Brian Meert's Blog, page 105

New to Facebook: Facebook Stories Ads

October 3, 2018
Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook ad agency

Ads are now rolling out to Facebook Stories. Facebook announced that Facebook Stories ads are now available to all advertisers, a format that has proven successful for advertisers using Instagram Stories ads.

Facebook says it is expanding the ad format to its Stories platform because it has found that 68 percent of users say they use Stories on at least three apps on a regular basis. Additionally, 63 percent of users say they intend to use stories even more going forward.

The company expects users to be as receptive to Facebook Stories ads as they have been to ads on Instagram Stories. A Facebook-commissioned study found that 62 percent of users have become more interested in a brand or product they saw in Stories. Additionally, over 50 percent of surveyed users said they’re driven to make more online purchases viewing a story, and 34 percent even said Stories influenced them to go to a physical store to look for products they saw. With over 300 million daily users, Facebook Stories has the potential to help advertisers reach even more audiences.

Facebook says the new ad format supports the same objectives as those supported by Instagram Stories ads. Reach, brand awareness, video views, app install, conversion, traffic, and lead generation are all supported objectives. Advertisers also get access to the same targeting and measurement resources as they do for Instagram Stories ads.

So far, Facebook says the ad format expansion is showing promising results. Advertisers for clothing company Tentree and dating app Skout saw more customer actions at a lower cost when they added Facebook Stories ads to their Instagram Stories campaigns.

Facebook also recently announced new video options: In-Stream Reserve and ThruPlay.

Written by Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook ad agency

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Snapchat Announces Enhancements to Shoppable Ads

October 2, 2018
Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency

Snap Inc. recently announced new enhancements for Shoppable Ads, just in time for the holiday season. Advertisers will now be able to use Collection Ads, product catalogs, and advanced pixel targeting.

With Collection Ads, advertisers can feature multiple products in a visually pleasing, shoppable format through Snapchat’s self-serve buying tool. Shoppers will be able to easily tap on products in the ad to learn more about them.

The product catalog enhancement allows advertisers to upload existing product feeds to automatically generate Story Ads, Snap Ads, and Collection Ads. New templates for this automated ad creation are now available in Ads Manager.

The Snap Pixel, instead of only tracking general website activity, now has more advanced capabilities that allow advertisers to track more specific website behaviors. For example, an advertiser could track when a user browses a specific category, like jewelry, on the business website after clicking on a Snapchat ad.

In addition to these three enhancements, Snap announced that it is adding over 30 new Snap-certified performance agencies to assist advertisers with e-commerce, direct response, and data-driven performance marketing.

Snap made this announcement around the same time it announced pre-holiday updates to its partnership program. It also comes not long after the news of Snap’s major partnership with Amazon in the form of the product search tool.

Written by Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency

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Facebook Introduces New Video Ad Options

October 1, 2018
Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency

Facebook just introduced two new options for video ad buyers that simplifies buying and delivering video ad campaigns. With In-Stream Reserve, advertisers get more placement options for their in-stream ads. With ThruPlay, advertisers can optimize and only pay for video ads watched in full.

In-Stream Reserve

Previously in-stream ads were only delivered as mid-roll videos in News Feed or pre-roll or mid-roll videos in Facebook spaces like Watch. Facebook says advertisers have requested more variety in in-stream video ad placements. Facebook is rolling out two in-stream options:

In-Stream Reserve: Advertisers can reach users who watch videos from various publishers and creators that are highly engaging. They can buy the placements in advance on a Nielsen verified Target Rating Point (TRP) basis, and the ads can be delivered to in-target audiences.

In-Stream Reserve Categories: Advertisers can select categorized content, such as sports, fashion or beauty, and entertainment. Advertisers can buy In-Stream Reserve Categories in the same way as In-Stream Reserve placements.

“In-Stream Reserve is a great option for premium online video and TV buyers, especially for campaigns aimed at younger, harder-to-reach demographics and light TV viewers,” Facebook says in a business announcement. “It is currently available for select advertisers targeting US audiences.”

Brands have already seen the value of In-Stream Reserve placements. Nationwide was one of the first to test it.

“As Nationwide’s media mix has evolved to account for new mobile consumption habits, it’s become increasingly important to ensure our in-stream ads run against premium content on mobile platforms like Facebook,” Jennifer MacKenzie, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Nationwide, says in the announcement. “That’s why Nationwide was one of the first brands to test buying video through In-Stream Reserve, and we’re pleased with the results. We will continue to look to In-Stream Reserve as a way to engage with our key audiences in meaningful places to tell Nationwide’s story.”

