Ever wondered how Facebook’s infamous News Feed algorithm works? We are here to explain how Facebook’s content ranking process generally works, and why some things gain more traction than others, based on individual response.
There are four key elements that Facebook considers when selecting relevant content to display to each user.
Those elements are:
- Inventory – This is the starting point, with all of the posts that you could potentially be shown each day. These posts are based on the Pages and people you follow, and the content they’ve shared and engaged with, as well as the groups you’re a part of, and the ad content that you’re eligible to be shown on any given day.
- Signals – Facebook’s algorithm then uses various signals to determine each post’s relevance to the user. This is based on their connection to the person/Page sharing the update, including how you’ve interacted with them in the past. The algorithm also considers whether this is a photo, video or link post, which also factors into what the user will be shown, based on which media format you engage with most (e.g. if you watch more videos, you’ll be shown more videos).
- Predictions – Based on these considerations, the algorithm then makes predictions about user’s likely engagement with each new post, in an effort to highlight the most personally relevant content based on these factors.
- Score – And finally, the algorithm will then score each post in your content pool in order to rank them, taking into account all of these factors. The higher the relevance score, the more likely that post will appear at the top of your Facebook feed.
Thus, the more people who find your content personally relevant, and engage with your brand’s content – be it by viewing, reacting, commenting, sharing – the more likely your content will appear higher in each individuals’ feed.
This means it is vital for brands to keep relevant to your audience. This doesn’t only require you to provide a needed service but also useful content such as tips and advice. Contact Lion Marketing on 011 453 4297 for a digital content strategy that will keep you relevant in the minds of your audiences.
