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Since the creation of Facebook, its algorithm has been evolving every year. In order to succeed in marketing on Facebook and get a higher score, the business must understand the algorithm. From now on, the question that arises is, “How does Facebook’s algorithm work?” You will get the answer at the end of this article, with a bonus of how you can work around Facebook’s algorithm for your own benefit.
What is the Facebook algorithm?
You’re probably wondering, “What is an algorithm?”. On a social network such as Facebook, it is a mechanism that controls posts. In other words, it classifies the posts of friends, groups and pages on a user’s news feed.
Developed by engineers, the algorithm evaluates the most relevant content in the eyes of Facebook. In principle, the goal of all platforms is for their users to spend as much time as possible seeing more ads.
In order to achieve its goal, Facebook uses a combination of calculations that collect data, based on machine learning. The algorithms constantly conduct studies on user preferences and behaviors, so that they can analyze the network and the interests of users. After that, decide on the order of content that is displayed on the users’ news feed.
As SEO strategists at Google do, social network managers must first understand the advantages of the platform they are working on. We’ll see later that Facebook’s algorithms evolve and improve over the years. That’s why, in order to ensure maximum longevity of your content and performance of your Facebook page, always be up-to-date on the latest news.
The evolution of the Facebook algorithm
The Facebook Meta algorithm is designed to make improvements to Facebook’s algorithm to allow users to see the content that interests them most. Ranking signals are criteria for suggesting content on the News Feed. Over time, the list of signals has evolved to add, remove or even change content. Simply put, Facebook wants to show what it thinks users want to see.
Below, we list the chronology of Facebook’s algorithm over the past few years:
- 2004
Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook.
- 2006
It was in this year, that today’s news feed was born. At that time, it was known as the News Feed.
- 2007
The EdgeRank algorithm is launched: its principle is to offer a better score to better organize publications. This score is determined according to the freshness, affinity, typology of the post, user engagement, and the expected attractiveness of the content.
- 2009
The first algorithm is in place. Its objective is to display first the posts with the most “likes” on the news feed.
- 2015
Facebook is starting to sort pages well. It uses a new feature: the famous “see first”. This feature gives users the ability to choose which publications they want to see first on their News Feed.
- 2016
Facebook is now measuring the value of posts over time. How? By considering the time spent on each publication. And this, even without any reaction like “like”, comment or share.
- 2017
Other reactions are added to the “Likes: Grrr, sad, love”. Video playback time is a performance criteria for a publication. It is a new signal that aims to make the videos they watch to the end go further up to the Internet users. This signal is called: the completion rate.
- 2018
Facebook’s new algorithm prioritizes “meaningful interactions”: that is, posts from close friends and family. To make the algorithm work to its advantage and ensure the performance of their publication, companies must produce more interaction.
- 2019
Facebook adds the “Why am I seeing this post?” signal. It prioritizes original, high-quality videos viewed for more than a minute. When considering Messenger chats, Facebook first considers content shared by “close friends.”
- 2020
The social network allows its users to choose which publications are shared. The algorithm evaluates the credibility and quality of the information in order to avoid false information, also known as fake news.
- 2021
With a new algorithm update, Facebook is giving its users access to their data in the best way possible. To do this, it has developed 4 factors to personalize the content shared on the News Feed:
➤ Inventory: the algorithm gathers content published by friends and family or content you follow that you haven’t seen yet;
➤ The signal: Facebook’s algorithm evaluates posts based on date, type, nature, origin and reactions to the post;
➤ Prediction: based on your personal history, Facebook’s algorithms anticipate your reactions to content. What will you do? Like? Comment? Share?
➤ The date of publication: Facebook studies the history of publications. It highlights the most recent ones.
How Facebook's algorithm will work in 2022
Since January 2022, there is no more “News Feed”. When you scroll down Facebook, the publications are grouped in the so-called “Feed”. Indeed, the News Feed highlights interactive and relevant content. But starting this year, Facebook’s algorithm chooses news based on 3 main signals:
- The author of the publication: this signal checks whether it is a page or a personal account. In addition, you can see content shared by your close friends or pages with which you have interacted a lot.
- The type of content: this refers to the format of the content you have given importance to. For example, you reacted most with images, well, images will show up more on your feed. And the same goes for videos and text posts.
- Interactions with the publication: your Feed prioritizes the publications that, people who are frequently in contact with you, produce the most interactions.
These different signals are evaluated post by post to determine in what order to display it on the Feed. Facebook’s users can also condition the algorithm by customizing their Feed:
- Through the Favorites option (top right down arrow > Settings & Privacy > Feed Preferences), Facebook users can add up to 30 people or even pages to their favorites. Their posts will then appear first in the Feed;
- You can also select options where you choose what you want to do with each post. For example, there is the “I don’t want to see this” or “Hide post”. To do this, you just need to click on any post and options will appear. Facebook’s algorithm, smart as it is, will then rank the content shared on your Feed according to your choice of advertisers.
In short, Facebook controls the content that is shared. It deletes :
➽ publications that do not comply with community standards;
➽ Posts with violent, explicit and sensitive content.
14 tips to generate engagement from the Facebook algorithm
We list below 14 actions to take so that the Facebook algorithm can boost your publications and thus allow you to benefit from them.
Target your audience well
To know your audience well, you need to answer the question “Who is your target audience?” Are you targeting entrepreneurs? Moms? Young people? Students? etc. With this, you can know the type of content they like the most.
Choose the best time to publish
Depending on the nature of your audience, you can determine the right time to publish.
Create attractive, varied and authentic content
Yep… it’s ranked higher in the Wire.
Make sure you are present
Did you know that Facebook’s algorithm rewards diligence? So post regularly. To do this, use an editorial calendar.
Interact with your audience
Reply to private messages and comments.
Remember to publish video content
Videos are the easiest way to capture attention.
Create a community with your audience
Create a link with your subscribers.
Encourage your colleagues to engage with your publications
Asking your collaborators to interact with your posts really helps you take advantage of the Facebook algorithm.
Favor publications containing images
Diversify the types of content you publish, but for high performance, publish illustrated content.
Create content that respects Facebook standards
Facebook-specific content is very important to the algorithm.
Use groups
There, it is certain that the members of the group will see each of your publications.
Do not force the algorithm
Send positive signals to the algorithm. Avoid shady strategies to maximize your reach.
Make stories
They always appear at the top of the Feed. In real life, they allow you to escape the algorithm.
Do a final analysis
Analyze the results of your publications often, so you can improve them in the future.
Are your Facebook posts a strategy for your marketing? Now you have all the keys in hand! Get started! However, if you need help, we’re here! Let us manage your page and save time! We’ll be happy to work with you!