How Does the Facebook Algorithm Work in 2023?

Over the past few years, the Facebook algorithm—like many other social platforms’ algorithms—has continued to evolve. 

Now, the platform focuses on recommending content based on interests, activity history, and more. As of mid-2022, around 15% of content on the average Facebook Feed is recommended content—and that number is expected to double by the end of 2023. 

This discovery-oriented algorithm can deliver powerful results for businesses, but it can also be hard to keep up with Facebook’s rapid changes. Here, we’ll walk you through how the Facebook algorithm works and strategies to help get your video marketing content to the top of the screen. 

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What is the Facebook Algorithm?

Like all social media platforms today, Facebook runs on an algorithm. Essentially, the algorithm evaluates and scores each piece of content, from Feed posts to Reels. Then, it identifies the most relevant content for each user based on factors like demographics, interests, view history, and more. 

• Related: How Do Social Media Algorithms Work?

How Does the Facebook Algorithm Work?

While you’ve likely heard a lot about “beating the algorithm,” that’s not exactly what you want to do. Instead, it’s more effective to find a way to work with the algorithm. If done correctly, your Facebook marketing can hit new heights.

The good news is: the Facebook algorithm doesn’t have to be complicated. The key is understanding how it works in the first place. 

Behind the scenes, Meta has a whole team dedicated to updating the Facebook algorithm. Through machine learning and artificial intelligence, the algorithm is constantly improving, so what worked for the algorithm a year ago probably won’t work in 2023. 

Here are the basics of how the Facebook algorithm works, for both your regular Feed and the Reels: 

Facebook Feed Algorithm

Facebook’s main Feed features content from the people, brands, and groups a user is already engaging with or following. It also mixes in a few relevant suggested posts, along with ads and other sponsored content. 

The algorithm ranks the content shown to each person using a four-step process. 

1. Inventory

First, the algorithm considers inventory, which is all of the available content that could show up for a user. This includes posts from friends, content from pages and groups they’re following, relevant ads, recommended content based on activity, and more. 

2. Signals

Once all of the content has been taken into consideration, the algorithm uses thousands of signals to determine the relevance of each piece of content. These can include who posted the content, what time they interacted with the post, and how often they interacted with this kind of content. 

3. Predictions

Using those signals, the Facebook algorithm makes predictions on what each user wants to see, based on the user’s past activity and behavior. 

4. Relevance

Finally, the algorithm scores each piece of content based on relevance. The higher the score, the higher it ranks on a user’s Feed. The first piece of content you see is what the Facebook algorithm has decided is most relevant for you. 

Facebook Reels Algorithm

While Facebook’s Feed has been around for a long time, Facebook Reels are relatively new. Since they just became a feature in late 2021, there’s less information available about how the algorithm works for these videos. Don’t worry—there are some guiding principles creators should follow. 

According to Facebook, the highest-quality content is promoted first. To make algorithm-pleasing video content, the platform recommends:  

• Entertaining your audience 
• Starting trends and inspiring others 
• Using creative tools like text, filters, or effects
• Using vertical video and avoiding horizontal videos
• Using music, either original audio or from the Facebook library 
• Being experimental, original, and new 
• Showcasing your content with good lighting and filming techniques 

5 Tips To Rank Your Facebook Videos and Get More Views

With this information in mind, how can you tailor your video content to appear in the Feeds of your target audience?

Here are a few tips you can use to produce different types of videos that appeal to the platform: 

1. Understand Your Audience 

Above all, Facebook’s goal is to personalize each user’s experience. So, as a brand, your main goal should be to make sure your videos are relevant to your target audience. To pull this off, you need to understand your audience—inside and out. 

Make sure you understand your audience through their interests, behaviors, and preferences. The more you can captivate your target audience, the better your posts will perform. 

2. Encourage Interaction 

Facebook’s algorithm prioritizes content it believes will create extended interaction and encourage people to stay on the platform. Whether informative or entertaining, the videos you create should spark conversation.

Aim for engaging video content, which encourages users to stop scrolling and like, comment, or share the post. In particular, shares can be an important signal of a video’s relevance and even virality. 

3. Put Video Quality First 

More brands are beginning to realize the potential of video on Facebook. In fact, 81% of businesses on Facebook are now sharing videos, but this also means Facebook users now have access to a huge pool of video content! 

The high quantity of content makes quality more important than ever before. Great lighting, crisp audio, visually appealing camera techniques, and well-scripted videos are the foundation of any good video. Without them, your videos might not have a chance to compete—let alone stand out. 

4. Be Authentic and Meaningful 

In 2023, Facebook is putting a lot of weight into meaningful content and looking for authentic accounts posting valuable content and creating genuine engagement. 

If all you’re posting is brand promotion, you won’t win any bonus points with the algorithm. Instead, focus on creating authentic, informative, and meaningful videos. Focus on stories people will want to spend time watching or even talk about with others. 

5. Keep Videos Short and Engaging 

In today’s fast-paced digital world, people don’t generally like to spend time watching long videos (though, as with everything, there are exceptions). Focus on creating shorter videos with a compelling, attention-grabbing hook. 

Videos should still be somewhere between 30 and 90 seconds, as Facebook does consider watch time for the algorithm. But if your video doesn’t captivate users right away, they’ll get bored and keep scrolling. 

Related: Facebook Video Ad Specs & Placements

Make Facebook Videos at Scale

As the Facebook algorithm continues to change, it’s challenging for brands to stay ahead of the curve. It’s hard enough to keep up with a consistent posting schedule for static posts, let alone the effort and expertise video demands. 

It takes the right high-quality video production techniques to master the Facebook algorithm, but not every marketing team has time to make this happen on their own. That’s where we come in. 

At QuickFrame by MNTN, our leading platform connects you with the best creators and production teams to deliver optimized video content for any objective, platform, and video style. 

Ready to make your mark? Contact us today to learn more about Facebook video production.

Facebook Algorithm: Final Thoughts

The Facebook algorithm is an intricate system, and it’s constantly evolving. To make the most of it, focus on working with the algorithm while still creating meaningful videos for Facebook users. 

By following the most recent guidelines and best practices, you can get your content in front of your target audience.