Facebook says it’s also testing the option to advertise in just one show or as an exclusive advertiser for a show. It’s trying it out on a select group of original Watch shows.

ThruPlay

Since advertisers primarily use video to tell a story and foster brand loyalty, Facebook’s new ThruPlay option helps optimize video ads for complete viewing. Advertisers only pay for video ads that users watch to completion or at least for the average 15-second duration.

ThruPlay video placements are available in Facebook, Instagram, and Audience Network as in-stream, stories, and feed formats.

Buick says it has already used ThruPlay for better reach and improved completion rates.

“With ThruPlay, we were able to reach audiences who watched our video all the way through, achieving greater efficiency, scale and completion rates,” says Buick’s Social and CRM Lead Mallory Woodrow in the announcement.

Facebook says ThruPlay will roll out now to Ads Manager and will be globally accessible in the coming weeks.

Written by Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency

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90 Million Facebook Users Forced to Log Back into Profiles after Major Hack

September 28, 2018
Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint Facebook advertising agency

Facebook alerted the public of a major hack this morning that may have given hackers or third-party threats access to an estimated 50 million user profiles. The Verge reports that Facebook is making 90 million users log back into their accounts today as a safety measure.

The company’s security update says the engineering team discovered the security threat on September 25.

While the investigation has yet to reveal more substantial details, Facebook says the attackers “exploited a vulnerability” in the platform’s code affecting the “View As” feature. This feature allows users to view their profile as other users see it. The exploitation allowed the hackers to steal Facebook access tokens, which made it possible for them to overtake users’ accounts. Facebook says “access tokens” are like “digital keys” that keep users logged into their accounts so they don’t need to re-enter their login information every time they visit the platform.

Facebook says it has already taken action, including fixing the vulnerability and informing law enforcement. Additionally, Facebook has reset the access tokens of the approximately 50 million accounts that were affected by the hack. The company is taking the precautionary measure of resetting the tokens for an additional 40 million accounts subject to a “View As” look-up in the past year. A grand total of about 90 million users will be forced to log back into any accounts or apps connected to their Facebook login. Users will see a notification at the top of News Feed after they log back in describing the incident.

As a final precaution, Facebook is also temporarily turning off the “View As” feature.

“This attack exploited the complex interaction of multiple issues in our code,” Guy Rosen, VP of Product Management, says in the security update. “It stemmed from a change we made to our video uploading feature in July 2017, which impacted ‘View As.’ The attackers not only needed to find this vulnerability and use it to get an access token, they then had to pivot from that account to others to steal more tokens.”

The investigation has yet to uncover whether any user accounts were misused or subject to information theft as a result of the hack. Facebook says it also doesn’t know who is responsible for the attacks or where they stem from.

“We’re working hard to better understand these details — and we will update this post when we have more information, or if the facts change,” says Rosen. “In addition, if we find more affected accounts, we will immediately reset their access tokens.”

Facebook says users should not have to reset their passwords, but if they encounter any issues logging back in, they should visit the Facebook Help Center.

Abuse of this magnitude is a big blow to the company, especially after Cambridge Analytica harvested information from 80 million profiles. This latest hack emerges only six months after that discovery. However, Facebook has been quicker to take action and inform users this time around.

Written by Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint Facebook advertising agency

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Your Customer Satisfaction Scores Can Make or Break Your Facebook Ad Campaigns

September 28, 2018
Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency

Businesses running ads on Facebook can now see their customer satisfaction scores. Recently our account managers discovered a new dashboard that shows a satisfaction score provided by customers who bought products through a Facebook ad. If a business’s score reflects a lot of dissatisfaction, Facebook will penalize the business. We first learned about the satisfaction score back in June. It appears Facebook has now officially rolled out the feature that allows businesses to monitor their scores.

Satisfaction score provided by customers
How It Works

According to a message Facebook sent to AdvertiseMint introducing the feature, the dashboard shares with businesses a score calculated from customer feedback. Facebook collects that feedback from a representative sample of users who purchased in direct response to Facebook ads. Facebook then takes that feedback to generate an overall score for the business on a scale of zero to five.

