You probably know by now that social media is constantly changing. This includes the algorithms that determine what content you see and when you see it. In today’s Tech News Tuesday episode, we’re talking about some of the algorithm changes in Facebook and Instagram and how it might affect what you post.
AI Algorithms are Serving Up the Content You Want
Have you noticed when you scroll your own feed that more and more of the content is not from your friends, groups or pages you follow? About 25 to 30% of your Instagram and Facebook feeds are now generated by AI algorithms.
TikTok is the poster child for this algorithm-driven approach. The videos that go viral there might be completely unseen by others because everyone’s feed is tailored specifically to their preferences. Meta has been gradually adopting this approach. Mark Zuckerberg recently revealed that the time spent on Instagram has shot up by over 24% since they introduced Reels and AI-powered content recommendations.
Your feed used to be all about your friends posted. What you see in your feed is now a mixture of content from people, pages and groups you follow or what we call your connected content; ads which are sponsored content, and the algorithm which is recommended content. It’s tailored based on what you’ve engaged with before.
The goal of this algorithm approach is to keep you hooked and spending more time on the platform. Because the more time you spend, the more opportunity to show you ads. It’s all about maximizing screen time to show you more targeted ads.
What Does This Mean for Organic Social?
Since recommended content has become a significant chunk of the feed, it’s getting tougher for businesses to organically reach your followers. You’ve got to rethink your strategy.
Consider advertising on social media which can give you a good return on investment, as well as using your social media platforms to engage with your audience with the goal of getting them on your email list – which you own and control. 2024 is going to be all about doubling down on list building as the rented land of social media gets more expensive in terms of your time and money.
Do you prefer to listen in? Here’s our podcast audio here:
