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Why We Need To Understand Social Media Algorithms
February 26, 2019
Social networks like to gauge early interactions (likes, retweets, comments, etc...) on our posts or tweets in order to understand how valuable it would be to an even larger audience; will our content enhance user experience? Remember - what social platforms care about (and rightfully so) is giving their users the best experience. So it's about how your content performs early on that instructs the algorithm if it's worthy enough (or not) to be pushed to a broader audience
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In the social space, especially Instagram and Facebook - we only see about 30% of content intended for us from people and brands we follow. It's simply becoming increasingly harder for the platforms to keep up with all of the content being pushed out.
So algorithms are relied on. But all too often - this is an area misunderstood.
Algorithm is code set in place to memorize our behavior; what we view, share, comment on, retweet, etc...and then based on that behavior, the code dictates what content to serve us.
And here it is broken down.
Understanding Algorithms
While Facebook busted the myth our content is limited to only 26 people when we post (remember that fun one going around?), our content is initially sent to a smaller percentage of our connections.
Here's why:
Social networks like to gauge early interactions (likes, retweets, comments, etc...) on our posts or tweets in order to understand how valuable it would be to an even larger audience; will our content enhance user experience?
Remember - what social platforms care about (and rightfully so) is giving their users the best experience.
So it's about how your content performs early on that instructs the algorithm if it's worthy enough (or not) to be pushed to a broader audience.
It's those "maiden interactions" that determine how large or small your audience is about to become.
And while we know of other moving parts to algorithms, platforms tweaking the brand/personal account exposure ratio, as well as the type of content platforms favor (live video, native video, photos, etc...) it will always come down to this:
Being Useful And Empowering
Useful meaning is your content entertaining, inspiring or teaching?
Empowering meaning does your content make people feel relatable, confident and/or included?
Audience Signals
Now that we know early engagement dictates if content will get pushed into even more News Feeds - study weekly what triggers reaction and equally what does not.
Stop doing what the audience scrolls past. It's just stunting growth.
Every Person Counts
While acknowledging the audience on social isn't only the right thing to do as it makes people feel good, the algorithm likes engagement between the brand and the fan.
Stay Fluent To What Matters To Each Platform
Platforms often change what type of content matters to them.
Right now:
Facebook's focus: Stories, Video and Groups.
Facebook also finds more interaction with live video - which makes it favored in News Feed.
On all platforms - content that spurs conversation is considered creating "meaningful interactions," which is also well-liked and promoted in News Feed.
Find balance between sharing links to your digital assets and creating native content (content we upload directly to the platforms).
Social networks want you to create content - but we also need to pull people into our assets.
Play well with this. Find a balance so you're not all links, turning the code off.
Meeting user expectations (being useful) should be a main priority in the social space.
So remember to study what useful looks like for your brand.
We're operating in a space where code is predicting what the audience wants.
And if we're not showing up - our audience gives itself permission to form loyalties elsewhere.
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