Facebook is the biggest social media platform, with over 3 billion users, making it an excellent choice for individuals and brands to build a presence. While individuals use it to connect with family and friends and get entertained, brands use Facebook to market their products and connect with their target audience.

However, with Facebook's organic reach decreasing yearly, you must understand how its algorithm works. The social media platform regularly changes its algorithm, so you must keep updating yourself with the latest changes. In this article, we will help you understand the latest Facebook algorithm update and guide you on leveraging it to take your account to the next level.

What is the Facebook Algorithm?

The Facebook algorithm is a set of rules that determines how content is ranked across the different sections of the platform. The algorithm determines the content people see when they log into Facebook and the order in which the content appears, which is what the social media giants call personalized ranking.

When you post a timeline post, story, reel, or ad on Facebook, the algorithm will evaluate it and give it a score. It will then determine the users interested in that kind of content. This continues each time the user refreshes their feed. The goal is to ensure that users are shown what they might be interested in.

Key Changes in Instagram Algorithm in 2024

As noted earlier, the Facebook algorithm is constantly changing, and what worked in 2023  will not necessarily work in 2024. One of the major changes has been the integration of AI into the Facebook algorithm. Due to its advanced capabilities, AI has helped to personalize the user’s content by simply analyzing their preferences and behaviors on the platform. Some of the key changes you should expect in the algorithm are:

Focusing on User Interaction

According to Facebook, the platform now prioritizes posts that drive conversations and encourage meaningful user interactions. If the post doesn't receive a lot of engagement, its reach will decrease.

Relevance Score Calculation

Each post on Facebook is given a relevance score that is used to rank it on the algorithm. The score will depend on different factors such as the content type, a user interacting with similar posts, and the period a user spends viewing other similar posts.

Engagement Likelihood

Another factor that the algorithm considers is the likelihood of a user engaging with the page and checking out the post comments. To determine these factors, the algorithm considers different factors, such as the user’s past interaction with the page, the amount of time spent on such posts, and their page activity.

Content Types

The Facebook algorithm shows users the different types of content, such as photos, texts, videos, and links. The goal is to ensure that users don't see multiple similar posts.

Post Popularity

The algorithm also considers how popular a post is by looking at different reactions, such as the number of likes, comments, shares, and the author’s category. It will look at the number of reactions a post has received for a certain number of views and the number of pages hidden by users.

User Control and Transparency

In recent years, Facebook has improved user control and transparency by adding features such as Show More or Show Less. These features allow users to customize their feeds and use chronological order if necessary. The platform also allows users to add a Favorites list to see content from their Favorite Accounts.

How the Facebook Algorithm Works

Facebook aims to provide users with posts that match their values and interests. This also involves posts from Facebook groups, pages, and new sources. The Facebook algorithm will show users two different types of content. These are:

• Connected content. These are the posts you get from the Liked and Facebook pages.
• Recommended content refers to posts a user will likely be interested in depending on the people and pages they follow.

As of 2024, the Facebook algorithm determines the posts to show to members using four different ranking factors. These are:

• The poster. Facebook will show you content from sources you interact with, such as family and friends.
• Content type. When the algorithm notices a user interacting with certain types of videos, it will show more of them. If they engage more with reels, they will be shown more of such. The same applies to images.
• Possibility of engaging with a post. The algorithm will show you more of a post when it believes you will likely interact with it.
• Other people’s interest in a post. When the Facebook algorithm determines that users are likely to engage with a certain post, that post will be ranked highly.

Understanding the Facebook Newsfeed Algorithm

The Facebook newsfeed usually shows relevant content from people, groups, and brands you are connected to. According to Facebook, four factors determine the order in which the content is displayed. These are:

• Inventory. It refers to posts from people, groups, and pages you are connected with, and relevant ads. It recommends content based on your Facebook activity.
• Signals. While Facebook uses thousands of signals to rank content, the most important ones are who posted the content, the kind of content, and its posting time. For instance, users who interact more with videos on Facebook are shown more of such videos.
• Relevance. Facebook assigns a relevance score to each piece of content. The higher the post score, the higher it appears on your feed.
• Predictions. Facebook will make personalized predictions on the type of content a user is likely to value most. That is why Facebook gives badges for Top Fans to users who interact more with a specific page. In such instances, users are shown more content from the page.

