01. October 2024 Social Media Algorithms and Engagement 2024 – How to Create Viral Posts
Everyone wants to create viral posts, but few are successful. The good news is: with a little background knowledge and the right strategy, you can be one of the few tomorrow.
We can help you with this.
Find out more about what makes the algorithms of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkedIn tick in the year 2024 and how you can use this knowledge to create viral posts or at least achieve more social media engagement. We also discuss strategies and tricks that you should avoid. Because not everything that brings more likes or comments in the short term is a good idea in the long term.
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Weitere InformationenHow the Facebook algorithm works in 2024
Facebook has repeatedly changed its algorithm in recent years. One result of this is that it is becoming increasingly difficult for companies to achieve reach, especially if they do not place any advertising.
The following ranking signals in particular determine who is shown content.
- Relationship
Does a post come from friends or family or a page that a user often interacts with?
- Content format
What format is it: image, link post, video, etc.? Which formats does the user particularly like to interact with?
- Interactions
How do others react to the post? How many likes, comments and shares does it receive?
- Recency
How new is the content?
As you can see: Interactions are at the heart of the Facebook algorithm. However, these are not just any interactions, but “meaningful interactions”.
When is an interaction “meaningful”?
Let Facebook explain it itself.
“These are posts that inspire back-and-forth discussion in the comments and posts that you might want to share and react to—whether that’s a post from a friend seeking advice, a friend asking for recommendations for a trip, or a news article or video prompting lots of discussion.”
It should not be concealed that Facebook has long announced that it favors posts from friends over those from companies. There’s nothing you can do about this. However, you can use the way good friends communicate as a guide for Facebook marketing.
Tip: You can find more technical details about how the Facebook algorithm works on Facebook itself. Of course, the company does not reveal exactly how it works. This applies to all social media algorithms.
How to create viral Facebook posts
So how can you use the way the Facebook algorithm works to ensure that your posts get more reach?
- Create content that gets liked, commented on and shared, with comments being more important than likes.
- Try to create meaningful interactions. First and foremost, this means encouraging discussions and conversations.
- Post videos.
- Evoke emotions.
The last point is crucial, because strong emotions are the most likely to make a user react to a post. They are also more likely to lead to meaningful interactions.
We recommend focusing on positive emotions. Although negative emotions such as anger or fear are also motivating, they can quickly backfire in marketing. The situation is different for social organizations that want to draw attention to grievances. Here, it can be effective to stir up anger as long as it is justified.
If you amaze your followers, for example, there is a greater chance that they will comment on or share a post. BMW achieves this with glossy photos that showcase the car manufacturer’s latest vehicles. Simple, but effective.
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More InformationThe oat milk manufacturer Oatly emphasizes humor combined with storytelling. The company shows that even posts with a lot of text are well received – if you do it right.
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More InformationA classic in social media marketing that is still effective today is raffles. Ask participants to comment on your post, preferably not just with “Hello”.
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More InformationImportant: Please note Facebook’s competition rules. Unlike Instagram, for example, the network does not allow friends to be tagged in the comment as a condition for participation.
Things you should avoid
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Weitere InformationenThere are also simple methods to get many comments on a post.
The following post asks users to tag their favorite band or artist in a comment to see whether they react.
However, we advise against copying this. Apart from the fact that such a post has no added value and does not generate any meaningful interactions, tagging uninvolved people usually meets with little approval.
How the Instagram algorithm works in 2024
Actually, it is not quite correct to speak of the Instagram algorithm, because strictly speaking there are four different algorithms, namely one each for
- the Feed,
- Instagram Explore,
- Instagram Stories,
- Instagram Reels.
How exactly these algorithms work is, of course, something Instagram is keeping quiet about. But even in this case, there is information about key ranking factors.
Instagram Feed algorithm
Crucial for the feed are:
- Information about the post: This starts with the popularity and extends to a possibly marked location. How quickly users interact with a post also plays a role.
- Information about the sender: Here, the Instagram algorithm takes into account, for example, how intensively users have interacted with the person in the last week.
- Own activity: What content have you interacted with in the past?
- Interaction history: How much have you and the sender interacted with each other in the past?
Based on these and other ranking signals, the algorithm estimates the likelihood of a user reacting to a post, liking it, commenting on it, sharing it, spending time on it or visiting the sender’s profile.
Instagram Explore algorithm
Just like on Facebook, it’s the same on Instagram: Interactions are king.
This also applies to the ranking in Instagram Explore. However, how quickly users interact with a post is even more important here than in the feed.
Instagram Reels algorithm
The factors of own activity, information about the poster and interactions with the profile in the past also play a key role in the ranking of reels. Other important factors include the audio track and visual elements as well as the popularity of the reel.
Instagram also emphasizes a “high entertainment value” as a central characteristic of reels.
Instagram Stories algorithm
Instagram Stories have a special status. Apart from ads, you are only shown stories from accounts that you follow. Brands can therefore not speculate that they will be discovered in Stories.
However, there are ranking signals that influence the order of Stories. This should not be neglected, as those who want to quickly view a few Stories often limit themselves to the first few.
The Instagram Stories algorithm primarily pays attention to the following signals:
- Viewing history: How many times have you viewed an account’s Stories?
- Interaction history: How much have you interacted with them in the past?
- Connectedness: How likely is it that a creator is part of your family or friends?
How to create viral Instagram posts
Got Bag provided an impressive example of an Instagram hit in 2021. The German start-up from Mainz produces backpacks made from recycled ocean plastic. Its Instagram post for the “Win a Van” giveaway received 305,000 likes and almost 600,000 comments in just one day. Got Bag was also delighted to gain over 200,000 new followers on the platform.
