The Impact of Social Media Algorithms on Influencer Marketing

Written By Catherine Miller

Ahhh, algorithms. I don’t know about you, but I miss the days of the sweet, sweet chronological feed- you know the ones you could scroll to the end of and close the app knowing you saw all there was to see? We are now long past that and deep into the world of algorithms, endless social feeds, and artificial intelligence. Algorithms play an important role on social media- they are how we as social media users see the content we want to see. Today we’re going to cover what an algorithm is, how it affects influencer marketing, and a few tips to help optimize it so that your brand campaigns are successful.

So, what’s an algorithm anyways?

By standard definition, an algorithm is, “a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer.” This is a bare bones definition so let’s dig in a little deeper to see how it relates to social media. Our friends at Hootsuite explain, “A social media algorithm is a set of rules and signals that automatically ranks content on a social platform based on how likely each individual social media user is to like it and interact with it.” That’s a little more relevant for our discussion today! 

Imagine you see a reel pop up on your Instagram Reel feed. Sometimes it already has a ton of interactions and other times- basically none. The reason is because when a user posts a Reel let’s say the app shows that to 20 people. If 20 out of 20 like, interact with, or watch the whole thing that tells the app (or algorithm) its desirable content and that the Reel should be shown to more people. It will then show the Reel to 50 people. If 40 out of the 50 are into it and interact with it, it will keep getting pushed to more and more people until it goes viral or people stop showing interest in it. Working with this same example, imagine out of the second group of 50 people the reel was shown to, only 10 people interacted with it. This shows the algorithm that it’s not good content and it shouldn’t be pushed out anymore or that it’s not being shown to the right audience. Based on how users interact with content changes how well it performs and who it’s pushed out to. 

Algorithms create a hyper-personalized feed for social media users based on the content they interact with ensuring that you stay on the app longer. On social media, algorithms prioritize content that users are more likely to engage with which can affect the visibility of influencer marketing campaigns. Now that we’re on the same page about what an algorithm is, let’s dive into how it affects influencer marketing, some recent changes, and a few tips to help optimize it so that your brand campaigns are successful.

Andddd, how exactly do algorithms affect influencer marketing?

Social media platforms are constantly updating their algorithms and it can be difficult to keep up with. They continuously work on algorithms to make sure users are seeing content they want to see. They are important because of the sheer number of social media users and people creating content daily. There is simply too much and algorithms help filter content for its users so that vegan wellness girlies don’t see hunting tip videos pop up on their feed and hunter bros in the Midwest don’t see ‘Things to Do in NYC’ videos. You can imagine how confusing that would be for everyone involved. 

Algorithms play a significant role in influencer marketing as it is what decides what content is shown to whom and how many people it’s shown to. As it analyzes user behavior, engagement, and other data points it decides if an influencer's content is relevant to the app users. Understanding how the algorithm works helps content reach its target audience. 

As an influencer or brand running an influencer campaign, you need to focus on prioritizing content that will generate high engagement. This means content that elicits comments, shares, likes, and saves will rank higher in the algorithm. Shares and saves have a bigger effect on engagement rates than comments and likes. Asking questions, running polls on stories, and creating interactive content will help users interact with your account. This pleases the social media gods and therefore will lead to your account’s posts being pushed out to your ideal audience. 

Creating valuable content is key here. When someone sees something that provides insights into a topic they are interested in or provides a solution to a problem they are having, they will interact with or save the post. That is why it’s so important to be providing information to your audience. By giving tips and tricks into your niche, people will be interested in your content and the algorithm will notice this. The algorithm will also notice if your content is helping keep users on the app longer. Creating long form content such as informational videos or writing long, insightful captions will keep users engaged and more willing to share your content. This can increase reach and brand visibility for you or the company you are partnered with. It’s important to have a strategy, create useful or entertaining content, and post often. 

Tips for Optimizing Influencer Marketing Campaigns

  1. Stay Engaging & Relevant: Provide shareable and saveable content to your users. This is different for every creator depending on your niche. Our one tip here is to be yourself and create content that fires you up- not content people are telling you should make. Use guidelines, read blogs, and educate yourself- but always make and create content you’re passionate about.

  2. Use All In-App Features: By using in app features you are showing the algorithm that you are engaging with your audience. Don’t be afraid to jump on stories and talk directly to your audience. Start conversations, create polls, ask questions, use quizzes, share about who you are and what you believe in. Don’t shy away from being yourself. Stories and reels offer a unique opportunity to connect with those who WANT to connect with you and reach a wide audience. Many people look at Reels from stories so it’s worth engaging with people there. On Tiktok, try going live and chatting with your users in real time. By using in-app features you are showing the algorithm you mean business!

  3. Try Paid Advertising: Organic reach is essential, but paid advertising is beneficial in the long game too. You can leverage paid ads by marketing your content to a specific group of people. This can be your current ideal audience or a group of people you are trying to convert for the first time. Facebook and Instagram both offer highly targeted ad options that allow influencers to reach users in their desired demographic. 

Catherine Miller
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