User Input to the Algorithm

As noted earlier, Facebook allows users to personalize their feeds for a better experience. They can do that by:

Adding to Favorites

Facebook allows users to add up to 30 people or pages to their favorites. If you want to see more content from a page, you can add it to favorites. Here are the steps for adding to favorites:

• Tap on your profile picture, followed by Settings & Privacy.
• Tap Feed>Favorites.
• This setting offers other options, such as unfollowing, snoozing, and reconnecting with Facebook users.
• Facebook also offers you the option to view content only from Favorites.

Customizing Facebook In-feed Posts

When you click on a post, you will see different options, from hiding the post, snoozing the user, and adding or removing it from favorites. Doing that will allow the algorithm to filter the kind of content you want to see. As for ads, you will need to select “hide ads” to enable Facebook to understand the ads you don't want to see.

Facebook removes content that violates community standards. If people object to content, its distribution is reduced. This could include any form of misinformation, click baits, or sensationalized medical claims. You also need to avoid certain words when leveraging the Facebook algorithm. These include:

• Violent or threatening language.
• Harassing language considered to be sexist, racist, ableist, homophobic, and more.
• Stereotypic words.
• Slurs.
• Other words against the community standards.

Understanding the Facebook Reels Algorithm

The Facebook Reels algorithm isn't different from the newsfeed, mainly because it uses the same factors: inventory, signals, relevance, and predictions. However, since reels are short-form videos, these factors can further be broken down into:

• Interest. The algorithm considers the topic a user engages with on top of the hashtags and accounts they follow. If the algorithm thinks a reel to be of interest to you, it will rank higher in your feed.
• Watchtime. The algorithm will consider the video completion rate of a reel. If it feels you are likely to watch a higher percentage, it will show you more of such videos.
• Intent. When people come across a reel, how are they interacting with it? Are they tapping on "view it full screen" or visiting the profile? These actions signify the user's higher intent and, therefore, the reel will be ranked highly.
• Time spent. The period people spend watching reels appearing on their newsfeed is also a factor the algorithm considers. If they spend considerable time, the algorithm will interpret that as a sign of better quality content and rank it highly.
• Engagement. The amount of time others view a reel and those who click on it is a consideration.

If you want to improve the discoverability of your reels, you should enhance the engagement metrics above. On top of that, you can use the following best practices:

• Make the reel engaging and entertaining.
• Create high-quality reels using good cameras and lighting.
• Leverage trends.
• Use a vertical video format.
• Enhance it using built-in Facebook tools such as texts, filters, and effects.
• Use trending audio.

On top of the above, you need to avoid creating:

• Low-resolution or blurry videos.
• Videos watermarked with other app logos, such as the TikTok logo.
• Horizontal videos.
• Videos with a border.

Tips to Make the Facebook Algorithm Work For You

After understanding the details of the Facebook algorithm, the next step is to ensure that this is working for you. According to Facebook, for content to be ranked highly, it should be:

• Revelant. Facebook content is considered relevant depending on the people you are engaging with the most, your preferred content, and the number of interactions you get from other users.
• Meaningful. The content should be something the users enjoy reading, watching, or sharing with their family and friends. The algorithm considers engagement when it comes to this.
• Informative. The users should find the content new, informative, and engaging.

The first step in creating the above kind of content is understanding your target audience. By doing audience research, you can understand their unique behaviors and interests.

Focus on Authentic and Accurate Content

According to Facebook, users prefer content that is accurate and authentic. That also means that for content to rank highly on the platform, users should consider it genuine. On the other hand, any content considered to be spammy and misleading is inhibited in its reach. To show the algorithm that you are creating authentic and accurate content, you should:

• Use clear headlines. This should clearly explain to the user what they can expect from the post. While getting creative is good, you should avoid using clickbait or misleading titles.
• Be truthful. Avoid using lies, exaggerations, and sensationalism.

On the other hand, you should avoid posting content that:

• Acts against community safety, such as regulated products, violence, or self-harm.
• Content that offers low-quality financial or health claims like get-rich schemes or miracle cures.
• Unoriginal/unattributed news content.
• False information and claims.
• Content using racist, homophobic, or violent language.

Don’t Manipulate the Algorithm

A common mistake creators make in their Facebook marketing strategy is trying to manipulate the algorithm. They use click baits, engagement baits, and fake landing pages. These strategies only work to reduce the reach of their content. As noted earlier, Facebook gives users more control in adjusting their newsfeed. They can use these preferences to block or hide your content if they find it irrelevant. That means even if the algorithm doesn’t find out you are spamming, your audience will.

Evoke Emotional Response

On top of creating high-quality content, you should ensure that your content evokes an emotional response. It should activate a strong reaction such as joy, empathy, or anger to trigger more interaction and, ultimately, higher visibility on the instagram feed. You can do that by using creative storytelling and compelling visuals that will deeply resonate with your audience. Sparking an emotional response will enable you to connect with your audience and improve the reach of your content.