The satisfaction score ranges from zero to five

If the score drops to two or under, the ad cost will rise and the reach will decrease. If a business maintains a low score, Facebook will increase penalties each month until that score is improved. If the score drops to one or less, the business will be unable to run ads on Facebook’s platform.

The dashboard allows businesses to monitor their customer score and see reviews from customers.

“We hope you’ll use this information to improve your service and help us build trust on Facebook,” Facebook said in its message with the rollout. “This will create a better experience for both you and your customers.”

As previously mentioned, we learned back in June that Facebook was gathering customer feedback to identify poor experiences with businesses that run ads on the platform. Facebook began this practice to crack down on platform abuse by advertisers. To solicit feedback, Facebook sends a notification to users who made purchases after clicking an ad, The Verge originally reported.

Facebook doesn’t just rate businesses. Back in August, Facebook released a new rating system for measuring users’ trustworthiness on a scale of zero to one.

Written by Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency

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E-commerce Is Coming to Snapchat with Amazon Product Search Tool

September 28, 2018
Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook ads company agency
Rawpixel / Unsplash

Recently, Snap Inc. made a smart business move. The company announced a new Amazon product search tool involving the Snapchat camera. Users can point their Snapchat camera at an object to find it on Amazon. They can then buy the item directly through the Snapchat app. Snap made the announcement in a blog post earlier this week.

This new partnership with Amazon will make digital shopping less of a textual experience, where users type what they’re searching for, and more of a seamless visual experience. This move may have come just in the nick of time for the company. Since the start of 2018, Snap’s stock has been down over 35 percent. According to CNBC, since the visual search announcement, the stock bumped up approximately three percent. Snap says it’s only now testing the new visual search tool and rolling it out slowly.

How It Works

Snap says the visual search tool is “super easy to use.” When users point their cameras at the product or barcode and long-press on the camera screen, an Amazon card will appear, containing a link for that item or similar ones listed on Amazon. Users can visit the Amazon app or Amazon.com to buy the item or to browse through Amazon’s relevant listings.

This new way to shop through Snapchat could be revolutionary for the social networking app as it struggles to stay competitive. Its main rival, Instagram, recently rolled out new shopping features for its app, giving it a leg up in social e-commerce. However, Snapchat’s new visual search tool could make it a more tempting prospect for business owners.

Although Amazon’s selling platform is massively popular with significant potential for success, it’s also challenging to stand out in the crowd. If business owners are building reputations for their products sold on Amazon, the visual search tool could be a major boost for their exposure.

“Snapchat has always been the fastest way to communicate, and now it’s the fastest way to shop,” Snap said in its blog post.

Social Media Shopping

Laura Heller, a Forbes contributing writer, notes in an article that the recent releases of e-commerce tools by both Snapchat and Instagram are likely going to increase purchases made on social media.

“Consumers are increasingly being served up ads on social media, but shopping directly from popular apps has been slow to catch on, hindered by technology that takes too many steps,” says Heller. “But this new tool, paired with the recent release of Shopping in Instagram Stories, could help to change that.” She adds, “For Snap, there’s a clear goal of boosting revenue, but for Amazon, the payoff is likely more complex, which is true of most Amazon’s initiatives.”

Although Amazon is in no weak position, it can still benefit from the partnership with Snapchat. Businesses that do not yet sell products through Amazon but enjoy the Snapchat app may decide the visual search tool is reason enough to use the e-commerce site for their selling needs. As a result, they may also decide to explore Amazon’s advertising offerings, a market Amazon is currently trying to grow, in order to stand out in the visual search results. But whether businesses that run ads to boost their visibility on Amazon will receive more exposure in the search results of the new visual tool on Snapchat is unknown at this time.

Written by Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook ads company agency

The post E-commerce Is Coming to Snapchat with Amazon Product Search Tool appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

Snapchat Announces Major Pre-Holiday Updates to Partnership Program

September 27, 2018
Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency

Snap Inc. just announced major updates to its partnership program. The company shared with its business partners details about the addition of a third certification type, relevant updates to badges, new certification criteria for all three partner classifications, the release of a partner resource center, and investment in partner education. Additionally, Snap launched multiple new ad options, including Shoppable Snap Ads, the import of product catalogs for automatic ad creation, and enhanced pixel targeting capabilities.

Certification Updates

Snap says it’s publicly defining its three certification classifications for the first time within its partnership program. Partners who receive certification will be validated and given unique access to Snapchat program resources. Additionally, certification badges will be updated accordingly. The badges of current certified partners will be unchanged upon completion and adherence to the new certified partner criteria, which are specified through the company website.

