Every social media platform has an algorithm that favours certain content over others. It is ever-changing and marketers need to keep up with the latest updates.
On every platform, the algorithm affects how content is shared in the feeds of other people. Algorithms measure the ways people engage with different types of content, to ensure that people keep seeing the content they want.
These can help individuals curate their experience, but algorithm-based marketing often leads to increasing quantity instead of focusing on quality.
Much of what is seen online is determined by the ‘wisdom of crowds’ which assumes that following the lead of others’ actions and preferences produces sound decisions.
When many users engage with one kind of content, the tendency is for other users to do the same, and everyone ends up seeing the same variety of material. This collective intelligence then teaches the platform what is relevant to a certain demographic.
This is why creating engaging, high-quality content can help businesses deal with the algorithm because the more people view it, the more favoured it will be.
Ultimately, the social media algorithm isn’t the enemy of businesses, the challenge is to create content that stands out regardless of their business’ ranking on social pages.
How Does the Social Media Algorithm Work?
Social media algorithms determine how content is promoted. The algorithms can be complex and abstract especially since they work differently for each platform. In simple terms, social media algorithms are designed to filter out irrelevant content or content that’s not high quality for users to consume.
Social media like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok rely heavily on artificial intelligence-based algorithms to rank and recommend content. These algorithms take the content you engage with such as what you like, comment on and share, and place it at the top of your feeds.
It’s important to be aware of how algorithms differ by social site and how they can increase your website’s traffic.
Forbes outlines how some popular social media algorithms operate. For example, Facebook’s algorithm scores posts by relevancy and interest, based on the user’s history of posts they’ve liked. On the other hand, Instagram ranks content based on hash-tag searchers of the user.
Remember that social media algorithms frequently change and keeping up with these changes can benefit your marketing plan.
Does the Algorithm Hold Back Social Media Marketing?
Social media content is susceptible to the way an algorithm ranks it on a user’s feed and according to the Digital Marketing Institute, each social media platform has its own way of ranking content for each user’s experience.
You may think that all you need to get content seen is to apply the algorithm, however, social networks regularly tweak their algorithms to improve user experience. Marketers need to keep an eye on any algorithm changes to see if they need to tweak your social media strategy.
But it isn’t the algorithm’s fault if your content isn’t performing well. The changes in social media algorithms are out of your control, so the quality of your content matters more.
The relevance of a piece of content will affect its place in a user’s feed more than anything else, no matter what platform you use.
So, the best thing you can do is to ensure your content is high quality, relevant and appealing so it tops the ranks
Which is Better: Quantity or Quality of Social Media Content?
Quality versus quantity is a controversial topic in social media because everyone is trying to figure out which approach can reach their audiences better.
NS Design highlights that the quality of posts should always be the focus rather than bombarding audiences with a high number of posts that don’t interest people.
Quality content is essential to businesses because it allows them to stand out and create a name for their brand. Going for the hard sell rarely engages customers. What really converts is genuinely connecting with people using, polls, asking questions and live-streaming
It’s important to keep in mind that quantity can’t be discounted when it comes to reaching different audiences. Seizing chances to be able to interact with audiences at multiple points in the week can expand a brand’s reach.
Quick but genuine posts can also reach people. People are looking for the more human side of the brands they follow.
Focusing on how businesses can be more humane as a brand can benefit them in the long run. Interacting with audiences can help build their brand community, which is a group of potential and existing customers they continuously engage.
Tapping into brand communities can be a cost-effective way to introduce potential new customers to your brand while continuing to engage with your established followers. In fact, 70% of marketers have used brand communities to advertise their products and quality content just helps build this community.
There’s no doubt that working with algorithms can attract more views. There are some great Facebook algorithm engagement hacks and many others that can help your content be seen. But even the best social manager would struggle with keeping up with all the algorithmic changes for each platform.
However, keep in mind that the algorithm isn’t the enemy. We have the expertise in making algorithms work for you and more importantly the expertise to create quality content to boost your brand online. Contact us and we’ll help you transform your social media and get it seen.
