Shall we talk about the social media algorithm {aka: what’s controlling your Facebook and Instagram newsfeed} – and why nobody is seeing your posts anymore?!?!  I mean, you’re a darn good photographer and your photos are glorious!  Shouldn’t everyone be seeing your posts?  Well…. maybe, maybe not.  I know that “algorithm” is a trigger word for most creative entrepreneurs, but you simply cannot ignore the fact that the social media algorithm is fine-tuned system that controls everything you see on social media!  You must learn to play nice with the social media algorithm in order to shine online.  Now, before we get into the good stuff, I wanna debunk one super common myth.

You do not have to “pay to play”
on Facebook & Instagram!

Period end of story.  Does paid marketing work?  Sure – I use it all the time!  But is it the only way to be seen?!  HECK NO.  And anyone who tells you otherwise doesn’t know what they’re talking about!

Case in point?  Check out this post on my page… I didn’t put a single penny into marketing.  What did I do?  Create shareable content that got people talking and sharing with their friends.  As a result, 23k people saw my post… even though, at the time, I had less than 5k followers and only around 25 people commented. That’s the social media algorithm at work!

Believe me when I say, this matters and you can figure it out.  Ready to get started?  Let’s break it down so your pics stay in the Facebook and Instagram newsfeed {so you can stop freaking out and get back to what you’re good at}!

The Social Media Algorithm determine who sees your posts in the social media newsfeeds.

If you’re playing along with the social media algorithm, you will be seen in the Instagram newsfeed. If you’re not

playing along with their games… well, your posts just won’t get seen.  It’s as simple as that.  You must understand what’s current and what changes are happening on social media – otherwise, you will get left behind!

Like it or not, Algorithms are like high school math!  #Ugh

And, the trickiest part?  The social media algorithm is ALWAYS changing… as soon as you figure it out, it changes.  Doesn’t that sound fun to all my right-brained sparklies out there?? In simple terms: algorithms contain a lot of variables. Some of these are given more weight than others and you have to show your work to figure them out.

I’m sure you don’t care to understand the social media algorithm {much like algebra}, but you still have to know how to work with them. Know the factors that play into algorithms so you can hang with the best in the Instagram newsfeed.

Want to learn a little more? Check out the full lesson on YouTube!

You must understand the 4 major factors influencing the social media algorithm:

There are a few things that do seem to be consistent with the social media algorithm, and it’s important that you always keep these four things in mind:

1. What You Post Matters

Believe it or not, the type of content you share impacts how you rank. Right now, live videos are towards the tippy top of the food chain. Shared articles aren’t getting much traffic.  And anything that starts a conversation is a BIG win, per Facebook’s “new” Mission Statement which focuses on relationships!  Tagging has an impact as well – and a much bigger one than you’re probably thinking!

This Mission Statement gives us MAJOR clues as to what Facebook wants to see!

The words you use {or don’t use} play into how you’re seen on the Facebook and Instagram newsfeeds as well. Using terms like ‘Facebook,’ ‘Snapchat,’ ‘Instagram’ have a big impact {good or bad?  Depends.}. But, having strong sales or promotional wording is poo-poo’ed – so you’ll need to re-word those in a creative way {not the standard ‘follow me’ or ‘link in bio’ for xyz}.

2.  When Your Post Goes Live & How Quickly Engagement Happens!

In a world where people are used to immediate gratification, the social media algorithm is no different.  When you post a photo, Facebook and Instagram show it to a small sampling of your followers for about ten minutes.  If those people engage – your post is viewed as a valuable asset to the online ecosystem and is showed to more people!  If nobody gives it a second glance, it’s almost immediately removed from the newsfeed.

Timing matters!  Study your insights, understand your audience’s behavior and post when they’re most likely to be online.  If you post when nobody is online or when your clients are busy with other tasks, your content will, most likely, flat line.

3.  Who Engages with Your Social Content

This is why tagging people in your photos {and getting them to tag themselves} is so darn important!  If you have people tagging and engaging, Facebook and Instagram are going to love you!  And if those people are super active online and have a large following, your post is going to perform even better!  This is why curating an audience of quality social media followers matters!

4.  What Type of Engagement You Recieve!

• These are the stats from the post I shared, above. To find your numbers, navigate to your page then click on insights {top of screen}. Choose posts from the left side of screen, then find the post you want to study. It’s super informative! •

While we all get excited about the vanity metrics {comments, reactions and shares}, the “invisible engagement” is just as valuable!  People clicking on your image, clicking links, screenshotting {don’t be naive – they DO track this}, tagging their friends, pausing instead of scrolling on by…. all of those things matter!  If you check out your Facebook Page Insights, you can see a lot of this data!  It’s super informative!

My Best Advice?  Think of the Social Media Algorithm as Big Brother.

It’s safe to assume that the social networks are watching everything you do {because they totally are}. Plan each post. Make it intentional and follow those algorithms if you want to keep being a shining star in the Instagram newsfeed.  There are little things you can do to “evade” the algorithm, but usually, these little hacks don’t last long.

The Social Media Algorithm is ever-changing!

But the good news?!  You don’t have to navigate through the tricky waters alone!

I teach online workshops for both professional and amateur photographers!  I’d love to help you learn more about social media and ensure your business survives {and thrives} in this crazy online world!  If you’re sick of feeling like social media is constantly kicking your butt, it’s time for a change.

Grab my 9-page strategy guide and I’ll give you 30 social media posts for your photography business!  Let’s start creating quality content that beats the social media algorithm and gets you seen by your ideal client!  Ready to #glitterdone?!  I’ll see you in class!