In today’s digital world, social networks play a crucial role in shaping how we consume and share information. The algorithms that drive these platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and X, are at the heart of this personalized experience. This article explores how these algorithms work, the criteria they use to rank content, and strategies for maximizing the visibility of your publications. Discover the mechanisms behind your news feeds and learn how to leverage these tools to optimize your online presence.
A - Facebook's algorithm
Facebook’s algorithm uses an intelligent approach to personalize the experience for each user. Based on the following three main ranking indicators:
- The author of the publication : Content from sources with which the user interacts the most (friends, businesses, and family) is given priority.
- Content type : The feed favors content types (videos, photos) with which users interact frequently.
- Interactions generated : Posts generating the most engagement, especially from regular contacts, are highlighted.
The algorithm ranks each publication according to these key indicators to determine its position in your feed.
Facebook also offers users the opportunity to train the algorithm and personalize their feed according to certain options:
- Favorites : Users can select up to 30 people and pages as favorites, whose posts appear at the top of the feed. To access this option, go to “Settings & Privacy” > “Feed Preferences” > “Favorites”.
- Options on the feed : Clicking on a message provides options to hide the message, hide the user, or add/remove favorites, helping the algorithm to better understand the user’s preferences.
➔ Facebook’s feed algorithm
Facebook’s news feed algorithm mainly (but not exclusively) offers relevant content from people, brands, and groups you’ve already interacted with.
Facebook explains that this algorithm determines the order of the content you see in your feed in four stages:
- Inventory : All available content from people, pages, and groups you’ve linked to, as well as relevant ads and recommended content based on your Facebook activity.
- Ranking indicators : These are the ranking indicators mentioned above.
- Predictions : The algorithm analyzes the data from these indicators to make personalized predictions about the content you’ll enjoy most.
- Relevance : Each piece of content is assigned a relevance score, with the posts with the highest score being the best placed on your feed.
➔ Facebook Reel algorithm
As Facebook Reals are a relatively new format compared to feeds, the information on the Facebook Reals Algorithm is relatively limited. Nevertheless, we can point out a few best practices to help you improve the visibility of your Réels (i.e. improve their ranking by the algorithm).
The basic principle of the platform is to distribute quality content. But what exactly does that mean? Here are the specific recommendations established directly by the source:
- Entertain your audience
- Encourage and start a trend
- Use creative tools such as text, filters, or visual effects
- Use vertical video
- Use music
- Experiment
- Present your content clearly, using good lighting and recording techniques.
On the other hand, here’s what you should avoid:
- Blurring due to poor resolution
- Watermarked content from other applications (e.g. Tik Tok)
- Videos with frames
- Videos in horizontal format
B - Instagram's algorithm
➔ Instagram's feed algorithm
- Your activity : This indicator considers content you like, share, save, or comment on.
- Publication information : The popularity of a publication is crucial. It is measured by the number of people interacting with it and the speed of those interactions. Date, time, and where published are also considered.
- Information about the person publishing : The algorithm seeks to assess your interest in the author of the publication, using signals such as the frequency of recent interactions with this account.
- Your previous interactions with the person publishing : Content from people you follow, with whom you regularly exchange messages or interact, is more likely to appear in your feed. Brands therefore need to stimulate and respond to follower engagement.
➔ Instagram stories algorithm
- Posts from followed accounts : Stories only display content from accounts you follow, except for ads. So brands need to understand this algorithm to maximize their organic reach without gaining new followers through Stories.
- Viewing history : If you regularly view an account’s Stories, they will appear at the top of your Stories list. Conversely, accounts whose Stories you ignore will appear at the bottom of your timeline.
- Interaction history : The interactions generated by a Story (such as replies and shares) are decisive criteria for the algorithm.
- Proximity : This criterion evaluates the likelihood that you are friends or family with the person who posted the Story. Focusing on viewing and interaction history is more relevant for brands.