Partner Education

Snap says it is now “investing heavily” in education for certified partners, which includes offering access to a partner resource center and invitations to webinars and events like educational summits, client summits, and industry events.

“Snapchat Partners are eligible for a variety of benefits based on their partnership type,” Snap shared in its email to its partners. “These benefits equip partner teams with the recognition, information, access, and support that they need to help marketers achieve success on Snapchat.”

Shoppable Ads

Snap is rolling out Shoppable Snap Ads to all advertisers through its self-serve ad platform. The format displays a collection of products in one ad so advertisers can market multiple items at once to generate interest. When a user taps a product in the collection, they can find more details about it.

Wish.com, eBay, Guess, and FabFitFun have all seen improved engagement when they used Shoppable Snap Ads, reports Marketing Land. Wish.com saw a 17 percent higher engagement rate, eBay recorded five times the engagement rate, and Guess noted 4.1 times the engagement rate. FabFitFun was able to engage with new audiences by adding Shoppable Snap Ads to its Snapchat strategy.

Product Catalogs

This new update allows advertisers to import product catalogs to generate Story Ads, Snap Ads, and Shoppable Snap Ads automatically. Doing so allows advertisers to seamlessly feature their products, which will be especially beneficial during the holiday season.

Enhanced Pixel Targeting

Marketing Land says Snap is expanding and improving its Snap Pixel targeting. With this update, advertisers will be able to track detailed actions Snapchatters make on their business website. Previously, the pixel only tracked which web page users would visit after clicking an ad. Access to this newly attainable data will prove useful to advertisers who want to refine their audience lists.

In addition to these multiple updates, which come before the holiday season, Marketing Land reports that over 30 marketing agencies are joining Snapchat’s Partnership Program. These agencies are certified to provide e-commerce assistance.

The post Snapchat Announces Major Pre-Holiday Updates to Partnership Program appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

7 Ways to Upgrade Your Amazon Ads

September 27, 2018
Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook ad agency

Amazon is inching its way closer and closer to the number one spot. The company’s US digital ad revenues projected for this year will surpass Oath and Microsoft’s, trailing behind Facebook and Google’s, according to Emarketer. The platform is being recognized for its advertising potential and its benefits as an e-commerce platform.

The numbers forecast Amazon will gain a significant boost in the digital advertising sector this year. Emarketer predicts advertisers in the United States will spend $4.61 billion on Amazon, making up 4.1 percent of total digital ad spending. Emarketer describes Amazon’s organic digital advertising growth as “stronger than expected,” increasing the marketing analyst’s projected ad revenues for the company by 10 to 12 percent. Even further, the analyst predicts growth increases of more than 50 percent per year through at least 2020, at which point Amazon’s 4.1 percent of total US digital ad spending will bump up to seven percent. Looking at these predictions and estimates, the future looks bright and promising for Amazon.

Amazon, evidently, is going to be a big player in digital advertising, maybe even becoming as big as Facebook or Google. If you want to reach more potential customers, you should explore the booming potential of digital advertising with Amazon for your business.

Like digital advertising on Facebook or Google, if you want to create successful Amazon ads for your business, you must follow a few best practices. In this article, you’ll learn seven essential tips for creating successful Amazon ads. But first, you should know the types of ad formats Amazon offers.

Types of Amazon Ad Formats

There are three main types of Amazon ad formats:

Sponsored Product Ads

These keyword-driven ads appear either above or below search results. If someone searches for “vacuums,” and you included detailed keywords related to “vacuums” when setting up your Sponsored Product Ad, the ad for your specific product will appear above or below the generated search results. When shoppers click on your ad, they will be taken to your product page.

Headline Search Ads

These cost-per-click, keyword-driven ads appear as a banner at the top of search results. When clicked, the ad takes the shopper to a customized landing page.

Product Display Ads

These ads target by interest or product rather than keyword. When creating this type of ad, you specify products similar to yours or interests related to your product that you want to target. For example, if your ad is promoting your brand’s running shoes, you may target interests like “running,” which will tell Amazon to show your ad to shoppers interested in running.

Now that you know the types of ads you can use on Amazon, you can employ the following tips to make them successful for your business.

