An updated look at the social media algorithm and what it means for your social media strategy
If you’re on social media for your business you’ve probably heard about the “algorithm” - but what exactly does it mean and what does it mean for your social media strategy?
Let’s jump into it!
What does algorithm mean in terms of social media?
In simple terms, an algorithm refers to a set of data, signals, and rules. These algorithms then rank and filter content so that users are more likely to view content that is relevant and interesting to them. The algorithm is often slightly different depending on the platform you are present on, so let’s take a look at the current algorithms of some of the most popular social media platforms.
In May 2023, Instagram explained that there was not one singular algorithm that ranks, filters, and shares content but rather a variety of them. (One for Feed, Stories, Reels, etc.) Here’s a bit about each:
Feed - Feed will feature a mix of content - content from those you follow, content you may like, and ads. This content is ranked based on posts you’ve engaged with (i.e. liked, saved, etc.), whether you’ve interacted with the creator/brand before, information about the poster (i.e. is there a lot of engagement on the post), and more.
Stories - Stories that you'll see are from both people and brands you follow, as well as ads. These stories are ranked based on how often you have viewed or engaged with their Stories and what your relationship is to them.
Explore: Like the others above, these are ranked by your history with the poster, as well as other posts you’ve interacted with in Explore and information about the poster.
Reels - They are ranked based on your activity on Reels (i.e. Reels you’ve engaged with recently). As with the others, your history with the poster, information about the poster, and more, is also considered.
Click here for a more thorough breakdown about Instagram ranking.
In April 2024, Instagram shared that there would be some significant updates, particularly to the Reels algorithm. In the past, Instagram Reels were primarily ranked based on how users engaged with them, so naturally, accounts with large followings would typically have a larger reach than those with less followers. Instagram wanted to even the playing field so that smaller creators and businesses could increase their reach on the platform. In the months following the announcement, content will be shown to users likely to enjoy it (even if they’re not following the creator/brand) and the content that performs well, will then be shown to a wider audience, and so forth. You can learn more about all of the changes here.
TikTok
On TikTok, there are a variety of factors that affect the TikTok algorithm, these include video quality (high-quality videos have a better chance of being recommended), whether viewers are watching your videos until the end, engagement (i.e. likes, comments, shares), information about the video (i.e. hashtags, captions with relevant keywords, etc), trending content, and more.
X (formerly Twitter)
Like Instagram and TikTok, X has more than one feed. Similarly to TikTok, they have For You and Following feeds. Like Instagram, there is also an Explore tab. Similarly to Instagram, each of these will rank content uniquely. Let’s look at each:
Following - This feed features content from those you are following and will display chronologically.
For you - This feed will display posts from those you follow and those you don’t based on factors such as your past activity, how likely you are to be interested in and engage with them, what’s trending, and more.
Explore - This feed offers a way to see trending topics (or keywords/hashtags) in various categories. These categories include For you (curated based on your interests), Trending (in your country), News, Sports, and Entertainment.
According to Facebook, the algorithm goes through 4 steps, which determines how relevant a post will be to each user, what is known about the post, and what content can be shown.
The 4 steps are:
Inventory - Content posted by your friends and those you follow
Signals - Signals include who posted, when it was posted, etc.
Prediction - Based on the above, how likely is a user to engage with the content, will users watch the whole video, etc.
Score - This considers how users will be interested in the post, for example, are they likely to click or engage (like, comment, and share) with the post, will it be informative/relevant, is it low quality, and more.
You can learn more about how Facebook distributes content here.
What does it mean for your business?
Whew! That was probably a lot, so let’s take a moment to digest all the information…
Now, what does allll of that mean for your social media strategy? Here are a few key points to take from all of this information.
Get social - It’s called social media for a reason, so get social! Engagement is a valued metric any way you slice it. Engage with other users and their content and interact with those who engage with yours.
Choose your words wisely - The words you use in your content matters! Be sure to include relevant keywords and hashtags.
Quality is important - This isn’t really surprising, but quality is important, for example, choose and create clear visuals.
Be consistent - We talk about this a lot, but consistency is so important! Pro Tip: A social media management platform or in-app scheduling features can help you schedule content (and/or reminders to post) to help with consistency.
Be adaptable and experiment - The algorithms are constantly evolving and changing, and what works one day, may not work the next, for example, sometimes Reels were being pushed more and at other times, carousels were, so it’s important to not be so rigid. Instead, allow for flexibility and adaptability. Beyond that, experiment with content types, times, and more. Have fun with it and see what works best for you.
We hope this helped you understand some of the algorithms on social media a little better but remember, it’s ok to try and try again until you find what works for you.