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Updated on September 19, 2024
12 min to read
Content Writer
Published September 20, 2024
Audiences, especially non-followers, often don’t engage with your clients’ content for the simple reason that they don’t see the posts.
One of the factors influencing this is the social media algorithm.
The algorithm decides which content to show on the users’ feeds based on relevance, engagement, and other factors.
While you can’t “control” the algorithm, you can implement strategies and create content influencing how it ranks and displays posts.
In this guide, we’ll explore the nuts and bolts of a social media algorithm and how it works, including tips, tricks, and tools to help you make it work for your clients.
A social media algorithm is a set of signals and rules that automatically decide which content to show on a user’s feed.
The algorithm ranks social media posts based on how likely users will interact with and like them.
Essentially, social media algorithms ensure that users only see posts that will interest them at the top of their feeds, providing a good and personalized experience.
How social media algorithms work can vary for each platform.
However, all the algorithms are based on Machine Learning (ML) and a set of factors known as ranking signals.
The signals are used to rank each social media content’s value for each user at a specific time.
While the algorithms are based on highly advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) processes, their goal is simple: index, score, and rank social media posts to determine what to show in a user’s feed.
Ranking signals in social media algorithms are individualized since they’re often based on each user’s interactions with content on the platform.
The algorithm aims to entice users to stay on the platform by showing them posts that keep them scrolling, watching, liking, and interacting.
[Must read: Social Media Interaction Post Ideas This 2022]
The truth is that social media platforms don’t reveal exactly how their algorithms work.
However, many platforms provide more information on their ranking signals and how their algorithms generally work.
The information can help you adjust your clients’ content and strategies to get on the good side of social media algorithms.
That said, below are the essential known ranking signals for various social media platforms.
The Facebook feed ranking signals include the following:
Instagram uses multiple algorithms for its Feed, Stories, Reels, and Explore features.
Let’s go over each algorithm’s ranking signals.
Instagram Stories algorithm
The algorithm for Instagram Stories sorts and prioritizes content posted by accounts a user follows.
[Must read: Instagram Following List Order Algorithm Explained [2024]]
With the algorithm set up this way, your clients won’t get new eyeballs in their Stories.
However, you can still leverage how the algorithm works to help expand your clients’ organic reach.
The Instagram Story algorithm ranking signals include the following:
Instagram feed algorithm
Instagram’s feed algorithm prioritizes content based on the following ranking signals.
Instagram Reels algorithm
According to Instagram, its Reels algorithm focuses on entertaining and engaging content users want to watch to the end, like, and repost.
The IG Reels algorithm’s ranking signals include the following.
Instagram Explore algorithm
Instagram’s Explore algorithm is designed to show users the types of content they’re likely to engage with, such as saving, liking, and sharing.
The Explore Page algorithm’s ranking signals include:
While Threads is relatively new to the game, it still uses an algorithm to personalize and recommend content to users.
The platform’s known ranking signals include:
TikTok’s algorithm is a bit unique since it is designed to show new content instead of content from creators that users already follow.
The TikTok algorithm’s known ranking signals include the following:
Contrary to popular belief, TikTok’s algorithm doesn’t consider follower count a ranking signal.
[Must read: TikTok Algorithm 2024 Explained: How It Works + Tips to Go Viral]
One way to determine whether TikTok’s algorithm favors your client’s content is to check the percentage of users who saw the videos on the For You Pages (FYPS).
A high number can mean that the algorithm is placing your clients’ videos in other users’ home feeds, drawing more eyeballs to the posts.
LinkedIn’s algorithm isn’t designed to make any content go viral.
The best way to get your clients noticed by the algorithm and other users is to create high-quality content tailored to your target audiences’ needs, interests, and preferences.
The LinkedIn algorithm’s known ranking signals include the following:
Like TikTok, YouTube’s algorithm focuses more on showing users new content than videos from subscribed channels.
The platform’s known ranking signals are:
[Must read: How the YouTube Shorts Algorithm Works [2024]: w/ Tips & FAQs]
The X (Previously Twitter) algorithm’s For You page ranking signals include the following:
Pinterest’s algorithm focuses more on search, which is slightly different from most social media platform algorithms.
Essentially, the platform’s algorithm ranks content based on relevance and quality over frequency.
Pinterest’s known ranking signals include the following.
Winning the favor of social media algorithms takes the right strategies.
Below are several best practices to help your clients get on the good side of social media algorithms.
Wait a minute.
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Get Started NowWhat do social media algorithms have to do with social Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
A lot, actually, since social SEO helps boost the discoverability and visibility of your clients’ content, making them noticeable to algorithms.
For instance, SEO practices such as adding relevant keywords in your clients’ post descriptions, profiles, hashtags, and more help algorithms determine the content’s relevance, which is a key ranking signal.
Use Vista Social to find relevant and popular hashtags in your industry, niche, or among your clients’ audiences.
The social media management platform has an AI-powered hashtag generator that simplifies hashtag research and discovery.
What audiences deem relevant content can depend on their demographics, interests, pain points, and needs.
That is why it’s crucial to understand your clients’ target audiences to tailor social media content that addresses their specific needs.
Relevant content that resonates with your clients’ followers can get the algorithm’s attention.
It increases the chances of the algorithm putting your client’s content first in their audiences’ feeds.
Many social media algorithms consider early engagement and recent interactions critical ranking signals.
