Suppose you’ve been posting on social media lately and wondering why your posts aren’t getting as much engagement as they used to. In that case, you may not realize that certain social media platforms have implemented algorithm changes that dramatically affect how you connect with your audience.

Social media algorithms work by prioritizing content from family and friends over businesses, heavily prioritizing content posted by people you engage with. This means that people’s feeds aren’t listed as before; they don’t see posts in order but rather based on friends whose posts they’ve liked, commented on, or shared in the past. The algorithm changes have heavily affected businesses. Even if you have hundreds or thousands of followers, the algorithm impacts visibility – especially if your followers don’t have a history of engaging with your content.

However, this doesn’t mean you should give up on social media marketing. Social media marketing is still effective as long as you learn how to beat the algorithms and make them work for you rather than against you. Here’s how you can overcome the challenges of social media algorithms on Facebook and Instagram:

Facebook

The core values of Facebook’s algorithm are to prioritize content from friends and family, content that informs and entertains, and content that is accurate and authentic. Here’s how to take Facebook’s core values and make them work for you:

• Use data to understand what type of content your audience wants to see.

• Use analytics to determine which posts in the past gained the most engagement.

• Use clear headlines that don’t spread misinformation. Avoid misleading, sensational headlines.

• Post content that promotes positive engagement – not the type that invites negativity or unproductive debate.

• Start an employee advocacy program. Encourage employees to share posts from your business page with their family and friends.

• Ask questions that inspire positive interactions.

• Post meaningful, share-worthy content, like a relevant and interesting video.

• Post original, quality videos that are at least 3 minutes in length. The Facebook algorithm seems to like videos intended to hold a viewer’s attention for longer.

Instagram

The Instagram algorithm uses viewers’ personal data to deliver the content they’re likely to enjoy and interact with. Therefore, the algorithm will consider your relationship with your followers and the relevance of the content. The algorithm may work in your favor because it will be shown to Instagram users, who will find your content interesting and relevant. However, there are still ways to make the algorithm work better for you, such as:

• Experiment with different hashtags and hashtag strategies

• Increase your organic reach with Instagram stories. 

• Post original and engaging content. Avoid recycling watermarked content from other social media platforms, such as TikTok.

• Use Reels or Stories for increased interactivity.

• Be quick to reply to every comment, especially in the first few hours of posting new content.

• Stick to a schedule. Consistency is key when beating the Instagram algorithm. If you post randomly, you’ll get lower priority on users’ feeds.

At RunnerEDQ, we know the importance of maintaining a social media presence. We can help you discover your contacts’ social media handles and the platforms they use the most. Just provide us with a list of names, addresses, and emails. And with services that provide you with valuable demographic data, we can help you ensure you’re creating content that your audience will find interesting and engaging.