Understand And Master The Facebook Algorithm in 2019 (and Beyond)
by Frazer Brookes
Facebook’s algorithm. Some see it as a mysterious set of calculations. To others it looks more like a fickle six-headed monster. However, mastering Facebook’s ever-evolving algorithm can greatly help you to increase your visibility, likeability, credibility, and eventually also your profitability. Keep reading to find out how!
Understanding Facebook’s Algorithm
First of all, I’m fully aware of the fact that trying to understand the ever-changing algorithm of the largest social media platform in the world may sound like a daunting task. So I’ll try to make this easy and will start by shortening it down to the following acronym: ALGO.
The A of ALGO is Audience
Get a pen and paper and write down the following sentence: “Your algorithm is your audience.” (Or “Your audience is your algorithm.” Same thing.)

Why do I want you to have this in written? Because understanding this will make a big difference!

To get the most out of Facebook’s algorithm, you’ll need to gather data. This will allow you to be as efficient as can be.

Many big companies such as Tesco and Walmart are already aware of this and are making sure to take as much advantage of this as possible. Just think of their loyalty cards.

Many people believe that these cards were created for them. They think that the mere purpose is to keep them satisfied and to entice them to return more often. But little do they know how happy these big corporations are each time they swipe their loyalty card. After all, there’s no better way to keep your business going than by understanding the habits and needs of your clients. And that’s exactly what these loyalty cards do. In exchange for just a few points these companies receive valuable data on all of their customers. They’re able to know several things, including:
  • Which day and at what time someone usually goes shopping.
  • ​What this person usually buys.
  • Whether he or she pays cash or by card.
There’s no better way to keep your business going than by understanding the habits and needs of your clients.
All of this is useful information and allows these corporations to make sense of their customers’ patterns. This in turn allows them to be more efficient and thus more profitable.

So it goes without saying that you should be doing the same!
How? Post every day and make sure to mix it up. Post in the morning, the afternoon, and the evening. By posting a lot of different things at different moments, you’ll be able to gather valuable data.

And by keeping track of your engagement rate on each post, you’ll not only be able to figure out WHAT you should post but also WHEN you should hit that publish button.
The L of ALGO is Learn
Now, let’s move on to the second part: learning the different segments of Facebook’s algorithm. 

I want you to start by answering the following question:
Are you an active or a passive user? (And no, you can’t be both!)

The difference between the two lies not in how many hours are spent on the platform but in how those hours are being used.
A passive user could easily devote just as much time to a platform as the active one but the main difference is that nobody will ever know.
That’s because active users engages with others. They’re actively part of the community and make sure to engage with the posts that appear on their newsfeeds. Either by commenting, sharing or liking. Passive users, on the other hand, do none of this. They might be scrolling through their newsfeed and see something funny. Yet instead of giving it a like, they’ll simply laugh to themselves. 

As you can probably already guess, I can’t stress enough how important it is to be an active user. By engaging with the posts of others, you can let Facebook know what it is that you want to see. This way your newsfeed will be filled with relevant information.

Are you active but not entirely sure if you’re doing the right things? Then I’d like to give you some much-needed Facebook CPR*!

*No worries! I won’t be crawling through your screen to give you a pucker on the lips. It’s a simple but useful acronym:

1. Comment
As of today, I want you to actively comment on posts. Every single day. You can do this from anywhere but I highly recommend making use of the toilet technique. After all, we all go to the toilet on a daily basis, don’t we? Well, next time get out your phone and start writing! Simply spending a few minutes each day to curate thoughtful, funny or quirky comments goes a long way. 

2. Post
Post every day. Whether it’s in a group, on a page or on your own personal profile. Make sure to publish something on a daily basis!

3. Reply
If someone is nice enough to leave a comment on your post, make sure to reply. Even better if you ask them a question and create an actual conversation. After all, conversation creates community. Your number of comments will go up and anyone that comes across your post will be more enticed to join in on the discussion.
The G of ALGO is Grow
Growing your audience is a day by day task. You need to find, add, and message people. Never add someone unless you intend to actually message them. And always make sure to explain why you add someone.

