Today we’re breaking down one of the most misunderstood, but also one of the most powerful parts of modern marketing: algorithmic and feed-based marketing.
Social media gives your business access to an audience far beyond your existing followers, but getting into their feeds takes some work. In this blog, we’ll explain how feed-based Social Media Marketing works and what you can do to get your posts seen.
What Does Feed-Based Marketing Mean?
Feed-based marketing means creating content with one important reality in mind: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and other platforms decide who gets to see each post.
Following a business doesn’t guarantee that you’ll see everything it publishes. The feed ranks available content based on thousands of signals and predictions about what each person is likely to find relevant or engage with.
That’s where Social Media Marketing gets interesting. You aren’t creating content only for your existing followers. A good post has an opportunity to travel beyond them.
How Does a Feed Algorithm Work?
Nobody outside the platforms knows the complete formula. We do, however, know quite a bit about the signals they use. Meta says Facebook considers previous interactions, the type of content someone engages with, post popularity, and thousands of other signals when ranking the Feed.
Let’s use a Facebook business post as an example.
1. You publish the post.
Facebook doesn’t automatically place it prominently in every follower’s Feed. It decides where the post belongs based on its predicted relevance to each person.
2. People start interacting with it.
Views, reactions, comments, shares, and previous interactions with similar content can influence ranking. A post that generates meaningful interaction gives Facebook more positive signals about its relevance.
3. Facebook can introduce your content to people who don’t follow you.
Facebook’s Home feed includes recommended content from accounts and communities users aren’t already connected with. Those recommendations are personalized around people’s interests and activity.
4. You can add paid reach.
If a post is worth putting more money behind, you can boost it and choose the audience, budget, and duration. Meta specifically positions boosted posts as a way to reach people beyond those who already like your Page.
Social Media Algorithm Tricks to Boost Your Post
You can’t control the algorithm, but you can give your post stronger signals after publishing. These tactics can help generate the engagement platforms look for when deciding whether to show your content to more people.
Give a New Post Some Early Momentum
Don’t just publish and wait. Share the post with a few friends, colleagues, or customers who may genuinely be interested and ask them to join the conversation. A few early comments can get the discussion started and encourage other people to participate.
Respond to Comments and Direct Messages
If someone takes the time to comment, respond. Continue the conversation, answer their question, or ask a follow-up.
The same applies to direct messages. Active conversations give you another opportunity to build a relationship with the person behind the engagement instead of treating comments as another number in your analytics.
Avoid Clickbait
A strong hook gets attention. Clickbait gets attention and then fails to deliver what it promised.
If someone stops for an interesting opening only to find another sales pitch, they’re unlikely to stay. Make sure the rest of the post delivers the information, answer, or story promised by your hook.
Don’t Constantly Send People Away From the Platform
Social platforms make money when people stay and keep scrolling, so a feed full of posts sending users somewhere else isn’t necessarily working in your favor.
You can still promote your website, products, and services. Just make sure people can also get value directly from the post. Give them a reason to read, watch, comment, or follow before asking them to leave the platform.
Social Media Algorithm “Tricks” That Don’t Work Anymore
Trying to outsmart the feed used to be a common part of social media strategy. Algorithms have become better at recognizing these tactics, and platforms are openly taking action against attempts to manufacture reach. A good SMM agency should know which old tricks are no longer worth your time.
Put the Link in the First Comment
Marketers used to hide external links in the first comment because links in posts were believed to hurt organic reach. Today, there isn’t enough reason to treat this as a rule. If people need the link, put it where they can easily find it.
Use Engagement Pods
Engagement pods organize people to like and comment on each other’s posts immediately after publication. Platforms increasingly recognize this as manufactured engagement.
LinkedIn explicitly identifies engagement pods as inauthentic activity, while Facebook is also targeting accounts that game engagement and distribution.
Write Engagement Bait
You’ve probably seen it across different SMM post types: “LIKE if you agree,” “Comment YES,” or “Tag five friends.”
Facebook has explicitly demoted engagement-bait posts, and LinkedIn is also reducing the distribution of content created primarily to collect interactions. Ask a real question instead.
Some Basic Advice for Content Creation
Good Social Media Marketing also comes down to what you put into the post itself. Whatever SMM post types you use, keep these basics in mind.
Start With a Strong Hook
Give people a reason to stop scrolling. Start with a recognizable problem, interesting question, useful fact, or something that creates curiosity.
Give People Something to Respond To
Ask questions that naturally continue the topic. “Which one would you pick?” works when there is actually a choice to discuss. Give people a reason to answer instead of simply asking them to comment.
Use AI to Develop Ideas, Not Replace Your Voice
Use ChatGPT to brainstorm hooks, angles, or content series, then add your own experience and voice. If AI writes everything, the same recognizable patterns will eventually start appearing across your content.
Give People Something to Feel
Humor, curiosity, surprise, nostalgia, or recognition can make a post more memorable. Coca-Cola’s holiday campaigns are a great example: people remember the feeling connected to the advertising, not just the product.
Add Captions to Every Video
People don’t always scroll with sound on. Captions let them understand your video anyway and make spoken information easier to follow.
Create Content That Deserves Distribution
We mentioned several ways to give your content an extra boost. They can help you get more engagement, more views, and eventually more opportunities to sell your products or services.
But these tricks can only support content people already want to see. Building your strategy around algorithm hacks won’t work in the long run.
What can bring new customers is consistently publishing content people actually want to watch, read, and interact with.
If you’re struggling with social media and want to get more from it, contact Madroit Marketing. We’ll create an SMM strategy and content plan for your business and prepare the content you need. If you want to expand your reach further, we can also manage social media ads across the channels that make sense for your business.