Use Relevant Keywords

Adding keywords to your content can trigger the algorithm to organize your content according to the related topics and terms. That means when users search for content using the keyword, they will be shown your content. While this is an SEO research strategy, it can help you align your content with the target audience and drive traffic to your site. This will not only increase the quality of the content but also improve brand credibility.

Create Meaningful Interactions

One of the factors that the Facebook algorithm considers when recommending content is the engagement rate. Therefore, if you are a digital creator on Facebook, you need to reply to your followers who comment on your post. By doing that, you will also make them feel heard, and they will likely continue interacting with you. This will send an engagement signal to the algorithm, causing it to recommend your content more. On the other hand, if you ignore the people commenting on your posts, they are likely to go silent.

Increase Content Shares

As noted earlier, the algorithm prefers content that people are happy to share. According to Facebook, if a post results in conversation among friends, the algorithm will bump it up on the feed and recommend it to other users. There are several tips you can use to increase post engagement. These include:

• Create useful content. Avoid making too many sales pitches for your Facebook audience. Instead, focus on informing, teaching, or entertaining them.
• Create short posts. Keep your posts short and sweet to capture your audience’s attention quickly.
• Create quality content. Poor-quality content consisting of low-quality graphics, videos, and texts is a turnoff for your audience, and the algorithm will take note, too.
• Use a human and relatable voice. Use relatable experiences to show your authentic side.

Understand the Best Posting Time

Since the engagement rate is a key signal the algorithm considers, you can increase your engagement by posting when your audience is online. This increases the chances of people seeing the post and engaging with it. While these will depend on your individual needs, there are suggestions that the best posting time is:

• 7 to 9 a.m.
• 1 to 3 p.m.
• 7 to 9 p.m.

You will also need to understand that the best days of the week to post are Wednesday and Thursday. However, you should look at your Facebook insights to understand when your audience is online since it also depends on factors such as time differences.

Leverage Trends

Trending content can help boost your visibility on Facebook. As noted earlier, the Facebook algorithm often recommends popular content because of its ability to generate interactions. By leveraging the latest trends, you can ensure that your content remains relevant to the majority of users on Facebook.

When you research the current Facebook trends, you will better understand your target audience. You can then tailor your content to attract new followers.

Create More Status Posts

Studies indicate that status posts have the highest engagement at 0.11%. This is only second to photo posts, with an engagement of 0.12%. On the other hand, the engagement rate for videos and posts with links is 0.08% and 0.04%. While creating different kinds of Facebook posts is good, you should use Status posts to increase engagement.

Leverage Brand Advocates

You already have people related to your brand who can help boost it. You can use affiliate marketing on Facebook to get more advocates. By working with affiliate marketers, you can expand your brand's reach and Facebook engagement. These include employees and your most loyal customers. Since they already have followers, they can increase your brand's reach by sharing its content. You can pre-approve their content to ensure that what they share aligns with your brand image.

Similarly, you can use affiliate marketing on Facebook to get even more advocates. By working with affiliate marketers, you can expand the reach of your brand and increase its credibility. However, you must provide them with the proper training and resources to promote your brand on Facebook and expand your reach.

Influencer Collaboration

By working with influencers on Facebook with a large and engaged audience, you can signal to the algorithm that you are creating relevant and authoritative content. However, ensuring that you are only collaborating with influencers who align with your brand is advisable. They should also have a dedicated following. That way, their posts on your brand will resonate with their audience and look authentic, sending a good signal to the algorithm.

Keep Monitoring and Improving

No matter how hard you try to understand the Facebook algorithm, things will sometimes work against you, especially with the ever-changing algorithm. Fortunately, you can overcome this challenge by monitoring Facebook analytics to see what is working and what isn't.

Some of the data you should watch are your posts, Stories and reel performance, the growth rate of your page, audience demographic, and competitor analysis. You should also collect data on your best-performing posts regarding clicks, impressions, reach, comments, engagement, shares, and reactions.

This data will give you a better view of what is working and what needs improvement. Then, you can use the information to identify patterns and engagement trends for your page and change and optimize your Facebook content strategy to ensure it aligns with your audience's needs.

Conclusion

Understanding the Facebook algorithm can mean the difference between your posts receiving visibility on the platform and the lack thereof. This is because you can organize your content to align with the algorithm. By following our guide above, it's possible to create content that will be recommended to users on Facebook and increase your conversion.