What are your social media algorithm tips?

[JTPets]

I don't post much on my social media because I have very little time as I have worked a full time job and a 1 hour commute each way for the last 2 years. However with the expansion of my business to a new location I will be going in full time, and want to invest more time into this. 

To try and grow a following i started posting a couple videos about our store and looking for a new location. I posted about signing a lease and 2k views 10x my normal view and 200x my followers lol 

I know there are hacks and tricks that work better than others, let me hear your tips and tricks to hack the algorithms, not just for tiktok either!

Thanks!

[CareyJo]

I only use FB.  I don't like TikTok and it's actually banned in Montana.  I can't use IG because the platform doesn't lend to our business.  I actually have a short seminar that I teach on my success with social media and what it has done for us.  I'm not an expert, I only talk about what I've done and the difference it's made.

The most important thing I would say is to start using a content calendar and plan your posts.  I spend about an hour or so, once a week or every 10 days, scheduling all of my posts ahead of time.  I use Pixabay for copyright free images and center my posts around adding value for our customers with fun, educational or informative posts.  I only insert stuff about our business about 10% of the time because let's face it, no one really cares about heating and air conditioning, except that it works when you need it to.

Using a photo or a video is a necessity.  The FB algorithms won't run a word only post through feeds, it has to have a pic or vid attached.  Once I've posted, I share it in different groups that are specific to our demographic area.  I don't care so much about the comments or how many likes we get, I only care about the impressions it's making.  The higher the number of impressions, the more people have seen it.  My goal is not to have immediate ROI.  My goal is to be seen and have people remember our name for when they need service.  By interacting with them on a human level as a friend, I get far more engagement than I would if I was trying to sell them something.  I'm not there to sell.  I'm there to engage and I never pay for ads.

[maxpete]

Calling on a few members to share their thoughts! 

@Abigails_stl, @Dandiesbarbers1, @PatriceNicole, and @HairGuyLancer 

Also, not sure if you read this post on 5 Tips on how to use social media for small business, but figured I'd share just in case!

[schaefferjosh]

My other half handles our socials as I work full time. But, we see good interaction with scheduling posts. I highly recommend using the Meta business suite for Facebook and Instagram. If you are using the business suite you can do this simultaneously. Tiktok I believe also allows you to schedule so far in advance. We use Capcut for TikTok videos, try to use current trends and apply them to our media.

Piggybacking off @CareyJo's statement, using photos and videos is a necessity. You want to catch someone's eye when they come across your content. getting stuff published regularly will assist in getting it in front of faces but the content still needs to attract them in. We do AI images and copyright-free art, I love fun facts so we normally do fun facts about different herbs and spices (we are a seasoning business). We are always unsure if our content is getting out there but data shows that it is with how we are doing it. when we are at our farmers market or our mall kiosk we get people that come up and say "Oh hey I saw these guys on Facebook!" that tells me it's doing its job. 

[CareyJo]

Yes, pics and vids are a must because a post that is word only will not get picked up by FB or IG algorithms.  I use the Meta Suite regularly to schedule all of my content.  I also use a copyright free web source for photos called Pixabay.  I actually received a couple of notifications from FB a few weeks back, telling me that someone claims I stole their copyrighted images.  I responded with protest and gave them the information.  This was clearly a scam by the person making the claim, as FB promptly dropped it when I proved where I got the images from.

I also ask every new client who calls, how they heard of us.  I frequently hear "I found you on FB" and I'm not paying for any ads.  I was super excited this morning as I posted pics of the upcoming weather yesterday, that we're expecting up to 8" of snow between Monday evening and Wednesday morning and that temps will be cold.  Yes... it's 83 degrees today and will be back to 83 by next weekend.  But... this is Montana and it is common to have snow in the summer.  I wanted to remind people to keep the heat on.  I had 15 people share that post overnight and my reach was over 1600 by this morning.  Pics really do work!

