Here’s What You Need to Know About Social Media Algorithms

When it comes to social media, the algorithms are always changing. That being said, there are a few things you can do that are desirable to social media apps – things that will help your content rank higher in their algorithms.

A Beginner’s Guide to How Algorithms Work on Facebook and Instagram (+ LinkedIn Tips!)

So, what do they want? 👉 Users to stay on their platforms longer!

Why? Because advertisers pay hefty sums to reach their desired audiences, and the longer the user is on the platform – FB, IG, etc – the greater the chance they’ll click on an ad or interact with sponsor content.

With all of the data that social platforms have amassed, it’s no wonder they know EXACTLY which user ‘signals’ are beneficial to them. They include: relationship, interest and timeliness – and (as mentioned above) content that keeps users on their sites for longer.

This means…
1) The greater the interaction with users/your audience, the greater chance they’ll see your content (and more often!)
2) Based on users’ past behaviour (likes, comments, searches, etc.) the algorithm predicts what images will be important to them, (this is a bit tougher to influence, but you could use analytics to narrow down which of your posts have garnered the most engagement with your audience and see what they have in common.)
3) In addition to the two previous points, your audience will see posts that are most recent, so it’s helpful if you know when your followers are on IG (see image below to find where you can see analytics in the IG app; you can browse by day of the week)

Other things you can do to increase engagement…

  • Post more video content
  • Run a contest or giveaway
  • Run polls or include calls-to-action in your posts that encourage engagement (comments, tagging and/or sharing)
    • Sharing is BIG on Facebook: people are 16x more likely to read posts from family and friends than from the brands themselves
  • FB loves native content, so don’t just post external links
    • Share others’ content within the platform
    • Upload videos (of yours) – don’t just add the YouTube link

Read more about algorithms in 2021

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