Welcome to the battlefield of social media algorithms! In the fast-paced world of social media, where 80% of marketers are vying for the elusive engagement crown, we've got your back.

In this blog post, we analyze the different algorithms for all the major platforms in 2024 (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter (X), Pinterest, and YouTube), and we provide actionable tips on how to get the algorithm to work for you.

As we delve into the algorithmic mysteries, know that StoryChief is your shortcut to effective social media management. Try it free! 🙌

What are social media algorithms?

A social media algorithm is an automated calculation that decides which social media posts make it to the top of your feed and which don't. In that sense, the social media algorithm actually makes sure you only see posts that would interest you at the top of your page.

Overall, the top factors in most social media algorithms in 2024 are:

• The amount of engagement that piece of content has received (especially within a short time frame)
• How much you tend to engage with that creator's content in general?

1. Facebook Algorithm :-  

 With 2.5 billion active monthly users, Facebook is still the top social media platform in terms of users. However, this social media giant takes a lot of heat from businesses because of how difficult it is to get organic reach with a business page (versus a regular user profile).

Let's look at how business-related content can make it into users' organic social media feeds without utilizing a business page to post content.

Posts by users' friends in groups show up far more often in the newsfeed than ever before. You can build up friendships and a following to discuss business, right from your personal account. 

How the Facebook algorithm works

Here are some of the defining factors of this social media algorithm:

• Prioritizes content from friends and family members over businesses
• Heavily prioritizes content from people you engage with (people whose posts you comment and like on, or whom you message)
• Prioritizes number and length of comments
• Prioritizes number of reactions and variety of reactions
• It 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

Updates for 2023 & 2024

The most significant updates for 2023 & 2024:

The Facebook algorithm prioritizes 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: Facebook has implemented recommended tag listings for when you’re composing a post.

Tips for winning on Facebook in 2024

Here are some ways to get the Facebook algorithm on your side in 2024 (aside from running paid ads).

When applicable, use your profile as a business owner or start an employee advocacy program.

Set posts to 'public' to gain traction with followers.

Ask questions to inspire engagement.

Post content that encourages meaningful, lengthy comments (not just "nice shot").

Utilize Facebook video (doesn't have to be live!).

2. Instagram Algorithm  :- 

When it comes to engagement, Instagram is light-years ahead of Facebook. Brands' content on Instagram gets a 1.6% engagement rate. Let's take a look at how business owners utilize Instagram.

In these examples, a fitness coach asks her audience for shopping decision advice, and a marketing education site offers a mini-tutorial in a carousel post.

How this social media algorithm work?

The Instagram algorithm has the following characteristics:

• Prioritizes posts with the highest number of likes
• Favor very recent posts (created within minutes of a user logging on)
• Prioritizes posts from profiles that the user engages typically with
• Favorite posts from hashtags that the user follows
• Occasionally shows posts with great engagement from a profile and using hashtags that the user does not follow
• Is believed to treat brands' content and consumers' content equally
• You can ‘Favorite’ users and creators to make sure you never miss their updates

Updates for 2023 & 2024

While there's always a concern that Instagram will start to downgrade content from business profiles, there's still evidence of this being true. In 2024, even more users will see content from profiles that they don't follow (not in the Discover tab but in their main feed). To increase your chances of that happening, focus on getting engagement from your core followers.

Instagram has announced on what basis they decide whether they recommend your content or not. The most important points are:

• Posts with clickbait or engagement bait don’t get recommended
• Contests or giveaways don’t get recommended
• Repurposed content from another source without added value doesn’t get recommended

Also, Instagram has enrolled Reels, their very own version of TikTok. Some Instagram accounts have exploded since using this new feature, so it may be worthwhile to invest some time in this type of content.

Tips for winning on Instagram in 2024

How can you master one of the most challenging social media algorithms in 2024? Let's see:

• Experiment with Instagram reels to engage and captivate your audience.
• Engage with followers' content during the first hour after you post something.
• During the first three hours after you post something, immediately respond to every comment.
• Write meaningful captions.
• Ask questions in your captions to engage with your audience better.
• There's no one way to apply hashtags, so experiment with different hashtags and hashtag strategies.
• Utilize Instagram Stories to get more organic reach with your audience without affecting your feed's cohesive style.
• Stay consistent! This algorithm will downgrade you if you post randomly. You should post once a day, once every other day, or two times a week (whatever you can manage). Tip: Try batch-creating visually appealing content and utilizing a third-party content planning tool to maintain a consistent schedule of posting engaging content.