Back in the day (pre-Covid), it used to matter how many followers you had on any social media platform. It used to dictate how many eyeballs saw your posts every time you posted something. Since TikTok came around and shortened the attention spans of the whole world, all the other social media companies worked hard to emulate their model—short form content.
What is a social media algorithm?
Algorithms are rules, signals, and data that govern the platform's operation. These algorithms determine how content is filtered, ranked, selected, and recommended to users. Algorithms influence what we see on social media. When you scroll through the shorts feed, the algorithm learns what keeps your attention (to keep you on the app longer) and feeds you the next video based on what it thinks you’ll enjoy. So, if you find yourself with dozens of cat videos flooding your feed, you know why.
Why does it matter?
Social media companies make money by showing ads to their users, so they want us to stay on their apps as long as possible. 82% of users online watch videos. Since TikTok exploded in popularity and hooked many viewers' attention, all the other socials, like Facebook, Instagram, and even Snapchat, have added ‘shorts’ to their platforms to compete with TikTok. These companies have changed how their algorithms worked and boosted the algorithms of the shorts categories, meaning that anyone can go viral if the video is performing well (by ways of retention, interaction, and shares).
This is GREAT news for small businesses and brands that are just starting out or have a smaller following. If the content is good, and people are commenting, liking, and sharing your post, the algorithm will push it out to more eyeballs because it believes people enjoy your content and are willing to stay on their app to consume it. If more people see your content, the higher chance you’ll have of growing your following and increasing your sales.
In summary, just posting a short or reel is bound to get more views than posting a regular video outside of the shorts guidelines (9:16 format, 60 seconds—3 minutes depending on the platform) because of the added boosts in the shorts categories to remain a competitor with our shortened attention spans—thanks TikTok.
I can honestly go on and on about this topic, but I will end here for now. This spring of 2025, I’ll be releasing “30 Days of Marketing Tips for Small Businesses”, where I post a reel each day that will cover all sorts of tips on how to market yourself, create reels with a smartphone, different content ideas you can create yourself, etc. And no, it’s no coincidence that it’ll be reels—lol. Make sure to follow my socials so you don’t miss out! Hope to see you there.
In the meantime, click here to read another blog that dives deeper into the world of algorithms.