The conditions of participation follow the usual path: Users who wanted to win a van or one of the daily mystery bags had to like the competition post, tag a friend in the comments and share the post, including the Got Bag tag, in their own story.
According to Got Bag, they also made sure to publish the post at the best time and to create initial momentum by collaborating with Vanlife accounts and Vanlife influencers. The idea worked, and the spectacular participation also had an impact on traffic in the online store. It also brought Got Bag attention on other channels, especially LinkedIn.
What you can learn from this:
- Analyze the best publishing time for your Instagram marketing.
- For campaigns or competitions, try to get an initial boost by involving influencers and other accounts with a wider reach.
- In competitions, look out for prizes that strike a chord with your target group.
- Take advantage of opportunities to increase your reach through appropriate conditions of participation.
Got Bag’s success is certainly due in no small part to its clever business idea, which appeals to consumers’ growing awareness of environmental pollution and sustainability.
Away from competitions, the chances of a viral post are increased by impressive visual content. This sounds easier than it is, because Instagram is full of beautiful photos. If you want your content to stand out from the crowd, you need to post something extraordinary.
Don’t limit yourself to pictures. Videos are also trending on Instagram. Brands like GoPro show you how to get maximum attention and encourage sharing from the very first moment.
Things you should avoid
If interaction is the key, why not help it along artificially? Engagement groups are based on this idea. Their members commit to liking and commenting on each other’s posts.
The catch, apart from the ethical aspect, is that interactions that come about in this way are a thorn in Instagram’s side. What’s more, engagement groups hardly ever bring your content to followers outside of this group.
TikTok
TikTok is still different from the others. A big advantage of the platform for companies that are “new in the game”: On TikTok, they too can land a viral hit without a large following.
Key ranking factors on TikTok are:
- Interactions: Which videos and accounts have you interacted with in the past?
- Video information: What videos are you searching for? Features such as hashtags, captions or trending topics are crucial here.
- Settings: Finally, TikTok takes into account factors such as region and language or type of mobile device. However, settings are less important than interactions
How to create viral TikTok videos
You don’t need a large community for your video to take off on TikTok. But you need to know what makes users tick on the platform and what content performs well.
For example, make sure that your videos stand out in the feed, get to the point quickly and appear authentic.
Take part in popular TikTok challenges.
@swolericketts let’s get right together !! #gym #fitness #workout #gymtok ♬ Lil Uzi Vert SHELLS JUNE MIX – JUNE! (fka Shawn May)
Collaborating with creators can increase the visibility of your content. This is because users generally trust them more than brands.
Things you should avoid
Marketing is all well and good, but nobody wants to see ads on TikTok. Therefore, avoid publishing boring product videos at all costs. Make sure your content is entertaining.
How the LinkedIn algorithm works in 2024
LinkedIn is the top dog among B2B networks and is not only a platform for recruiting, but also the ideal place for effective B2B marketing.
Content goes through four stages to be evaluated:
- First, a bot categorizes the content into one of three groups (spam, low quality, approved).
- Then LinkedIn shows the post to a part of your network and observes how the recipients react.
- In the next stage, the algorithm looks for clues about your quality and that of your network.
- If your post reaches the final stage, human editors come into play. If they rate your content as high quality, it can become a perennial favorite in LinkedIn feeds.
One thing is just as true on LinkedIn as it is on Instagram or Facebook: The LinkedIn algorithm loves interactions. This is especially true for comments that represent a contribution to a discussion and go further than “Very interesting” or “I couldn’t agree more”.
In the recent past, the platform made an important update to its algorithm in response to the increase in irrelevant content during the coronavirus pandemic.
Since then, it has been particularly important for users to share content with added value on LinkedIn. The algorithm also uses profile information, for example, to check your own professional authority. The more you are recognized as an expert, the better.
Good to know: LinkedIn does not want content to go viral. Nevertheless, it is of course possible and useful to promote the visibility of content among your own target group.
How to create successful LinkedIn posts
The perfect recipe for successful LinkedIn posts is: high-quality content that is relevant to your target group and reflects your expertise:
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More InformationEspecially on LinkedIn, posts that invite discussions about questions or findings are promising. Use offline discussions with colleagues or friends as a guide. How can you spark a conversation?
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More InformationThese can be provocative theses. You just can’t expect undivided agreement.
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More InformationAnother method for social media engagement on LinkedIn: Start surveys.
Create posts that get a lot of attention quickly. But in case of doubt, you will benefit more from long-running hits. The key to this is content that moves your target group forward. On LinkedIn, this means
- going into depth,
- publishing exciting blog articles and statistics and
- putting theses up for discussion.
While bite-sized content is often the right choice on Facebook, LinkedIn is the place for extensive content.
Things you should avoid
Engagement groups or engagement pods have also been available on LinkedIn for some time now. These work on the same principle as their counterparts on Instagram. Daring profile owners even give providers access to their own account in order to “automate” liking.
Such tactics are not a good idea. Not only is there a risk of a reaction from the network itself. Reach that really pays off can only be achieved with good content. LinkedIn users are particularly demanding in this respect.
Viral is good, effective long-term marketing is more important
Viral posts can only be planned to a limited extent. It often comes as a surprise to everyone involved when a post goes viral. The fact that organic reach on networks such as Facebook is severely limited does not make things any easier.
Nevertheless, it is worth taking the way the respective social media algorithm works as a starting point to produce content that generates a lot of interaction and is willingly shared. Because even if it doesn’t become a hit, in the long term you will ensure more reach, more followers and, ideally, more customers. This is more valuable than a social media flash in the pan. But stay away from dubious practices such as engagement groups. Because apart from the fact that they are ethically questionable, they are more likely to cause damage in the long term than to help your company or organization.
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