➔ Explore page algorithm
- Publication information : The level and speed of interaction (likes, comments, shares) are crucial. This is even more important for the Explore page than for other sections.
- Your activity within Explorer : The algorithm considers the type of content you interact with most
- Previous interactions with the person posting : Less relevant to Explorer, but can help rank a post if other factors are favorable.
- Information about the person publishing : The algorithm uses similar data to the feed. However, it includes a wide range of accounts.
C - TikTok's algorithm
Unlike most social platforms, TikTok focuses on presenting new content, rather than only showing content from followed accounts. Here are the main ranking signals known to TikTok’s algorithm:
- Previous interactions :
- Tracked and hidden accounts.
- Content you’ve interacted with (likes, shares, comments) or marked as “Not interested”.
- Behavior in the Discover tab : Analysis of content features, such as captions, sounds, effects, and trending topics.
- Location and language : Choose content from your own country or written in your own language.
- Trends : Using trendy sounds and effects can enhance the visibility of your content.
- Number of followers : Unlike other platforms, the number of followers is not a ranking signal on TikTok. The platform focuses on the quality and relevance of content.
D - YouTube's algorithm
Like TikTok, YouTube focuses less on who you follow and more on what the algorithm suggests you watch. Nevertheless, don’t forget to focus on the long-term value you provide to your viewers.
Known classification signals are :
1- Your business :
- Viewing history : YouTube recommends videos based on the ones you’ve already watched.
- Interaction with content: Videos you’ve liked, commented on, or shared influence recommendations.
2- Videos watched together :
- Video chaining : YouTube identifies videos you might like based on the viewing chaining of other users with similar habits.
3- Viewing time :
- Time spent on a channel or topic : If you spend a lot of time watching videos from a particular channel or on a particular topic, YouTube will offer you more similar content.
4- Vidéo performance :
- Average viewing time: The average time spent watching a video.
- Average percentage viewed : The percentage of the video viewed on average by users.
- Engagement : Post-view likes, dislikes, and feedback are taken into account to assess the relevance and quality of a video.
5- Trendy songs and audio samples (for YouTube Shorts) :
- Music trends: YouTube Shorts uses trending songs and audio samples to recommend relevant content to viewers.
E - LinkedIn's algorithm
The following graph shows how the algorithm works :
AI Classification Pipeline
Source : LinkedIn Engineering Blog
Unlike other platforms, LinkedIn is not designed to promote viral content. To get noticed on LinkedIn, brands need to understand their audience and create high-quality content that is tailored to their specific needs.
Known LinkedIn ranking signals are as follows :
- The link to the person who posted :
- Proximity : The level of proximity with a follower or someone in your network is crucial. The more you interact with someone, the more likely it is that their posts will show up in your feed.
- Skills and location : The skills listed on your profile and your geographical location also influence the visibility of publications.
- Contents :
- Popularity : The popularity of a post, measured by likes, shares, and comments, plays an important role.
- People and topics mentioned : Mentioning relevant people and topics can increase the reach of a post.
- Relevance of discussions : Relevance and activity in the comments section also influence ranking.
- Account activity :
- Followed groups, pages, people, and hashtags : Interactions with groups, pages, people, and hashtags followed by the user are taken into account.
- Interactions with similar publications : The algorithm values active accounts that regularly interact with content dealing with similar topics.
F - Algorithm X (formerly Twitter)
X allows users to choose between a For You timeline and a Following timeline.
Source : X
The known ranking signals for the For You timeline are as follows:
- User connections : accounts and topics that the user is already following.
- Content quality : “relevance, credibility, and security” of the publication. Spam and offensive content are not recommended.
- Popularity : refers to general popularity, and specifically to how people in your network interact with the post.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the algorithms of social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, and X play a crucial role in personalizing the user experience. They use a variety of signals to determine the most relevant content to display, promoting user engagement and satisfaction. Understanding these algorithms is essential for maximizing the impact and visibility of content published on these platforms.
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