The Facebook Algorithm in 2023

Key Takeaways

• Previously, Facebook’s algorithm focused on oversharing, lack of News Feed space and content credibility.
• The algorithm has mainly three ranking levels: Post creators, content type and interactions with the post.
• Facebook groups could be the future of influencer marketing on the platform.

What Is the Social Media Algorithm?

The social media algorithm refers to the automated process used by platforms to determine what content is displayed to users in their News Feed, timeline or discovery section. In essence, the algorithm is a set of mathematical rules and operations that process a large amount of data, such as user interactions, type of content published, popularity and many other factors, to determine which content is shown to each particular person.

Each social media platform employs its own algorithm to display content to its users. The algorithms are designed to optimize the experience by displaying relevant and interesting content for each profile, in hopes that the user will engage more with the platform and use it more often.

Facebook’s algorithm, for example, decides what content to show users based on various factors, such as the relationship between users, interests, type of content and number of interactions with the user.

A Brief History of the Facebook Algorithm

The social network of choice for college friends was originally a revolutionary way for companies to present themselves, their products and services directly to a new target group. As competition for views and clicks increased, organic reach – the number of people who could be reached for free on Facebook – diminished.

To solve this problem, Facebook developed an algorithm that has evolved over the years since the platform’s launch in 2004. Initially, the News Feed was based on the chronological order of posts, but in 2009 an algorithm was introduced to rank posts according to relevance.

In 2011, Facebook implemented a new algorithm called “EdgeRank”, which uses several factors to determine which posts will be displayed in a user’s News Feed, including the user’s affinity with the content creator and the relevance of the content.

Subsequently, in 2013, EdgeRank was replaced by a more complex algorithm called the News Feed Ranking Algorithm, which uses over 100,000 factors to determine which articles are displayed in users’ News Feeds.

A year later, in 2014, the company tackled the problem of “content overload and lack of space in Facebook’s News Feed” by trying to filter out relevant posts and ads with new filters. But according to TechCrunch, Facebook has done a “poor job of communicating how and why it filters the News Feed so far”.

In 2018, Facebook announced it would change its algorithm to prioritize content from friends and family over brands and businesses. The company announced that the focus would be on people’s “meaningful interactions” and optimizing users’ time spent on the platform. A year later, Mark Zuckerberg announced he would create a social network “centered on privacy”. Here’s what Facebook’s inventor and CEO has to say about it:

“Finally, in 2023, the algorithm is changed again, after focusing in recent months on the rating and credibility of news articles.”

Also read: How to Increase Engagement Rates on Facebook on Kolsquare’s Influencer Marketing Blog

What Is Edgerank and Why Is It So Important?

Edgerank is a version of Facebook’s algorithm that is used to determine which articles will be displayed in a user’s News Feed and their order. It was developed by Facebook to optimize the experience by improving engagement and interaction between users and content.

Edgerank takes into account three main factors:

1. Affinity: The relationship a user has with the page publishing the content.
2. Weight: The importance given by Facebook to different types of content, such as videos, images, links, etc.
3. Time: How fresh the post is and how long it has been posted.

What Makes the Facebook Algorithm Unique?

Facebook’s algorithm refers to a set of guidelines that determine how content is ranked on the platform. It decides the order in which content appears in the News Feed and what content is shown to each user. This is known as “personalized ranking” because the algorithm evaluates and ranks each post, ad, story and reel to display in descending order rather than chronologically, based on each user’s interest.

Facebook’s algorithm determines relevance according to three main ranking levels. These are message creator, content type and interactions with the message. Facebook removes content that violates its community standards and also works to prevent the spread of offensive content such as misinformation, sensationalist health claims or clickbaiting. Of course, you should avoid threatening or violent language, harassment, harmful stereotypes and insults.

How Does the New Facebook 2023 Algorithm Work?

The algorithm is designed to display relevant content from people, brands and groups to which users are already connected. When it comes to Facebook’s 2023 video algorithm, high-quality content is essential for the tool to better rank your videos. Best practices for moving images include being entertaining and engaging, using integrated tools, sticking to a vertical orientation and adding music, as well as avoiding blurry or low-resolution videos, videos with watermarks from other apps, videos with a frame around them and horizontal videos.

As mentioned, Edgerank has been modified several times over the last few years, as the tool has developed and user preferences have evolved worldwide. In 2023, the new algorithm is based on artificial intelligence and is designed to make the most of the platform by offering people personalized content with which they are most likely to interact and find value.

In this process, one of the algorithm’s main objectives is to prioritize content that is important to each individual. This means that Facebook is constantly modifying and updating the algorithm to ensure that users increase the time they spend on the site and consume the content that is most useful to them.

