Glossary / Instagram

Internet speak

Sends

Sends are the times people shared your post or reel with someone else by DM, one of the strongest signs that content is worth showing to more people.

Also called: shares, DM shares, sends per reach

By Aulto · Last reviewed

Why do sends matter so much?

Sending something to a friend is a strong endorsement. Instagram has said sends weigh heavily when deciding whether to show content to people who don't follow you.

How do you get more sends?

Make things people want to show someone: useful, funny, relatable or "this is so you". Ask for it plainly: "send this to the friend who…".

Example

A meme-style reel about release-day nerves gets sent between musicians thousands of times and reaches far beyond the artist's followers.

  • Reach

    Reach is the number of different accounts that saw your content at least once.

  • Instagram algorithm

    The Instagram algorithm is the set of ranking systems that decide which posts, reels and stories each person sees, and in what order.

  • Insta DM

    An Insta DM is a private direct message on Instagram, the chat inbox separate from public posts and comments.

  • Auto-reply

    An auto-reply is a message sent automatically in response to a DM, comment or keyword, so people get an answer without waiting for someone to type it.

  • Carousel post

    A carousel post is an Instagram post with several photos or videos that people swipe through, up to 20 in one post.

  • Close Friends

    Close Friends is an Instagram list of people you choose; content shared to it is seen only by them and marked with a green badge.

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