“Instagram is broken”

“TikTok is not working for us”

Ever felt like you're trying to crack a code with social media algorithms?

It's like trying to win a game where the rules keep changing.

Today, I’m diving deep into the thick of it to address myths that I get from clients, business partners, and friends.

But first, here’s the deal (I always say this in client meetings): Everything we will address today is valid today, literally at the time of me writing this newsletter.

Things might (and will) change all the time.

You have been warned.

Now, let’s dive in…

Maybe at some point until mid-2023 this true-ish, but with better machine learning, it has become less relevant.

Reality: As corny as this sounds, quality still trumps quantity. Algorithms prioritize engaging, relevant content over the frequency of posts. Consistently delivering value will improve visibility and engagement.

While there’s a certain level of secrecy around algorithms, the algorithm isn’t immune to a rigorous content strategy. We can make it work for us.

Content strategy should be flexible and addressed every quarter.

Reality: Your social media strategy is a living organism, always open to change. If you have to get buy-in from leadership or stakeholders, you have to convince them that your strategy will be changing—a lot. Every involved should make peace with that.

Instagram and TikTok love vertical videos (and photos), Linkedin still rewards text updates (and carousels, I hear), and so on.

No two platforms are the same.

Reality: Each platform has its strategy and algorithm.

Also, audience behavior varies greatly across each one.

Two things here: 1) Tailoring content to each platform, and 2) something I always advise my clients to do: if a platform is pushing a new format, start adopting it ASAP.

When platforms push new formats, the algo will always reward early adopters with more reach.

This is often undermined, especially by bigger brands.

Reality: Direct engagement with followers, such as responding to comments and messages, can boost visibility by signaling high audience interaction levels.

Engaging on other accounts has also been noted to increase reach, especially for smaller accounts. It’s worth trying.

Comment on like-minded accounts before and after posting and see if it moves the needle for you.

Always assume that your content will not go viral.

And if you’re managing stakeholders’ expectations, they should understand that too.

Reality: Growth often comes from consistently providing value to your audience rather than chasing viral hits.

There’s no magic formula here. And while using trending audio was all the rage in 2023, its importance has died down since.

If I had a dollar every time a client asked me this question…

This is a big myth.

Reality: While paid content increases visibility, obviously, the algorithm always pushes organic content that shows high engagement and relevance to the audience.

In fact, most of the content that goes ‘viral,’ is often organic, because it is less contrived than paid ads.

Hmmm maybe. But only temporarily.

Major changes (like a platform favoring videos over photos), might negatively affect reach and engagement metrics if it lasts long enough and you don’t make the necessary changes to your content strategy.

Reality: Algorithm updates aim to improve user experience—platforms want to give users a positive in-app experience. Keep a pulse on changes and expect to pivot when big changes happen.

My time working at Meta taught me that millions of data points make up the ‘algo’ and these data points are in constant movement.

I also knew that no one person or team knows everything about the algorithm.

Everything is being tested at all times. The feature or tweak that gets the most positive user feedback, stays.

Reality: While algorithms involve complex technologies, the principles affecting content visibility are accessible.

We can use insights and analytics provided by platforms to refine strategies effectively.

Thank you for reading! If you found the newsletter valuable, please share!

The greatest compliment I got so far was finding out new subscribers have been passing around previous newsletters 😍