Meta release new ‘Let me explain’ video on algorithm

Sahail Ashraf posted on 10 October 2022

If you’re struggling to get your content to the top of feeds on Meta, the new ‘Let me explain’ video is worth a watch.

Meta has just added some information to the ‘Let me explain’ mix about how to increase your reach on the platform. The whole shebang is about how the algorithm works and how to get the most out of it. Even now, it seems, the algorithm is a mystical (but manageable) beast. 

The algorithm

Last year, Facebook provided a full guide as to how the algorithm made choices around content and what was suited to the top of feeds. This year Meta has created a ‘Let me explain’ video that covers the algorithm again. It is a short video and basically pulls together the following four elements of the algorithm. These elements are what inform your feed. 

The rundown goes like this:

• Inventory – This is the starting point, with all of the posts that you could potentially be shown each day in the initial sample set. These posts are based on the Pages and people you follow, and the content they’ve shared and engaged with, as well as the groups you’re a part of, and the ad content that you’re eligible to be served on any given day.
• Signals – The algorithm then uses various signals to determine each post’s relevance to you. This is based on your connection to the person/Page sharing the update, including how you’ve interacted with them in the past. The algorithm also considers whether this is a photo, video or link post, which also factors into what you see, based on your engagement history (i.e. if you watch more video, you’ll be shown more video updates). 

• Predictions – Based on these considerations, the algorithm then makes predictions about your likely engagement with each new post, in an effort to highlight the most personally relevant content based on these factors.
• Score – And finally, the algorithm then scores each post in your content pool in order to rank them, taking into account all of these factors. The higher the relevance score, the more likely that post will appear at the top of your Facebook feed.

For years, people were trying to work out how to master the algorithm and ensure their content was seen by their audiences. Facebook kept on top of this, making sure that brands and creators were busy developing high quality content. 

The above guidelines are helpful. The general guidance is that the more relevant and engaging your content, the more likely people will see it in their feeds.

So is the new video useful?

It is fundamentally useful in that it explains ranking in news feeds. It is important information, especially around the finer details in ‘predictions’. Marketers have precious little control over what their audiences see on Meta, but knowing that your audience likes video means that you can work with the algorithm, rather than against it.

Marketers absolutely must know how engagement is going for their Meta work. Tracking engagement is the only way to work with the algorithm. If you know how your audience images with your content, and what kind of content they like overall, you can give your work a better chance of getting to the top of the news feed.

Meta will score your content, and here is where the control of your content is given to them. All you can do is create it according to your understanding of your data, and then hope that Meta and the algorithm score it highly. 

The video also covers how users can choose Favorites (the top 30 people and pages they want to see the most) and have them pushed to the top of their feeds. Again, no new information here, but still a good reminder for brands that are wondering just how to boost their reach and engagement.

Moving forward

Essentially, this means that Meta has not tinkered with the algorithm. And the video is a great way to get inside the heads of your audience and work out why they see your content.

Brands need to now focus on data intensely. If you can measure engagement, you can identify how to get to the top end of feeds. If you’re just creating content that you hope will make an impact, you’re going to remain in the wilderness.

Are you on top of your engagement data? Try Locowise to find out exactly how your audience responds to your content on Meta. Then, you’ll know what to create, and you’ll see your content rise up through the feed.