{"id":8846,"date":"2025-06-03T04:00:35","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T04:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aderonkebamidele.com\/blog\/?p=8846"},"modified":"2025-06-03T04:00:37","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T04:00:37","slug":"how-the-algorithms-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aderonkebamidele.com\/blog\/how-the-algorithms-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How the Algorithms Work (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.)"},"content":{"rendered":"

How the Algorithms Work (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

Social media algorithms, those mysterious formulas<\/a> that determine what shows up in your feed, have become both the best friend and biggest frustration of marketers. But in 2025, understanding how these algorithms work isn\u2019t optional. It\u2019s essential to getting your content seen.<\/p>\n

Each platform has its own set of rules, but most share one core goal: to maximize user engagement<\/strong> by showing content people are most likely to enjoy and interact with.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s break down how today\u2019s biggest social media<\/a> algorithms work and what you can do to work with<\/em> them, not against them.<\/p>\n

\n

\u00a0What Is a Social Media Algorithm, Exactly?<\/h3>\n

An algorithm is a set of rules that platforms use to determine which content appears in each user\u2019s feed and in what order. These systems evaluate millions of signals<\/strong> to predict what you want to see and what you\u2019ll ignore.<\/p>\n

That means your success on social isn\u2019t just about posting good<\/em> content. It\u2019s about posting content that performs well within the algorithm<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\n

\u00a0Instagram Algorithm (2025)<\/h2>\n

Instagram has several content surfaces (Feed, Stories, Reels, Explore), and each has slightly different ranking signals.<\/p>\n

Feed & Stories prioritize:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n

    Your relationship with the account (DMs, likes, comments, saves)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Timeliness of the post<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Content type preferences (videos, photos, carousels)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Engagement with similar content<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Reels prioritize:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    • \n

      Entertainment value (completions, replays, shares)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Use of trending audio<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Originality (Instagram penalizes TikTok reposts)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    • \n

      Account history (consistent content = higher priority)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      \u2705 How to Win<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • \n

        Use relevant hashtags and alt text<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        Encourage saves and shares<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        Post Reels regularly (3\u20135x\/week)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        Respond to DMs and comments quickly<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        \n

        \u00a0TikTok Algorithm (2025)<\/h2>\n

        TikTok\u2019s \u201cFor You\u201d page remains one of the most powerful discovery tools on social media.<\/p>\n

        Key ranking signals:<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        • \n

          Watch time (especially full completions and replays)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        • \n

          User interactions (likes, comments, shares, follows)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        • \n

          Content metadata (captions, hashtags, sounds)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        • \n

          Video information (subtitles, on-screen text, scene changes)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          \u2705 How to Win<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

            \n
          • \n

            Hook viewers in the first 2\u20133 seconds<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

          • \n

            Use trending sounds and effects early<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

          • \n

            Keep videos short, punchy, and watchable on loop<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

          • \n

            Post consistently, even daily, if you can<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            \n

            \u00a0LinkedIn Algorithm (2025)<\/h2>\n

            LinkedIn\u2019s feed is centered on professional content and thought leadership.<\/p>\n

            Key ranking signals:<\/strong><\/p>\n

              \n
            • \n

              Personal connections and interactions<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

            • \n

              Dwell time (how long people read your post)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

            • \n

              Comments and meaningful conversations<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

            • \n

              Native content (LinkedIn deprioritizes external links)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              \u2705 How to Win<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

                \n
              • \n

                Start conversations with strong hooks in text posts<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

              • \n

                Ask open-ended questions to invite comments<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

              • \n

                Post consistently (1\u20133x\/week minimum)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

              • \n

                Mix content types: text, polls, documents, videos<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                \n

                \u00a0YouTube Shorts & Long-Form (2025)<\/h2>\n

                YouTube has dual algorithms: one for discovery<\/strong> (suggested, homepage) and one for subscriptions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

                Ranking factors:<\/strong><\/p>\n

                  \n
                • \n

                  Click-through rate (title + thumbnail effectiveness)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                • \n

                  Average view duration<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                • \n

                  Viewer retention curves<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                • \n

                  Engagement (likes, comments, shares)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  \u2705 How to Win<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

                    \n
                  • \n

                    Use curiosity-driven thumbnails and titles<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                  • \n

                    Script for retention (get to the point quickly)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                  • \n

                    Post Shorts to boost discoverability<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                  • \n

                    Leverage playlists to guide watch sessions<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                    \n

                    \u00a0Universal Tips to Beat the Algorithm<\/h3>\n

                    No matter the platform, these strategies are algorithm-friendly:<\/p>\n

                      \n
                    1. \n

                      Engagement is everything.<\/strong> Encourage comments, shares, saves, and watch time.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                    2. \n

                      Consistency compounds.<\/strong> The more often you post quality content, the more data the algorithm has to trust you.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                    3. \n

                      Native content wins.<\/strong> Don\u2019t overlink out. Keep users on the platform.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                    4. \n

                      Use data to guide content.<\/strong> Watch your insights to see what content performs and double down.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

                    5. \n

                      Be early to trends.<\/strong> Trendjacking is one of the fastest ways to gain reach on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                      \n

                      \u00a0Final Thoughts on How the Algorithms Work<\/h3>\n

                      Algorithms aren’t out to get you\u2014they\u2019re designed to reward content that people love. Your job as a marketer or creator is to make content people want<\/em> to see, in formats they prefer, with clear signals for the algorithm to grab onto.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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