Whether we are simple Facebook users or we use this social network to promote our own business or a personal hobby page, we have all wondered why our post does not appear to all friends or those who liked that page.
The secret lies in understanding the algorithm Facebook uses to choose the best and most relevant posts to show on each person's wall, in the News Feed. Since there are many factors that influence the selection of posts, we decided to make a short list of the most important ones to understand what we should and should not do on Facebook.
Positive factors considered by the Facebook algorithm:
• Posts with a large number of comments;
• Posts with a large number of likes (appreciations);
• Posts that have a form preferred by the majority of users (images or videos);
• Posts that attract a large number of likes and comments in a short time after being displayed;
• Posts referring to a topic intensely debated at that moment (what is trending);
• Videos watched on Facebook by a large number of people and, possibly, watched until the end or for a long time;
• Posts that include tagging other pages;
• Posts from pages with generally rich activity, frequently viewed, that publish often and interact daily with the audience;
• The degree of profile completion of the respective page also matters;
• Posts that include images, videos, or links that have not been published before.
Although it may seem obvious, we also made a list of what the Facebook algorithm does not appreciate and can affect the number of views:
• Publishing content that has been published many times before;
• Posts that contain only text, without other elements;
• Posts that contain the words “like, comment or share”;
• Posts that contain spam links;
• Posts that receive negative reactions, such as blocking or reporting as inappropriate;
• Posts made to attract clicks. For example, those that initially catch attention, but very few of those who view them like or comment.
In other words, for your posts to reach the News Feed of as many of your friends or fans as possible, it is important to have quality activity on the page, to follow a few simple rules, and not to try to deceive visitors. Emphasis should be placed on interaction with the audience, the quality of posts, and people's reactions.
An important factor that increases visibility is how often users have chosen to hide or even report content for various reasons. This is a strong signal and significantly affects credibility and display rate.
Facebook has started to pay more and more attention to its users' posts and especially those made for advertising purposes. Considering that over 90% of its revenue comes from advertising, it is normal for this company to try to limit any form of advertising, disguised or not, but in any case free. A few days ago, a new algorithm change was announced to increase the degree of control. Thus, starting from January 2015, Facebook will begin to monitor and reduce the display of overlapping promotional posts from pages. According to the company, these may include:
• Posts that only tell people to buy a certain product or install an app;
• Posts that literally repeat the text of an advertisement;
• Posts that attract people to enter promotions and raffles without these being related to a real context.
Facebook's policy in this area, selecting the most relevant content for its users, is constantly changing and becoming more restrictive. For those who were used to a large number of views, the most difficult part is just beginning. The same cat pictures and the same viral videos will no longer be accepted. We will have to pay even more attention to the things we post.