That said, knowing when your clients’ target audiences will most likely be active and ready to engage on each social media platform is crucial.
Finding optimal posting times is easy with Vista Social’s social media publishing feature.
After creating and customizing your client’s post in the Publisher, you can set your preferred auto-posting schedule or choose from the platform’s suggested optimal publishing times.
The platform analyzes your clients’ audience engagement patterns, content velocity, and other key factors to determine the most active times to ensure authentic and maximum engagement.
Engagement is a crucial social media algorithm ranking signal, especially early engagement.
An easy yet effective way to generate more engagement is to ask for it.
No, I don’t mean begging followers to share or like your clients’ posts. Instead, create content that people can’t help but engage with.
For instance, you can host Instagram giveaways, Facebook polls, TikTok challenges, and more to encourage engagement, especially shares.
Another excellent engagement-boosting tactic is to engage with your clients’ followers.
Jump into the comments section and answer questions or start conversations to jumpstart discussions, which can lead to more engagement.
Simplify tracking, managing, and responding to all your clients’ social interactions with Vista Social’s social media engagement feature.
It includes a smart and unified Social Inbox that lets you view and respond to all your clients’ messages, comments, mentions, and reviews from one place.
This way, you won’t miss any engagement opportunities and respond to inquiries promptly. It helps your clients provide seamless user experiences to followers and customers.
Use the AI Assistant to generate relevant and engaging replies quickly.
You can also use the AI Assistant in Vista Social’s Publisher to generate and refine post descriptions and taglines to make your clients’ posts more engaging.
Remember, social media algorithms favor content and accounts with high engagement rates, so engage your clients’ audiences wherever and however you can.
The reality is that making social media algorithms work for your clients is a science and an art.
Plus, social media platforms constantly update their algorithms, so what may work for your clients now may not work as well in the future.
Your best bet is to stay on top of social media algorithm ranking signals, trends, and changes and adjust your clients’ content and strategies accordingly.
Also, experiment with your clients’ posts and tactics to see what works best for their audiences and the algorithms.
Key metrics such as engagement, impressions, reach, etc. can give you a good idea of what content types and formats resonate best with your clients’ audiences.
Leverage Vista Social’s social media analytics feature to track, measure, analyze, and gain insights into your clients’ content performance.
The platform also lets you create custom reports and set schedules to auto-generate and share the reports with clients and other stakeholders.
[Must read: How to Create Automated Social Media Reports]
Mix and match your clients’ content, formats, visuals, captions, and more to create content that engages audiences and catches the algorithm’s attention.
Many social media algorithms embrace videos, especially short-form videos since these tend to get the highest engagement rates.
Think of viral TikTok videos.
To capture the attention of social media algorithms, create more videos that align with your clients’ social media strategies and the platforms on which they are published.
You can help boost your clients’ engagement by creating and sharing more TikTok videos, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Facebook feed videos, etc.
However, don’t neglect other visual social media content, especially if they win over crowds.
Include other visually compelling content such as carousels, animations, slideshows, GIFs, infographics, and others.
Trending posts and topics keep users engaged and scrolling for more, making them the go-to content for social media algorithms to feature.
Help your clients join the fun by creating content incorporating trending topics or activities into their social media posts.
It can be anything, from a fun TikTok dance challenge to popular sounds or audio clips.
However, avoid jumping into every trend you see in the name of popularity.
Be selective and consider only weaving in trends that align with your clients’ brands, including their tone, style, messaging, current campaigns, and social media guidelines.
[Must read: Social Media Guidelines: How to Create One for Your Team]
The best place to start is to listen to what your clients’ followers are saying on social media through social listening.
Use Vista Social’s social media listening feature to set up Listeners.
The Listeners can track and pull conversations around your specified keywords or topics across your clients’ connected profiles.
Social listening helps you understand what’s buzzing, including audience sentiment. This allows you to find trends to incorporate into your clients’ content strategies and score points with the algorithms.
[Must read: Social Media Sentiment Analysis: A Comprehensive Guide]
Check out the commonly asked questions about social media algorithms below.
YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook are considered to have the strongest social media algorithms.
The platforms leverage advanced algorithms to surface and personalize relevant content for users.
The platforms also use their algorithms to stop the spread of hate speech and misinformation.
One downside to social media algorithms is their tendency to be biased, such as featuring specific types of content over others or highlighting one voice while silencing others.
It can perpetuate the existing biases and inequalities within certain societies, potentially influencing social media users’ thinking, attitudes, and behaviors online and in real life.
Social media algorithms can shape your client’s marketing strategies.
The algorithms essentially dictate what social media users see on their feeds, which significantly impacts how your clients’ brands engage audiences, the visibility of their content, and the effectiveness of their social media marketing efforts.
[Must read: Outsourcing Social Media Marketing: A Guide for Agencies]
There is no one-size-fits-all formula to winning over social media algorithms.
However, you can boost the chances of the algorithms favoring your clients’ content by understanding how they work and knowing the effective strategies to make the algorithms work for them.
Use the right social media management tool to help put your clients in good standing with social media algorithms.
About the Author
Content Writer
Jimmy Rodela is a social media and content marketing consultant with over 9 years of experience, with work appearing on sites such as Business.com, Yahoo, SEMRush, and SearchEnginePeople. He specializes in social media, content marketing, SaaS, small business strategy, marketing automation, and content development.
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