Tip #1: Be Very Specific

Your ad copy should be as specific as possible when describing the product you are advertising. For example, instead of writing “Camera Case” as your headline, you’d want to write a more descriptive headline like this one: “Blummy PU Leather Instax Mini 9 Camera Case for Fujifilm Instax Mini 8/Mini 8+/Mini 9 Instant Camera with Adjustable Strap and Pocket (Brown).” Shoppers should have a clear idea of what they’re looking at before even clicking on your ad. When your ad is cost-per-click, specific and detailed copy will improve the chances that shoppers who click on your ad will buy your product.

Tip #2: Include Rival Brands in Your Keywords

To better reach interested customers, include your competitors’ names in your keyword list. For example, if you’re selling vacuums, you should include “Dyson vacuums” and “Black + Decker vacuums” in your list. When shoppers search for either one of those popular brands, your product will appear in the search results.

Tip #3: Use Negative Keywords

Offered by most search engines, negative keywords is a pay-per-click advertising match type option that delegates which searches can trigger the appearance of your ads. Negative keywords helps prevent irrelevant clicks, which can happen when, for example, you bid for the keyword “glasses” for an ad promoting your customized drinking glasses, and someone searching for eyeglasses types “glasses” into search and inadvertently clicks on your ad. In that case, you would have paid for a click that didn’t generate a sale. Negative keywords help you increase sales by showing your products only to related searches.

If you want to prevent irrelevant clicks, try WordStream, which offers a free negative keywords search tool that identifies search queries for modifiers unrelated to your product. The tool then generates a list you can refer to when creating your Amazon ad.

Tip #4: Use High-Quality Images

Images are everything in digital advertising. A low-quality image in your ad will not perform well. Comply with Amazon’s standards for ad images: use real photos, use professional lighting, and do not include inappropriate content (i.e. pornographic or offensive). Also, make sure your images accurately represent the product you’re selling.

Tip #5: Create a Sense of Urgency
Claudio Schwarz/ Unsplash

When writing your ad copy, it can be a challenge to make it stand out above other ads in Amazon’s incredibly popular search results. In addition to using humor or unique, creative angles in your copy, it helps to create a sense of urgency. To do this, highlight a sale or promotion in your copy. Phrases such as “save now” and “buy now” will compel shoppers to get a piece of the pie before it’s all gone.

Tip #6: Show Important Product Information in Your Images

Show as much useful information as possible in the product images for your ad. Product dimensions, features, uses, and material are examples of information you can provide in your images. The information on your image will compel shoppers to click and learn more about the product.

Tip #7: Use Google to Research Relevant Keywords

If you’re struggling to identify relevant and high-performing keywords to bid on for your ad, you can Google it. Search for keywords or keyword phrases relevant to what you’re selling on Google and see what pops up at the bottom of the results under related searches. For example, if you search for “vacuum cleaners,” under “Searches related to vacuum cleaners,” you may see these keyword options:

vacuum cleaners at Walmart
vacuum cleaners on sale
best vacuum cleaners
vacuum cleaner ratings
shark vacuum cleaners
vacuum cleaners amazon
vacuum cleaner target

You can include these phrases in your list of keywords for your Amazon ad.

In or out?
Rawpixel / Unsplash

There are many ins and outs in Amazon advertising. If you want to succeed as an Amazon advertiser, you need to become familiar with its complex platform and algorithms.

Regardless of its complexity, Amazon is moving to the top of the food chain. It still has a ways to go before it can beat out the top duopoly of Facebook and Google, but the projections are very promising. So the one “in” that matters the most in Amazon advertising is this: are you in or out?

The post 7 Ways to Upgrade Your Amazon Ads appeared first on AdvertiseMint.

How to Build Customer Loyalty This Holiday Season

September 26, 2018
Anna Hubbel, writer at AdvertiseMint, Facebook advertising agency
Craig Whitehead / Unsplash

You’ve got a friend in loyal customers who choose you over your competitors, who think of you first when making purchase decisions, who brag about their positive experiences with your brand. Customer loyalty is the foundation of your business’s success. To maintain a business in the long run, your customers need to keep coming back because not only are they your steady source of revenue, but they are also the key to reaching new customers by marketing your business through word of mouth.

The holiday season presents an optimal opportunity for building customer loyalty. Because shoppers are already in full-throttle buying mode, it’s easier to attract them with holiday sales and offers. You need to capitalize on the momentum to convert those shoppers into long-term loyal customers. If you do it right, your spirits will be bright all year round. Here are some tips for building customer loyalty this holiday season.

