We often hear people talking about algorithms, but many cannot keep up with the algorithms always changing and many people do not understand what they are and how you can overcome some of the hurdles faced on Facebook!!!
Are you worried that your content will suffer an even lower reach and engagement than it did in 2021 and 2022 and spilling over to 2023?
You’re not alone.
Paid social media traffic is critical for many businesses and brands, but organic traffic is the white whale: it’s free, gains loyalty and builds a community. Since you spend so much time on your content, you want as much free reach as you can get.
In order to get a higher organic reach, we have some information for you below.
Social media algorithms are automated calculations that decide which posts make it to the top of your feed and which don’t. They ensure you only see posts that would interest you at the top of your social media feed. The more people who interact with your post on Facebook, the more Facebook will prioritise showing this in other people’s feeds, therefore getting a conversation started is key to growing organically on the platform.
The top factors in most social media algorithms in 2023 are:
The amount of engagement that a piece of content has received (especially within a short time frame)
How much you tend to engage with that creator’s content in general
Let’s look at how the Facebook algorithm works
Have you noticed that posts by friends or friends of their friends in groups, show up far more often in your newsfeed than ever before. This is because of said algorithm. This is a great way you can build up friendships and build a following to discuss your business, from your personal account!
Here are some of the defining factors of this social media algorithm:
- Prioritises content from friends and family members over businesses
- Heavily prioritises content from people you engage with (people whose posts you comment and like on, or whom you message)
- Prioritises number and length of comments
- Prioritises number of reactions and variety of reactions
- Shows both recent content from your top friends and highly engaged content from friends that you personally engage with less often
- Content types you engage with most frequently will be shown most often. If you engage with video more, you will see more video in your Feed
The most significant updates for 2022 & 2023:
- The Facebook algorithm prioritises posts in Groups and Events. Their redesign puts more emphasis on these, as they are “the two biggest reasons people visit Facebook every day.”
- Hashtags: You may have noticed that Facebook has now implemented recommended tag listings for when you’re composing a post.
Tips for better reach on Facebook in 2023
Here are a few ways to get the Facebook algorithm on your side in 2023 (aside from running paid ads).
- When possible, use your profile as a business owner or start sharing your content onto your personal profile. This helps because your friends on facebook will have a higher chance of seeing your posts and start interacting if the post is offering value to them or someone they know.
- Always have posts set to ‘public’ to gain traction with followers.
- Ask questions to inspire engagement and get a conversation going
- Post content that encourages meaningful, lengthy comments (not just “Captions with only 2 words”).
- Utilise Facebook video (doesn’t have to be live!) and try to keep video a key part of your strategy
Stay tuned for our next blog where we will be looking at how the Instagram Algorithm works and what to look out for in 2023……
