THE LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH ALGORITHMS

Non-chronological timelines are becoming increasingly common on social media. After Facebook introduced their ‘Top Stories’ news feed, the Facebook-owned Instagram began experimenting with an algorithm based feed, and now, Snapchat is considering introducing ranked content. Even the relentlessly chronological Twitter has introduced some ranked content elements to their feed.

Non-chronological timelines use algorithms to determine what content is most relevant to specific users, based on their interests, who they engage with, what they view the most and what they spend the most time doing. The algorithm pushes this content to the top of their feed, effectively curating content.

So why are non-chronological timelines becoming more popular on social media?

As these sites grow in size, both in terms of the numbers of users as well as the amount of content uploaded to them, it becomes more difficult for users to see relevant information. For example, Instagram, when introducing their algorithm based feed, noted that users miss an average of 70% of their feeds. Similarly, after a recent update to Snapchat some brands using the app have reported a 20% reduction in the completion rate of their content.

The introduction of algorithm based feeds usually brings the platform additional revenue as brands are offered ways to pay for more prominent placement, perhaps most notably seen in Facebook’s boosted posts. It’s also interesting to note that discussion about Snapchat’s algorithm is largely based around professional accounts used by marketers and brands, rather than targeting everyday users.

The backlash against algorithms is largely because of the difficulty users with smaller followings have in getting their posts seen when content is ranked. But despite this backlash, are algorithm based feeds necessarily a bad thing?

For users, not necessarily. The people you engage with the most will be able to view your content as a higher priority in their feeds, and having quick access to relevant content is designed to make the social media experience more dynamic and enjoyable. Further, looking at Facebook’s Feed Quality Program shows how algorithms can adapt to assess the different kinds of value that different content can bring to a feed.

For larger businesses with larger social followings, an algorithm based feed can be a great thing, as their content will be prioritised over smaller competitors. This is particularly true for publishers, who create more interactive content, as compared to brands who produce promotional content.

But for businesses with a smaller social following that rely on organic reach for social media success, algorithms can pose difficulties, hence the introduction of the option to pay for better placement in the algorithm.

As non-chronological feeds are rolled out this will inevitably lead to more businesses putting more resources into their social media, both to pay for prominence and to improve the quality of their content to make it more organically likeable and shareable.