Understanding The Facebook Algorithm

25 March 2022 | | Social Media

With 2.91 billion monthly active users, it’s vital for practices to have a presence on Facebook. Social platforms can help you connect with your patients, increase awareness of your practice and boost leads.


Source: Data Reportal 

So how does the algorithm actually work?

The Facebook algorithm determines which posts people see every time they check their Facebook feed, and in what order those posts show up. Every post is evaluated, ranked, and then displayed on a scale of importance or interest for each specific user.


Source: Attention Experts

Four main ranking factors:

  1. A listing (“inventory”) of the posts available to show
  2. Signals from each post that tell Facebook what it is
  3. Predictions on how users will react to each post in the inventory
  4. A final score based on all of the ranking signals

Facebook’s ranking factors are based on data about user behavior.

There are three major categories that Facebook looks at:

  1. Who posted it: You’re more likely to see content from sources you interact with (friends and businesses).
  2. Type of content: If you most often interact with video, you’ll see more video. If you engage with photos, you’ll see more photos.
  3. Interactions with the post: Feed will prioritise posts with a lot of engagement, especially from people you interact with a lot.
Source: Hootsuite

What type of content should you be creating?

Before every post, ask yourself, “Does this provide my patients with some kind of value?”

  • Keep it short – Studies suggest that the attention span of the average person today is 8 seconds – down from 12 seconds 20 years ago. A shorter attention span means you need to create more bite-sized content.
  • Video content drives higher engagement and interactions from users compared to any other type of content on the platform.
  • Facebook live videos see the highest engagement and get bumped to the top.
  • Micro-influencers should be considered if possible. People prefer to respond to those that they can relate to.
  • Test out memes, gifs, quick quizzes, fun infographics and include call to actions.

As for when to post on Facebook – Post frequently and at the right time. The Facebook algorithm prioritises posts that receive engagement, which is why timing your posts is so important.


Source: SproutSocial

If you’re looking to grow your social media presence in 2022, we can help! Get in touch with our social media team today.

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