Understanding the Facebook Algorithm
– Getting Your Content Seen!
The Facebook algorithm, one of the most powerful AI software programs, decides what you see on your Facebook timeline.
The average user will spend 20 minutes a day on the platform. In that time they may see up to 300 updates from friends, pages and adverts. However, their community would have published over 900 updates.
As a business, you need to be aware of this bottleneck in content volume over viewer time. Facebook picks one out of every three pieces of content to show each individual user. As a business how can you make sure your content is chosen over and above other prices of content?
Understanding content and interaction hierarchy is a great start to putting together a winning content plan.
Content Hierarchy and the Facebook algorithm
Facebook grades your content. Updates that it deems more interesting are shown to a wider selection of your audience. As a result, there are a few rules to follow that, in essence, optimise your content for the Facebook platform.
From highest to smallest grade here is the content hierarchy on Facebook:
Live Video – Facebook loves Live Video and as a result, they are currently shown to a wider audience.
Video – Originally a photo-sharing platform Facebook is now becoming the home of social multi-media and as such videos receive a higher content grade.
Images – Photos have always been important on Facebook and still carry more weight than a simple text and linked update.
Text – Status updates that comprise text only are classed as less interesting content because it holds attention for a shorter amount of time.
Link – Updates that contain a link are difficult to push on Facebook because the platform does not like sending its users elsewhere on the internet.
Use a mixture of the content above to make your page stand out. If you currently publish mainly text updates with the odd link, look at adding more images and videos. You will notice a significant improvement on your page.
Video Example
A video produced for the Facebook page of Red Star Wealth Management (see the full project here).
Instead of profiling the team, office and services with standard text updates, it was decided to make a fun and visual video. This would be far more entertaining and make use of the established Facebook content hierarchy. This video lead to the following results without the need for boosting or advertising.
- 300 clicks
- 10,000 people reached
- 1,460 minutes viewed
Live Video Example
Now hosted on YouTube this video was originally streamed live on Facebook to showcase this large public arts event for ICP (see the full project here).
We knew making the video live would improve its reach on Facebook and as a result we achieved the following results without boosting the post or running any advertising.
- 8,300 people reached
- 9,400 total minutes viewed
- 5,500 unique views
- 257 engagements (161 reactions, 49 comments and 47 shares)
Interaction Hierarchy on Facebook
Once you have published your content Facebook then grades the interaction it receives. Certain interactions are classed as more valuable and Facebook will use these to determine interesting content from boring content.
From highest to smallest grade here is the interaction hierarchy on Facebook:
Share – This is a premium interaction. If a user shares your updates Facebook grades this as hugely important as users only tend to share updates that are important to them.
Comment – If someone takes their time to leave a comment the status must be of interest. This means comments are the second most important type of interaction.
Like – Likes are quick and easy to leave on an update and as such form the basic interaction. They are not as important as shares or comments but still carry a value.
View – Every time a user scrolls past your update it is classed as a view. Therefore, if your status receives views but none of the interactions above Facebook will grade the update with a low score.
Conclusion – Putting it all together
Use the above hierarchies to plan and develop your Facebook content. Think in terms of content type and then in terms of the interactions you would prefer to receive. Most importantly of all, create your content for your audience not for yourself.
If your content is of value to your audience they will interact and your updates will be seen consistently. This carries huge marketing and PR value and is the secret to successful social media and winning with the Facebook algorithm.
If all the above is too much for your business and you would like to be fast-tracked to success on Facebook get in contact. We can help you or your friend’s business really stand out on Facebook and other platforms. Call us on 01772 935 116 or email us at info@lucky6marketing.com
