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§ Social Media
Algorithm
A mathematical formula that determines what content appears in users' feeds and in what order.
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Quick definition
A mathematical formula that determines what content appears in users' feeds and in what order.
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In-depth definition
Social media algorithms rank and filter content based on hundreds of signals — recency, engagement velocity, watch time, relationships, and session behavior. Every platform tunes its algorithm to maximize time spent and advertiser value, which is why the same post can explode on one network and flop on another. Marketers who understand these ranking signals can shape content that aligns with how the system rewards reach.
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Examples
- — 01Instagram's Explore page surfaces content based on past interactions.
- — 02TikTok's For You feed uses watch time, loops, and shares as core signals.
- — 03YouTube prioritizes session length and click-through rate on thumbnails.
- — 04Twitter/X weights reply-depth and how long readers dwell on a post.
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Pro tips
- ☞ 01Post when your audience is actually online — the first hour of engagement is weighted heavily.
- ☞ 02Reply to comments quickly to extend the algorithmic push window.
- ☞ 03Avoid outbound links in captions; most platforms downrank posts that send users off-site.
- ☞ 04Hook viewers in the first three seconds of any video to survive the drop-off cut.
§ End Note
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