Over 80% of social media marketers say their top strategy is focused on increasing engagement across all channels. Keeping your audience entertained starts with understanding the platforms they’re using. The accounts that see the biggest boost from the algorithm gods keep things interesting and post unique content on a regular basis.
Across platforms, a social media algorithm is a set of rules and signals that automatically rank content based on how likely each individual user is to interact with specific content. Each channel has unique algorithms that foster the platform’s overall purpose. But this analysis of the top platforms and their algorithms is not set in stone. Social platforms don’t always make the inner workings of their algorithms public knowledge, so the data relies on user experiences.
It’s important to note there are two types of content on social platforms. Organic content is free and only promoted through engagement. This type of content is a great tool for building loyalty and community. On the flip side, paid content is broadcasted to your target audience with ad dollars. This is a great way to gain exposure and increase the number of individual users who see your content. In this blog, we’re focusing on organic algorithms because they are preset, whereas paid algorithms are manipulated based on spend.
Facebook prioritizes content from friends and family members (or individual, people-based profiles) over business pages. They are able to put emphasis on this type of content because it’s what you're engaging with most. On Facebook, you interact with the people you're closest with through comments, likes, and messages. Facebook also factors in the length and variety of comments and reactions. This means that the top of your feed displays the recent content from your top friends, along with content from acquaintances that you interact with less often that is trending in engagement. Facebook places the type of content you engage with the most higher on the totem pole. For example, if you engage with video more, you will see more videos in your feed - both organic and paid content.
Facebook’s most recent redesign puts more emphasis on groups and events, as they are "the two biggest reasons people visit Facebook every day." When it comes to hashtags, Facebook has implemented a list of suggested tags when composing individual posts to help group topics together. When it comes to navigating Facebook’s algorithm and its new updates, make sure you are promoting meaningful engagements. The platform is about more than just numbers. One way to leverage this type of connection is to ask questions that not only connect with your audience but also inspire them. Using Facebook videos, whether live or in feed - will also encourage your audience to interact with you. Set your posts to public so when others interact with them, everyone can see and find your content. When applicable, set your personal profile as a business owner or employee in order to create more personal relationships with your audience, so they can connect a face with the name.
The characteristics of Instagram’s algorithm dictate whether or not your content will be seen and help you generate new leads. When it comes to both in feed and the Discovery tab, Instagram prioritizes posts with the highest number of likes, but even more importantly it favors very recent posts. Because of analytics, Instagram is also able to prioritize posts from profiles that an individual typically engages with. On top of this, users are able to favorite accounts to make sure they never miss a post. Instagram users are able to follow specific locations and hashtags, and these posts are favored as well. With this being said, Instagram distributes business content and personal account content equally.
Instagram is one of the top places to promote branded content in 2023, but it also has one of the trickiest algorithms to navigate. Branded content on Instagram gets a 1.6% engagement rate. This engagement rate is attributed to Instagram’s algorithm and its improvements. In 2023, more users are seeing content from profiles that they don't follow in their feeds. Receiving high engagement from your core audience increases the likelihood of In Feed promotion. The basis of the algorithm’s decision to suggest your content depends on a few core elements. Posts with clickbait, giveaways, and repurposed content from another source without added value are less likely to be recommended. Mastering Instagram’s algorithm comes down to experimentation. The algorithm doesn’t require a specific hashtag strategy for success, so try different approaches to reach a new audience, while engaging your current audience base. Utilize Instagram Stories to get more organic reach with your audience without affecting your feed's cohesive style. With the introduction of Instagram’s take on TikTok, Instagram Reels, comes a new opportunity to increase engagement. Instagram Reels can deliver a 22% boost in engagement when compared to static Instagram posts. Some Instagram accounts have exploded since using this new feature, so it may be worthwhile to invest some time in this type of content.
Over 89% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn. The algorithm favors users who create content consistently and receive high levels of engagement. You will see users who get large amounts of engagement in your LinkedIn feed, regardless of whether or not you normally interact with their posts. But when it comes to interactions, the platform favors comments that add value over just reactions. Improving your posts’ reach requires a high level of comments in the first two hours. Engage with other people’s posts in a way that adds value. The more meaningful interactions you have on LinkedIn, the more your posts will be prioritized. Text is important on LinkedIn posts, whether it’s stand-alone content or coupled with an image or video. Rotate between formats to find your audience’s preferred balance. Connecting with your audience on a personal level can elevate your content. The LinkedIn algorithm loves personal content; your LinkedIn content will thrive if you add personal posts about your experiences with stories, images, etc.
Video is still an important aspect of LinkedIn’s algorithm, but it doesn’t hold quite as much stock as it used to. When LinkedIn first enabled users to upload videos, the algorithm was, without a doubt, placing any video at the top of the feed, but the sparkle of video on LinkedIn has dulled. Although video still has the advantage over static content, it has to receive high engagement to be prioritized.
In 2019, LinkedIn began pushing back against the big names and influencers, in hopes of promoting top-tier content instead of popular content. In 2023 this is still the focus, giving users the opportunity to absorb content from a variety of ordinary people with great perspectives, as opposed to mega influencers. LinkedIn also factors in the amount of time people spend consuming your content. If the time spent on your post is high, it’s probable you’ll receive more exposure to an extended audience. You can experiment with this by posting longer-form content or carousels. Increasing engagement on LinkedIn revolves around creating a relationship with your audience. Use personal profiles (owner/employee) instead of just your company page. Spice up your content efforts with images and video along with text. Building up your track record is essential. This algorithm will definitely downgrade your content if you post randomly, so stay consistent. In 2023, 4 times a week with a variety of posts seems to be the sweet spot. Don't be afraid to post external links occasionally. Just make sure the rest of your post is optimized for the algorithm and you should be good. Be sure to create content that can spark a conversation. The posts that really do well in LinkedIn's algorithm receive quality comments, not just things like “cool.”
If you’ve visited the platform at all recently, you’ve probably noticed that if TikTok ever was really about dances, it’s definitely not at this point. The platform has transitioned from solely focusing on entertainment to a major inclusion on information sharing. If you provide value, the platform is a goldmine to foster brand awareness. Focus on educating, inspiring, and entertaining your audience if your goal is to appear on your audience’s For You page. TikTok is constantly rotating through content because of this algorithm. The app’s fast pace thrives on the vast amount of new content that is generated by trending topics and sounds. TikTok is usually the birthplace of new content trends and generally, the trend will start surfacing on other platforms after making its TikTok debut. Focus on very niche content while playing into trends in order to leverage this. If your videos are good, they have a natural way of founding their target audience. Hashtags and posting time don’t have much of an impact when it comes to TikTok's algorithm. The TikTok algorithm focuses solely on watch time metrics. So if you want to increase your reach across the platform, it boils down to the quality of your video.
The development of the platform’s algorithm over the last few years has helped TikTok morph into an intricate hub for personalized content. When you post on TikTok, the algorithm shows your content to a handful of users who they think will like it. If your content performs well on the first 100 people - meaning they watch a good portion of the video or even rewatch it - TikTok continues to test it on subsequently larger audiences. If your video performs well on all or most fronts, it is pushed to the For You page. TikTok recently released an inside look at the algorithm saying that a strong indicator of interest is the duration that a user watches a video because it has more pull than other interest indicators like location. Watch time holds the most weight in the algorithm and shares, saves, comments, and likes come after in that order. It’s also important to note the newfound use of social platforms when it comes to searching for content. Younger generations are using TikTok as a search engine. Browse the TikTok trending keywords by typing queries into the app’s search bar. Add these keywords throughout your bio, say them in your video, and add them as subtitles so that people can find you.
Maybe you and your friends aren’t avid users of Twitter anymore, but the platform is still vital in the B2B space. Over 330 million people are monthly users and over 152 million people use Twitter on a daily basis. If you don’t frequent the platform, go take a look at how your competitors are using the platform and if it’s somewhere your target audience is spending their time.
When it comes to engagement, getting retweets is the best way to increase your reach on Twitter. Retweets are more telling than comments, and likes rank the least important. Now more than ever, creating highly visual content can help you do this. More than any other platform, Twitter pushes recent content. The platform prioritizes content created within the last 24 that has the highest levels of engagement. This model goes all the way down to the minute. Volume and frequency are the top factors when it comes to the Twitter algorithm.
Higher engagement is also common for Tweets containing up to two hashtags and 100 characters, an image link, and a call to retweet (CTA). - Using all 280 characters that you’re allowed should be done sparingly when sharing something informative and worthwhile. Accounts that use Twitter threads, polls, and also tweet between 2-8 times per day usually see higher engagement than those that don’t. Respond to the comments that people leave on your tweets to further the conversation and gain more traction with your potential audience.
Over 73% of all adults in the US use YouTube, but cracking the code behind the algorithm is no walk in the park. YouTube’s algorithm uses several different methods to show users' content. Most commonly, this is done by promoting related topics after viewing a video. YouTube recommends video content related to what you previously watched, and also keeps in mind the content creators you’ve watched. YouTube has a soft spot for viral content that receives high engagement, even if it's irrelevant to you. SEO plays a role in YouTube exposure because it is linked to Google’s search engine, which means that optimizing your YouTube content is essential.
YouTube’s algorithm takes the likelihood of a particular user’s engagement into account based on your channel and the topics you cover. In 2023, your relationship with your subscribers is more influential than the number of subscribers you have. Make sure your audience knows what your purpose is and understands what to expect from you. Post consistently so your content makes it to the top of the subscription feed. Add valuable comments on other creators' content in your niche, but don’t ask them to check out your page. Use cross-channel marketing to promote your content within the first few hours of posting. Spreading the word about your new content on your other social channels and even in your email newsletter can help you get views and engagement on your videos.
If your goal is to get more eyes on your content and increase engagement across platforms it’s important to post consistently, try out video, encourage comments, and use personal accounts in order to establish an authentic brand image. You should post on a consistent posting schedule, that doesn’t deter from the quality of your content and appear spammy.