Socialinsider looked at 31 million Instagram posts and here's what they actually found:
Carousels: 0.55% engagement
Reels: 0.50% engagement
Single images: 0.45% engagement
Carousels do win, but only by about 12%. Way closer than most people think.
Here's what's actually useful to know: Reels reach more new people. If you're trying to get discovered, they still work well for that.
Carousels get saved more. About 2x more likely to be saved than Reels — and saves matter a lot for the algorithm.
Honestly? Neither is "better." Reels are good for reach, carousels are good for going deeper with people who already follow you.
3 Things That Changed This Month
The hashtag limit is real now
Adam Mosseri announced on December 18 that Instagram caps posts at 5 hashtags. The whole "use 30 hashtags" thing is officially done. What people are doing instead: Fewer hashtags, more keywords in the actual caption. The algorithm reads captions better now anyway.
People can filter you out of their feed now
Instagram added this "Your Algorithm" thing in December. Users can now remove entire topics from their recommendations.
Worth knowing: If you post about a bunch of random topics, some followers might filter you out without even unfollowing. Might be worth sticking to 1-2 main things.
Check it out: Settings → Content Preferences → Your Algorithm
DM shares apparently matter a lot now
Mosseri said DM sends are now one of the biggest signals for reach — even more than likes or comments.
What that means: Content people actually send to friends ("you need to see this") gets pushed more than content people just double-tap on.
The Big Picture
The "shareable vs likeable" shift This isn't brand new, but it's getting more obvious: algorithms across platforms are favoring content people share over content people just like.
The stuff that spreads: Useful tips, relatable moments, things that make people go "I need to send this to someone."
The stuff that doesn't: Pretty content that gets likes but nobody actually shares.
Something to think about for 2026.
That's a wrap for this week!
If any of this was helpful, feel free to forward it to a creator friend who might find it useful too.
See you next Tuesday.
Happy New Year!
Creator Growth Weekly
Creator Growth Weekly is presented by CreatorFlow — automate your Instagram DMs in 2 minutes. creatorflow.so