Social Media Algorithms & Your Content
When just starting out on social media, whether personally or for a business, the goal is to connect with people you know, you want to know, or people you want to be your customer. Generating connections is an organic event that occurs naturally over time as more people find your content. There are other factors at play, though. It’s necessary to understand the social media algorithms and how it effects your content.
What’s a social media algorithm?
A social media algorithm is a set of rules ranking social media content on a particular platform based on how likely each social media user is to like and interact with content. Each platform may use a different algorithm based on what its users like and use more.
Many users see it this way: if content performs well, the content is operating within the algorithm. If content doesn't perform well, the content needs tweaking to meet the demands of the algorithm. Additionally, there are no “algorithm rules” to follow in order to operate within the algorithm. An influencer simply has to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Kind of. Sort of. Clear as mud, right?
Social media algorithms are actually numbers based reflecting performance on a given post. When it’s said “that went viral,” it’s a reference to a post performing well on social media. If a post goes viral, it’s performing well in one way or another. Sometimes posts go viral for negative reasons. Sometimes posts go viral for positive reasons. If a post receives a lot of “likes” and “shares,” that is a reflection that the content is performing well.
How to design content for more likes and shares
The short answer is that it varies by platform. Let’s look at the algorithm across the top 4 platforms. Let me give you a hint about something we will cover later on…the top 4 platforms indicate specific content that algorithms prefer. More on that later.
Each platform has an algorithm that pays attention to user interaction or engagement. If you start out just watching whatever your followers post, your engagement will generate new content related to that content on the discover page. Each platform has a discover type of page where new content you might like can be found. At first, the content may seem irrelevant to you, but over time as you engage by liking or sharing content, new content will appear that more closely fits your engagement.
The first step to posting content for likes and shares is to be authentic. Be yourself. Allow your followers a peek behind the curtain so they can better understand who you are. The second step is to provide content that’s useful in some way to the intended audience you have.
Algorithms & Platforms
The top 4 platforms have specific algorithms. Figuring out the algorithm can be tricky, but these platforms offer some tips and ideas. Let’s look at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Facebook:
The feed is full of content from your “friends” and page liked or followed.
The more photos you like, the more photos you get. The more videos you watch, the more videos you get.
Quality of content is important. Facebook does use ranking words to determine quality of content and they definitely devalue information they don’t want to be shared.
Twitter:
Twitter focuses on user interactions so expect to see more tweets from those you interact with often.
Time relevance matters. Check out trending topics and what’s happening to know what topics are deemed more relevant.
Physical location also determines what is seen in trends.
If the item is trending currently will determine if it gets more engagement also.
Instagram:
Instagram used to be the fun space to share snapshots of the day, but a good thing simply can’t be left alone.
Instagram seems to constantly be changing their algorithm. Listen to a few stories from influencers and at least one will mention hacking the algorithm. May the odds be ever in your favor.
Engage. Create relationships. Comment back and forth.
Interests are the top factor. What you like is what will show up in your feed. Cows and plants? Home décor? Fitness? Look at your explore page and you’ll see whatever you've been showing interest in.
Timely posts matter. When are your followers on most during the day? Is your topic trending?
If an account is already popular, engagement is already established. These posts will naturally perform better. The key is posting something that catches on with your people to engage.
YouTube:
Video performance must be good. You need followers to eventually lead to monetization. Do people watch your content to the end? Do they like your video?
Whatever content a user watches determines more of what shows up in their suggested feed.
Study each platform specifically. Chances are, you know which platform works best for your business. Not all platforms are relevant for a business. Additionally, you don’t want to be on every platform and gain zero traction when you could focus on one or two and really take off. What do you currently use most? Where you do spend your time? What platform is easiest for you to understand and use?
Think of it this way: on January 1 everyone makes promises to change things in their life for the better. What changes are you willing to make that you will actually stick with? That’s how you decide which platform to use. If you’re not a big fan of any social media, but you know it’s necessary, that’s where Flywheel Marketing can help. We manage social media accounts for businesses of all sizes and in many different fields. We study our clients and their business needs along with their competitors in order to create a solid and strategic plan to grow their social media presence. We can do it for you too! Click that button below for a free discovery call to find out why we may be exactly what your business needs. We look forward to working with you.