[Stacelyn24]

1. Consistency is Key

• Post Regularly: Aim to post at least 3-4 times a week. Consistency helps keep your audience engaged and signals to the algorithm that you’re active.
• Schedule Your Posts: Use tools like Later, Buffer, or Hootsuite to schedule your posts. This helps maintain a steady flow of content without overwhelming yourself.

2. Quality Over Quantity

• High-Quality Visuals: Invest time in creating high-quality photos and videos. Bright, well-composed images tend to perform better.
• Engaging Captions: Write captions that resonate with your audience. Ask questions, share stories, or use humor to encourage comments and shares.

3. Utilize Instagram Stories and Reels

• Stories: Post daily stories to stay at the top of your followers’ feeds. Use interactive features like polls, quizzes, and question stickers to boost engagement.
• Reels: Reels are currently getting a lot of love from the algorithm. Post Reels regularly (aim for at least 1-2 per week) to increase your visibility. Use trending music and hashtags to reach a wider audience.

4. Engage with Your Community

• Respond to Comments: Take the time to reply to comments on your posts. It shows your followers that you care and encourages more interaction.
• Engage with Other Accounts: Like and comment on other users' posts, especially within your niche. This can attract attention to your own profile.

5. Use Hashtags Wisely

• Relevant Hashtags: Use a mix of popular and niche hashtags. This increases your chances of being discovered by new audiences.
• Research Hashtags: Find out which hashtags are popular in your niche. Tools like Hashtagify or the Instagram search function can help with this.

6. Analyze and Adapt

• Insights: Regularly check Instagram Insights to see which posts perform best. This data helps you understand what your audience likes and tailor your content accordingly.
• Experiment: Don’t be afraid to try new things. Different types of content, posting times, and engagement strategies can yield surprising results.

Scheduling Posts and Reels

• Optimal Times: Post when your audience is most active. Instagram Insights can show you the best times to post.
• Content Calendar: Plan your content ahead of time with a content calendar. This ensures a balanced mix of posts, stories, and reels.

Bonus Tips

• Collaborate: Partner with other creators or brands. This can help you tap into new audiences.
• User-Generated Content: Share content created by your followers. It’s engaging and builds community.

Starting out on Instagram is all about finding your rhythm and understanding what resonates with your audience. Keep experimenting, stay consistent, and most importantly, have fun with it!

[DLRosenberg]

I just picked up Day Trading Attention by Gary Vaynerchuk; it's literally a text book of how to build brand & sales on social media. I haven't fully read it yet, but he goes into depth about the different social platforms (as of right now) and what content works best on each. 

I hate to be a jerk about it- but social media is imperative for pretty much any business these days. The younger generations are getting their info from social; they aren't even really googling anymore! The great thing about social is you don't need to post during any one time and you can "create" during the pockets of your time. 

I think people forget that everyone starts at 0; when we started 5 1/2 years ago we were at 0. Now on instagram we're over 20k and on TikTok we are over 250k. We did that by posting relatively consistently but native IN APP ( we don't use any 3rd party programs). We create IN APP; the only exception being the occasional CapCut which is owned by TikTok.

We respect the culture of each platform; what we post on TikTok is incredibly different than Instagram. Instagram is much more curated and beautiful while TikTok is more off-the-cuff and raw.

When we started instagram, we began with photos only (Reels didn't exist yet- either did carousels). We would post new product photos and tag the brands we were carrying with the hope that the brands would "re-gram" the content. About 50% of the time they would, and that would increase our followers.

I know I beat the drum on Gary V a lot, but honestly following his advice is what got our accounts to where they are:

https://youtu.be/PNZacDqQst4?si=YCfsCi8FhbUFeM7U

[rtfulk]

My reply is not really about algorithms, but more about posting. Look at sites like Buffer or Only Social, they allow you to schedule posts on all the popular social media sites. I sit down one evening about every 2 weeks and schedule 2 weeks of posts. It is mainly just photos or slide shows of items we have in production or coming soon. I do this so there is always fresh content on our sites, If something pops up with our business in that time we just make a post of it. I've already felt like out of sight out of mind and that can happen with social media not posting regularly. You can catch Only Social on sale with buy once and it's yours, instead of a monthly payment