Create Valuable, High-Quality Products

Emarketer reports that 55.3 percent of US internet users say high-quality products are the most important factor in becoming loyal to a brand. In contrast, for 51.3 percent of US internet users, low-quality products are the primary reason to drop a brand. But you can’t sell one high-quality product and expect customers to pledge their loyalty to you. Emarketer says for 37 percent of US internet users, it takes more than five purchases to decide whether they want to be loyal to a brand. Only 12 percent say it takes only two purchases. Thus, consistently produce exceptional products of high quality and value. When you do, customers will become confident in your business and will more likely return to you.

Provide Excellent Customer Service

For 7.1 percent of US internet users, excellent customer service contributes to brand loyalty, according to Emarketer. If customers need to return a product either because it was defective or it didn’t arrive in the mail, provide stellar customer service. Provide a full refund, offer a free exchange, or re-ship a brand new product for free with a bonus gift as an apology for the delivery error.

Mistakes happen. It happens to the best of us. What matters most is that you fix the problem and prevent it from happening again, all while providing a positive and professional customer service experience.

Offer Great Deals
Claudio Schwarz/ Unsplash

Free shipping, VIP perks, and special discounts for multiple purchases are examples of offers you can provide to keep customers returning to you. Offering consistent discounts throughout the holiday season is a great way to create a sense of urgency, leading to more purchases, and ultimately, to more customer loyalty.

Provide Convenience

Convenience is the top loyalty determinant for 5.7 percent of US internet users, reports Emarketer. Mobile payments, two-day shipping, and personalized experiences are examples of ways to give your customers convenience, which is especially pertinent during the holidays, when customers are scrambling to finish their seasonal to-do lists. Make their lives easier by giving them easy shopping experiences.

Promote Customer Reviews
Rawpixel / Unsplash

An earlier survey shared by Emarketer shows that more than half of US internet users frequently refer to ratings and online reviews before making a purchase. Loyalty is primarily built on trust, and seeing what other customers think about your business helps customers determine whether they should trust your business. If you’ve garnered some positive customer reviews, highlight them in your ads this holiday season to build trust and, subsequently, to build customer loyalty.

As with all relationships, building loyalty takes time, patience, and work. If you put in the effort, you will be rewarded with customers you can count on for years to come. The jolly doesn’t have to end with the holidays.

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How Does Instagram’s Algorithm Work?

September 25, 2018
Julian DiMico, Guest

Instagram is a dominant social platform with one billion active users around the world. It is the most widely used photo-based social network. If you want to increase exposure for your Instagram posts, you must understand how the algorithm works because it decides what content to place on top of feeds. To determine which content appears on top of the feed, the algorithm considers interest, recency, and relationship.

Interest

The Instagram algorithm orders its feed according to the predicted interest in a post. Simply put, Instagram is betting that your post will be the most interesting to your followers. The algorithm makes this estimation using a number of factors. First, the algorithm looks at whether or not followers have interacted with similar posts in the past either by liking, commenting, or scrutinizing a photo. Previous engagement indicates the types of posts your followers are likely interested in.

Second, the algorithm looks at whether your followers are following similar accounts. If your followers follow a large percentage of travel accounts, posts by those accounts will appear higher in their feeds. Third, the algorithm looks at your relationship with your followers. For example, if the algorithm sees that your followers regularly search for your account, the algorithm will take that as a sign of interest in your account.

Recency

Of course, followers do not want to see the same post over and over again. They also want to see recently published posts. For that reason, the algorithm also considers recency when deciding which post to feature on top of feeds. For example, a 2 p.m. post from Buzzfeed will appear before a 4 p.m. post from The New York Times. 

Relationship

No matter how many accounts users follow, they still want to see the latest post from accounts they care for the most, accounts that keep them coming back daily to the platform.

The algorithm predicts relationships in several ways. First, it considers the number and frequency of direct messages followers send to you. If followers message you often, your post will appear higher in their feeds. Second,  it considers engagement on posts. If followers constantly like or comment on your posts, those posts will rise to the top. Third, it considers searches. If followers frequently search for your account, then the algorithm concludes that you and those followers have a close relationship.

Combine interest, recency, and relationship—those factors determine what content appears on top of users’ feeds.

Written by Julian DiMico, an expert in marketing, finance, and technology.

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