Algorithm
A key to improving your social media presence is trying to understand the different algorithms. The algorithm determines what each different person sees on their own timeline, this can be difficult as it is ever-changing but we’ve listed a few key pointers below.
Facebook
The main goal of the Facebook algorithm is for the newsfeed to show each individual what Facebook thinks they want to see. So you have to almost prove to Facebook that your content is relevant to your target audience. To do this you need to post engaging content, the more reactions you get on a post (likes, shares, comments, etc) the more Facebook thinks your content is relevant and it will, in turn, be seen more.
You need to also build a community, you can simply do this by ensuring you respond to comments and start conversations. The more you are seen to be interacting with your audience, the more people will comment – also showing to Facebook your content is relevant.
Facebook also takes into consideration how long someone spends looking at your content. How can you get someone to stop scrolling and actually read what you’re putting out to the world? You need to make your content eye-catching and bold.
Video video video! You may have heard many marketeers bang on about video and rightly so. What is the most common form of content that you see when scrolling through Facebook? That’s right, video.
Instagram
Unlike Facebook where the Algorithm is a bit of a guessing game – Instagram has actually released the three main factors that determine what posts each individual sees on their feed.
Interest – Posts that Instagram thinks you’ll be interested in.
Timelines – Recent posts usually appear slightly higher than older ones.
Relationship – Accounts you regularly interact with, whether that be, your friends or your favourite brand. These will generally appear higher.
There are also some other factors which do contribute but to a smaller extent:
Frequency – Instagram will aim to show you the most relevant/best posts since you last opened the app.
Following – You will be shown a wide variety of posts from an array of different accounts rather than the same posts constantly from the same accounts
Usage – As individuals scroll further down their feed, the content will become less relevant.
Twitter
Unlike the other channels, Twitter does mostly use a reverse chronological timeline. However, the algorithm does still affect the timeline and tries to show you tweets most relevant to you.
With Twitter, each tweet is given a score to show how relevant it is to each individual. Below are a few points which are taken into consideration when Twitter creates this ‘score’.
The Tweet itself – whether it includes a video or any imagery and the overall engagement (retweets, favourites, time spent reading the tweet, etc).
The Tweeter – if you have had a lot of previous interactions with the account and Twitter sees you as having a strong connection with them, then generally these tweets may appear higher.
You – if you’re heavily into Twitter and engage with lots of posts, Twitter will look at these accounts and tend to show you tweets of a similar personality.
Once a tweet has been given a relevancy score, the tweet is then positioned within a certain position on the timeline. The main 3 categories are as follows:
All in all, to get your tweets seen more it would appear you need to take into consideration what your audience is going to engage with the most.
What types of posts should you be doing?
Fewer but better posts (quality over quantity!) – ‘Post loads! That way you’re bound to get seen!’ – That is not the case, as mentioned previously, to get your posts seen you need to post content which your audience engage with. Take time to carefully plan your social schedule and to creating content that will actually get engagement, rather than spamming out 20 posts which aren’t relevant.
User generated content (UGC) – UGC is the easiest way to gain more content, simply re-posting other users’ content (always making sure you credit the original source). By reposting your customers’ photos you are essentially letting them tell your brand story for you. By using UGC, this will increase your credibility within your field as well. A quote I found from Hootsuite pretty much sums up it’s importance –
“User-generated content is one of the most powerful tools in today’s marketing arsenal: It’s proof that you have dedicated fans, products worth talking about, and a social network that will appreciate great content”
Video – As previously mentioned, video content is what the future is about. If you haven’t already thought about your 2019 video content plan then I suggest you bear it in mind!
That’s a wrap! We’ve barely even scratched the surface with organic social media but we hope this has helped – stay tuned for more social media top tips. Ciao for now!
