The Nature of the Algorithm: Part 1, Facebook

If you’re anything like me, you’ve asked “Why would Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc. show me this?”. Mine often shows me things from places I’ve recently travelled or are travelling adjacent, but sometimes the algorithm can be found wanting. This leads us to the ultimate question: what is the algorithm, and how exactly does it work? I’ve touched on algorithms briefly in previous articles but we’re going a bit deeper today, if only to better understand why Instagram felt I needed to see a several million dollar house for sale that isn’t even in the same country.

This is going to be a short series about the different algorithms and how they function. I’ll be focusing on what I would consider the big three, which are Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. I will say right out of the gate that the information I’ve grabbed is public knowledge that people a lot smarter than I am have done their research to get. I am a messenger that hopes to pass along information to allow for individuals in the food industry to better understand how to get social media to work for them and not against them. With that being said, let’s dive in!

Each of these companies has a different method, a different strategy to keep consumers using the platform, all in the name of ad sense. Even if you have personalized ads turned off, you will still be met with some type of sponsored content at some point in your scroll. It’s the name of the game with any of these companies: keep someone scrolling long enough to inundate them with ads while also keeping them entertained. Facebook is absolutely no different, but the execution of this method is what sets them apart from the other two. Technically, what we would consider to be one invisible content machine is actually a many-armed beast, with each section of Facebook getting its’ own driving force. We’ll get to the specifics of that beast in a second, but first let’s look at what the system feeds you first.

• Any time you open Facebook, whether on your phone, iPad, tablet, desktop computer, etc., the first thing you see is your home page. When you load into Facebook, in the blink of an eye the page has been loaded with everything you could possibly want to interact with. This includes friends posts, suggested friends, and page follow suggestions, all wrapped in a neat little package to start you on your scroll.
• The next aspect is the engagement levels. Is it a recent post? Are a lot of people liking the post? Are there multiple comments coming in? These factors play a key part in content reaching the masses, as they all add up. Essentially, each new engagement on a post ensures the reach gets bigger because it has been determined by the ones that have already seen it. Basically, the more people interact with a post ensures that specific post will be put into more hands, so to speak.
• You play a part in a post being seen, even if it is small. Did you know that Facebook’s AI actually predicts what you’ll do with a post? It determines what you may do by gathering information about your habits; you liked their photo last time, so odds are good that you’ll like it this time as well. What you’ve done in previous scrolling sessions determines what you’re shown this particular session and subsequently every new session in the future.
• All of this gets wrapped into a neat little package and delivered to you personally in the form of ingested content. That means that whatever form of content you interact with most is being shown towards to the top and the posts that get less attention are going to be lower down the feed. This includes (but is not limited to) videos, photos, suggested content, and topical posts. Your online habits feed the algorithm, and your home page on Facebook is driven by how you consume the content on a regular basis.

I had mentioned earlier that Facebook has many arms, so let’s meet the arms. Included are the news feed or your home page, stories, reels, groups (ones you follow or ones suggested to you based on ones you actively follow), and, last but not least, ads. As we’ve already been talking for a bit about what feeds the algorithm, you can probably surmise how it gets fed to you as a consumer: engagement. If you’re spending more time on posts from one person or group, if you’re currently spending more time on videos versus photos, if you’ve marked “not interested” on a certain person’s story, this is all kindling for a fire that is always burning.

As the content creator and not the consumer, you may be asking how this applies to you. Frankly, this is all about you! Replace yourself as the consumer and think about your content. Would you encourage someone scrolling to stop? Would your post get engagement? Are you inspiring people to like, comment, share? This is a huge insight into how the algorithm can work for you because you get a small glimpse behind the curtain. Knowing how the machine works allows you to be a fully functioning cog and also allows you to fully reap the benefits of social media. Utilize this information, further your reach and growth!

Get in touch with us if you need some help with understanding who your audience is, content creation, or even if you just need help with social media in general. We’re here to help and want you to succeed!

Information taken from https://turrboo.com/blog/facebook-algorithm-explained