Facebook also offers users the opportunity to shape the algorithm and personalize their News Feed. This is the latest update to Facebook’s “My Favorites” algorithm, which gives users more control, including adding up to 30 people and pages to favorites, shunning users, hiding posts and giving feedback on ads.

What Are the Differences Between Facebook's Algorithm and Instagram's?

Generally speaking, Facebook’s algorithm focuses on providing users with relevant and engaging content in their News Feed, based on their behavior on the platform and the overall popularity of the content. The main aim of the algorithm is to keep users engaged and browsing the platform for longer.

Instagram’s algorithm, meanwhile, focuses on displaying the content in each user’s News Feed that they deem most relevant and interesting to them while placing great importance on visual aesthetics. Instagram’s algorithm is based on signals such as the quality of images, the popularity of hashtags used and the frequency with which users interact with certain types of content.

How Does Facebook's Friend Suggestion Algorithm Work?

Facebook’s friend suggestion algorithm is based on several signals, including profile information, user’s existing connections and activity on the platform. We describe the process in more detail below:

1. Existing connections: Facebook’s algorithm analyzes a user’s existing connections, including friends, family, colleagues and other acquaintances on the platform. If several people are already friends with someone in common, Facebook may suggest a user to add as a friend.
2. Recent activity: Facebook can also suggest friends based on a user’s recent activity. For example, if a user has recently interacted with another person’s profile, such as by commenting on or sharing a post, the platform may suggest a new friend in that circle.
3. Profile information: The algorithm takes into account profile information, such as city, school, university, workplace, interests and other details. If other users have similar profile information, they will probably appear as a friend suggestion.
4. People search: Finally, Facebook can also suggest friends based on your search activity. If you’ve searched for a specific person on the platform, Facebook may suggest that the user add that person as a friend.

These factors are part of the current process, but the algorithm may change over time, as Facebook continually makes updates to improve the user experience and the relevance of its friend suggestions.

How to Get Around Facebook's Algorithm?

Optimizing your content on Facebook can dramatically improve your relationship, engagement and reach with your Facebook audience.

So here are a few strategies to optimize your use of Facebook’s algorithm in 2023:

Use a Variety of Formats Such as Videos and Images

It’s not new that visual media such as images and videos on Facebook tend to generate more engagement than text-only posts. Use high-quality visuals that are relevant to your audience and represent you in terms of brand identity.

Use Interactive Features for Your Audience

Facebook offers Pages several interactive features, such as polls, quizzes and live videos, which can increase your popularity with your audience. Use these features to encourage engagement and increase your reach, but avoid outright click-baiting, as Facebook’s algorithm doesn’t like it.

Publish Regularly and at Optimized Times

It’s important to publish regularly to keep your target audience interested in your brand and to increase the number of your visitors. However, be careful not to publish too often, as this can reduce engagement. Posting at times when your audience is most active on Facebook can help increase engagement. With Facebook Insights, you can find out when your audience is most active and schedule posts for your page.

Analyze the Data and Relevance of Your Posts

Use Facebook Insights to track the performance of your content and determine which types of posts resonate most with your audience. Use this data to optimize your content strategy and integrate specific topics over time.

Also read: How to Measure the Performance of Your Influencer Marketing With Kolsquare

Test and Experiment to Increase Your Page's Visibility

Don’t be afraid to try new things and test different types of content and publishing strategies. Look at the numbers and determine what works, then adjust your strategy accordingly. Kolsquare tip: Of course, each network operates according to its own logic, so you need to test your strategies according to the platform.

Keep in mind that in the process of improving the ranking of a Facebook profile, content is always the key, which is why we recommend you read our blog post: What Content Works Best on Facebook?

The Future of Facebook's Algorithm

It’s unclear what Facebook’s plans are for the algorithm in the future. Like any other platform, the Meta-owned company is silent on the specifics of its algorithms; after all, AIs are at the heart of networks that are supposed to build user loyalty. However, there’s another tip from Kolsquare, in addition to the strategies generally outlined for the algorithm in 2023.

Instead of becoming just another post in the vastness of the News Feed, it makes sense to create niche communities, also known as Facebook groups, in collaboration with influencers. In these unique groups, they can spark interesting discussions, encourage conscious use of the platform and build user loyalty. While the 2890m monthly active users scroll less through the News Feed, they interact more in Facebook Groups. This also gives potential consumers the feeling of being part of something exclusive, of belonging to a privileged group, which is absolutely true. This trend is also reflected in another development: Influencer marketing on messaging services such as Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp. People prefer to talk personally with their idols and favorite brands on a central topic. At the same time, groups are reducing fake news and hateful comments, as privacy makes users feel safer on the one hand and more easily identified on the other.

Many companies are still reluctant to create such a community, as it has to be maintained (sometimes at great expense). Consequently, creating a Facebook group as an influencer marketing strategy is not a quick or easy task, but it can certainly be worthwhile.