Facebook Algorithm

2 min read

We don’t know definitively how Facebook chooses what content to show you, but what we do know is that Facebook wants to encourage scrolling. That way, they have more opportunity to show you ads, which is where they make their money. So, Facebook has various ranking factors that calculate what appears on your newsfeed and the order in which they appear – according to which they think you are most likely to engage with and will keep you on the platform.

How Does the Facebook Algorithm Work?

So we’ve established that Facebook determines which posts to display in your newsfeeds according to what they think you will engage with most. But how do they know which posts you’re likely to engage with? They take into account the type of posts you have a history of engaging with, and will push similar posts your way. These are taken from multiple different types of media, such as images, text and video, so that your newsfeed is as engaging and “scrollable” as possible.

The Facebook algorithm prioritizes content from friends and family over businesses. Organic content posted from business accounts on Facebook often struggles because Facebook pushes content based on user relationships – meaning friends and family posts come first.
The Facebook algorithm prioritizes content from people you engage with. This goes hand in hand with pushing content from friends and family, since it makes sense that people engage a lot with people they know personally.
The Facebook algorithm prioritizes the type of content you engage with. Do you usually engage with photos or videos more? Facebook will learn the answer and calculate your newsfeed accordingly.
The Facebook algorithm prioritizes the number and length of comments over likes.
The Facebook algorithm prioritizes popular posts. Reactions are higher priority than likes, and shares are higher priority than comments, etc.
The Facebook algorithm prioritizes group and event posts because they’re “the two biggest reasons people visit Facebook everyday”.
The Facebook algorithm prioritizes recency. The newer it is, the higher it will appear in your feed.