In today’s digital age, social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook are a part of our daily lives. Whether it’s connecting with friends, sharing updates, or discovering new content, these platforms shape much of how we interact online. However, behind the scenes, both Instagram and Facebook use complex algorithms to determine what content appears on your feed. These algorithms decide what you see and when you see it, tailoring your experience based on numerous factors. Let’s dive into how these algorithms work on Instagram and Facebook, and how they influence your social media experience.

1. What Are Algorithms?

At their core, algorithms are sets of instructions or rules that a system follows to solve a problem or make a decision. On social media platforms, algorithms are used to analyse vast amounts of data in order to show you the most relevant content based on your behaviour. This includes your likes, comments, shares, the accounts you follow, and more. Both Instagram and Facebook use algorithms to sift through this data and determine which posts, ads, and stories are most likely to engage you.

2. How Instagram’s Algorithm Works

Instagram’s algorithm has evolved over the years, but its primary goal remains the same: to keep users engaged by showing them the content they find most interesting. Instagram’s algorithm takes into account various factors to personalise your feed:

• Engagement History: Instagram looks at your past interactions, such as likes, comments, saves, and shares, to determine what type of content you enjoy the most. If you engage frequently with a particular type of post or account, you are more likely to see similar content in the future.
• Recency: While Instagram no longer shows posts in chronological order, the platform still values fresh content. More recent posts are given priority over older ones, ensuring that your feed stays up-to-date with the latest activity.
• Relationships: The algorithm gives priority to content from accounts with whom you have a close relationship. If you regularly interact with someone, Instagram will show you their posts more often, even if they’re not the most popular posts overall.
• Time Spent on Instagram: The more time you spend on Instagram, the more the algorithm learns about your preferences. If you tend to spend a lot of time watching videos or browsing Stories, the algorithm will start prioritising that type of content for you.
• Profile Searches: If you frequently search for a particular profile or hashtag, Instagram may recommend similar profiles or hashtags to you, pushing relevant content to the forefront of your feed.
• Content Type: Instagram’s algorithm also takes into account the type of content you interact with, whether it’s photos, videos, carousels, or IGTV. If you engage with more videos, Instagram will show you more video content in your feed.

3. How Facebook’s Algorithm Works

Facebook’s algorithm works similarly to Instagram’s, but it’s slightly more complex due to the platform’s diverse content types and user interactions. Facebook’s goal is also to keep users engaged, ensuring that the content they see is relevant and enjoyable. Here are the main factors that influence Facebook’s algorithm:

• Engagement with Friends and Family: Facebook places a strong emphasis on interactions with friends and family members. The more you engage with someone’s posts (likes, comments, shares), the more likely you are to see their content in the future. Posts from your closest friends and family often appear higher in your feed compared to posts from brands or acquaintances.
• Content-Type Preferences: Just like Instagram, Facebook takes note of the types of content you interact with. If you watch videos, share links, or engage with photos more often, the algorithm will show you more of that type of content.
• Post Popularity: Facebook’s algorithm also considers the popularity of a post. Posts with more likes, comments, shares, and reactions are likely to be shown to a larger audience, as the algorithm assumes that these posts are more engaging and relevant.
• Time Spent on Facebook: The longer you stay on Facebook, the more the platform can track your behaviour. It will tailor your feed to show content you’re most likely to engage with, based on your browsing and interaction history. For example, if you frequently watch live videos, Facebook will prioritise live content for you.
• Content from Pages and Groups: Facebook values content from Pages and Groups you’ve joined or followed. If you’re active in certain groups, Facebook will show you more posts from those communities. Similarly, content from Pages that you’ve liked will also appear more frequently if you engage with their posts.
• Relevance Score: Facebook assigns a relevance score to each post in your feed, which is determined by how likely you are to interact with that post. The more relevant a post is to you, the higher the likelihood it will appear in your feed.

4. Facebook and Instagram Ads

Both platforms use similar algorithms to display paid content, such as ads. The algorithms track your interests and behaviours, then match ads to your profile based on this data. For example, if you’ve recently searched for travel destinations or interacted with travel-related content, you might start seeing ads for airlines, hotels, or travel agencies.

Both Instagram and Facebook allow advertisers to target specific audiences based on factors like age, location, interests, and past behaviour. This level of personalisation ensures that the ads you see are relevant to you, increasing the chances of engagement and conversion for advertisers.

5. Changes to the Algorithms: Why It Matters

Both Instagram and Facebook’s algorithms are constantly evolving. The platforms make adjustments in response to user feedback, content trends, and business goals. For instance, Instagram’s algorithm has shifted over the years to prioritise user engagement and organic content, moving away from purely chronological order. Facebook has also made changes to its algorithm to prioritise posts from friends and family over business or promotional content.

For users and businesses alike, it’s important to stay updated on algorithm changes, as they can affect what content appears in feeds. While these algorithms help users discover relevant content, they can also limit the reach of posts that don’t meet certain criteria, such as engagement or relevancy.

6. How to Optimise Your Content for the Algorithms

If you’re a content creator, influencer, or business looking to maximise your reach, understanding the algorithms is key. Here are a few strategies to optimise your content:

• Post Consistently: Regularly posting high-quality content will encourage the algorithm to show your posts to more people.
• Encourage Engagement: Ask questions, run polls, or post content that prompts users to like, comment, or share. The more engagement your posts receive, the more likely they are to appear in others’ feeds.
• Use Hashtags and Geotags: On Instagram, using relevant hashtags and geotags can increase the discoverability of your posts. Similarly, on Facebook, tagging locations and relevant topics can boost your post’s visibility.
• Create Engaging Stories: Stories are becoming increasingly popular on both platforms. Posting consistently to your Stories increases your chances of staying at the top of your followers’ feeds.
• Leverage Video Content: Both Instagram and Facebook prioritise video content, especially live videos, which tend to get more engagement.

Conclusion

Instagram and Facebook algorithms are designed to provide users with a tailored, engaging experience by prioritising content based on relevance, relationships, and past behaviour. By understanding how these algorithms work, both users and businesses can optimise their presence on these platforms. Whether you’re aiming to stay updated on friends and family or increase your reach as a content creator, adapting to these algorithms can help you make the most of your social media experience.