The advent of social media was a game changer for marketers and PR practitioners to build narratives, promote products, enhance brand reputation and increase sales. However, there are challenges beyond the control of marketing and PR practitioners and entirely under the control of social networks. One of these challenges is the social media algorithm and its changes over time. These algorithms impact the effectiveness of content, and any change in them can stagnate the impact of PR and brand campaigns.
Know the Ranking Criteria
Social media networks, such as YouTube, Instagram, X, Facebook, TikTok and LinkedIn, utilize a complex set of rules and calculations to display and prioritize what content users see in their feeds. These algorithms rank content according to several criteria, including relevancy, originality, personalization and user interaction.
The social media platforms have their operational strategies which evolve over time—and this is not a static object. The idea behind the change in algorithm is to adjust the platform’s relevance to the user’s experience. Considering this algorithm strategy of social media platforms, PR practitioners must be flexible in their PR strategies to align their campaigns and activities in line with the current setting of platform’s algorithm patterns.
The Effects of Algorithm Changes on Measurement
A PR strategy that is working well may become ineffective with a change in an algorithm, which can affect content marketing and PR tactics in different ways. A change in the algorithm may have an impact on the brand's organic reach, causing posts that were previously highly visible to now earn less engagement.
As a result of algorithms varying how information is prioritized, people may interact with postings differently and at different times, which could have a detrimental effect on the brand's engagement on social media platforms. Algorithm modifications may cause the focus to change from one sort of content type to another, such as from text-heavy postings to interactive ones with polls, or from pictures to videos.
Platforms Prioritize User Preferences
Producing content that strongly resonates with the audience's preferences will likely be boosted by the platform, as social media platforms priorities the user’s preferences and make algorithm changes accordingly. In 2015, YouTube adjusted its algorithm to directly focus on viewer satisfaction and engagement metrics with user surveys. YouTube itself posted an insider tip on its content creator website, saying, “Our algorithm doesn’t pay attention to videos, it pays attention to viewers. So, rather than trying to make videos that’ll make an algorithm happy, focus on making videos that make your viewers happy.”
Successful social media strategists consider this algorithm metric. One relevant example is GoPro’s social media strategy, which effectively aligned with YouTube’s algorithm change. In 2018, GoPro launched its now-annual Million Dollar Challenge with a focus on user-generated content by asking customers to submit their best HERO7 Black raw video clips to the Million Dollar Challenge for the chance to land in the highlight video to win a cut of $1,000,000. Since YouTube focuses on longer watch time and engagement (comments, likes, shares), this GoPro campaign overflowed YouTube and other social media platforms.
On December 14, 2018, GoPro issued an official press release and quoted the results: “The HERO7 Black Million Dollar Challenge received more than 25,000 unique submissions from around the world. Clips from 56 HERO7 Black users were included in the final video, which features awe-inspiring visuals that showcase the passion and creativity of the GoPro community. Each person included in the Million Dollar Challenge video will be awarded just over $17,500 for their submission.” Considering the campaign's success, the GoPro Million Dollar Challenge has been an annual user-generated content campaign ever since it began.
How to Mitigate Algorithm Shifts
A key learning here is that the algorithm prefers high-quality visual content, compelling captions, and using rich media, storytelling and interactive elements to capture audience interest. Another approach is to produce case studies and problem-solving content in blog posts and visual content that can be relatable to your readers and viewers. Polls, quizzes, reels and stories are a new way of engaging audiences that has appeal for algorithms as well.
To mitigate the risk of being affected by changes in algorithm, brands should not rely too heavily on a single social media platform but should instead expand their presence across multiple social media channels. This diversification helps to ensure that changes in one platform’s algorithm don’t disproportionately affect its overall social media strategy.
In an ever-changing media landscape, brand custodians and agency practitioners must consider changes in algorithms and invest time and money in data analysis and social media measurement techniques to sustain exposure and engagement on social media platforms.
Waqas Kazmi is the Director Strategy and Account Planning at Syntax Communications.