Why? Well, social media is more akin to real life than you might think. So if you wouldn’t walk up to someone in real life, ask to to be their friend and then simply walk off, then why would you do this on Instagram or Facebook?
The O of ALGO is Outcome
Why are you posting?

    - Are you posting to impress your friends?
    - Are you posting to attract customers?
    - Are you posting to keep your family updated on your life?
    - Are you posting to attract team members?

You get the drill. There are lots of reasons as to why you could be posting on social media. Important however, is that you understand the reason(s) behind it. What is your desired outcome?
I x S x P = S
Hold on! Don’t close this tab just yet! You’re not about to be dragged into an involuntary algebra class. This is simply the master formula to grow your Facebook algorithm.
The I stands for Inventory
Social media platforms check what you do. They see what you post. What you like. And what you comment on. This way they’re able to define what your ideal audience would be. Your inventory represents all of the posts that are currently available. That’s why being consistent with your posts is so important. The more consistent you are, the more specific Facebook can be with your audience.
The more consistent you are with your posts,
the more specific Facebook can be with your audience.
To give you an example:
If you go to my Facebook page, you’ll quickly see that I mainly talk about the same thing all the time. My posts are all connected and are usually either about marketing or positivity. This means that when I post, I get massive amounts of engagement. That’s because people know what they’re getting from me, and they keep coming back for more.
The S stands for Signals
We all want engagement from others when we post something. Be it a like, a comment, or even a share. But did you know that the first 15 minutes after posting something are the most crucial to try and hack the algorithm? This is because of your early engagement score. The more signals you receive early on, the more important your post seems to Facebook or Instagram. This greatly improves your chances of ending up on more people’s newsfeeds.
The P stands for Prediction
Social media platforms are able to predict how much more engagement a specific post will get, based on how many signals the post receives during the first 15 minutes. They know that everything becomes less visible and less relevant as time goes by. Minute after minute.
The S stands for Score
Inventory, signals and prediction. All of these factors together will give your post a final score. Being consistent with your posts, receiving lots of signals, and aiming to stay relevant and visible for a longer period of time will all drastically increase your score. Furthermore, Facebook will know your audience and will reward you for being an active part of the community.
The Social Media Personality Types
There are four personality types on social media: collectors, creators, contributors, and collaborators. You can be one, two, or maybe even three of them. But you’ll never be all four.

I guess the name already reveals what each personality type does but just in case:
    
    - Collectors collect information.
A collector does not share, comment or like.
    - Creators create content.
A creator curates posts and he does so on a constant basis. Creating content creates conversation, and this allows other people to contribute as well.
    - Contributors contribute and add to the conversation.
While he does engage with others, a mere contributor usually ends up just becoming a fan of other people’s content instead of creating his or her own.
    - Collaborators work together with others.
A collaborator recognises others and is able to create a thriving atmosphere and community.

It goes without saying that you should always aim to be a true creator! That being said, being collaborating and contributing will also help you in many ways. Collecting however? Not so much!

And that, my friends, is how you’ll be able improve your Facebook algorithm in 2019 and beyond!
To sum it all up:
  • ​Understand your audience.
  • ​Keep track of what you’re doing.
  • ​Become an active user.
  • ​Focus on growing your inventory.
  • ​Find new people. Add them. And message them explaining why you’re trying to connect with them.
  • ​Grow your audience.
  • ​Figure out if you’re a collector, creator, contributor or collaborators. And focus on being a true creator!
If you would like to learn more about Facebook’s algorithm, I recommend getting a copy of my book “I dare you”. It’s the ultimate guide to social media to grow your business and will surely benefit you immensely.

Any questions? Write a comment below and I’ll make sure to respond as soon as possible!
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