How Does the Twitter Algorithm Work in 2024?

Just like other social media platforms, Twitter’s* main goal is to get users on the platform — and keep them engaged as long as possible. How does it do this? The Twitter algorithm provides you with useful, relevant, or thought-provoking content to keep you coming back for more.

As a marketer, it’s critical to learn the ins and outs of this platform’s algorithm to help place your content in front of existing and potential customers — and provoke interest in your brand. Here, we’ll explore how the Twitter algorithm works and how you can make the most of your experience on the platform. 

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What Is the Twitter Algorithm?

The Twitter (X) algorithm is a series of formulae that decide which content each user is most likely to engage with the most. 

Related: How Do Social Media Algorithms Work?

How Does the Twitter Algorithm Work?

The Twitter (X) algorithm is made up of several algorithms and, just like everything else in social media, is always evolving. Twitter’s algorithm learns about users based on their clicks, likes, and responses. Then, it takes this information and turns it into outputs. In this situation, that information helps create the main “For You” feed on the Twitter platform. 

Twitter (X) has recently changed its home screen to feature two different sections. The Following section feeds you the accounts you have deliberately chosen to follow, while the For You section provides personalized recommendations based on the algorithm. Users can toggle between these modes, and you can decide whether or not the For You feed really is for you. 

Twitter Feed Algorithm

The X / Twitter For You algorithm takes into account factors like: 

• A post’s popularity so far
• The kinds of content that users have liked in the past
• The accounts they follow (and the accounts those accounts follow)
• The content users have recently sought out, as well as content they have marked as being irrelevant to them

You can continually refine your feed by interacting with posts you like and muting or ignoring posts you don’t. Now that we’ve covered the basics of the algorithm, let’s dive into some of the details: 

Inventory

Anything that is posted goes into Twitter’s inventory, which is a collection of every single post on the platform. Then, Twitter’s algorithm has to decide the users who are most likely to engage with it and share it to their For You feed. 

Whether a post gets more widely distributed will depend on several factors, like its initial popularity and relevance to a wide number of users. 

Signals

Signals refer to the data points the algorithm uses to determine the likelihood of you engaging with or otherwise enjoying a specific piece of content. This might include positive indicators, including liking or reposting a post, or negative indicators, including ignoring or muting a post. 

Predictions

Based on these signals, Twitter’s algorithm will formulate predictions of posts you may like, which show up on the platform as your For You feed. As you continue interacting with the platform, your predictions will evolve alongside your activity. 

Relevance

X / Twitter determines the relevance of posts based on your past behavior, such as interaction with similar accounts and topics that caught your interest in your past Twitter interactions. At the same time, Twitter will show you topics that are trending (celebrities who have done something foolish, popular hashtags, countries that are currently doing well in the World Cup) to pique your interest. 

Relevance can also be determined by physical location. Twitter is more likely to serve content from your region and the number of posts you’ve made in the past that are related to a certain topic.

10 Tips To Rank Your Twitter Videos and Get More Views

Certain techniques will help you break through the noise on platforms more easily, including: 

Tip #1: Use Engaging Video Content 

While text posts and still images have their time and place, video content is critical for standing out in today’s saturated social media landscape. With engaging video content, you’ll be able to quickly catch users’ attention. 

Tip #2: Avoid Spam-Like Content 

The algorithm filters out content that looks like spam, including an account that posts the same post multiple times or an account that posts a handful of irrelevant posts within a few minutes. Even if it misses a post or two, users likely won’t engage with it, sending it into the Twitter inventory archives.

Tip #3: Utilize Humor

Humor is a great way to connect with your audience, especially on X / Twitter. With many people chatting on the platform over the latest films and fashion trends, you can utilize these timely moments to make your audience laugh. 

Tip #4: Understand Your Audience

In order to effectively connect with your audience, you need to know who they are, what they like, and what kind of content they typically engage with. You’ll want to know this about your specific audience — and the Twitter audience in general. For example, it’s helpful to know that 38.5% of Twitter users are 25 to 34 years old.

Tip #5: Follow the Trends

Twitter is more likely to showcase posts related to timely events, especially if they’re gathering a lot of attention from users. You can ride the wave of a hashtag or current event in a way that feels organic. Twitter is often focused on the here and now, so your production setup needs to be nimble enough to take part in current social media video trends. 

Tip #6: Share Native Video Content

Content works when it feels tailored to the demands of a particular platform. Native video content refers to a video that feels organic to a site. In the case of Twitter, that means specific technical video specs and a recommended length of under 15 seconds (with a max of 2 minutes and 20 seconds). 

Making native content also means studying current types of videos on Twitter that are doing well; Today, Twitter video tends to be more polished than videos on TikTok, but not quite as elaborate as videos on Instagram. And the smaller size of the screen and horizontal aspect ratio demands a different style and focus than Reels.

Tip #7: Effectively Time Your Posts

The Twitter algorithm takes into account the engagement your post receives shortly after you’ve posted it. So, the faster your post gets engagement, the wider your post will be shared. By effectively timing your posts, you can share your posts when you’re most likely to get higher engagement rates. 

Tip #8: Define Your Goals

Before you get started, be sure to define your goals. Knowing what you want from your campaign will make it possible to judge the effectiveness of your videos. Having these goals in mind can also help you refine the video as you move through the video production process. 

Additionally, if you want to create a video ad, defining your goals ahead of time can help you decide on the best Twitter video ad. These ad styles have different considerations, including whether they have buttons, whether or not you can include supporting copy, and if you’re looking to start a conversation with your audience, complete the post with a call to action (CTA).

Tip #9: Engage on the Platform

While posting content is critical, it’s not enough on its own. You’ll also need to engage with other users on the platform to grow your organic and paid presence. From replying to threads, liking other posts, and responding to relevant content, there are many ways to build a solid Twitter network. 

Tip #10: Optimize Your Content 

Similar to optimizing what time you post your content, you’ll want to optimize the kind of content you post, as well. For example, if you notice your Twitter followers are enjoying live-action videos more than animated videos, you’ll want to adjust your video marketing strategy. 

Related: Twitter Video Ad Specs & Placements Guide

Make Twitter Videos at Scale

Given the importance of staying present and on point with your Twitter feed, you need a consistent stream of content to share with your audience. For many businesses, though, creating content in-house for another platform just isn’t feasible. 

We get it — and that’s why we created QuickFrame. Our agile end-to-end video production platform connects your business with the top video makers from around the world. 

Whether you’re looking for help on your hundredth Twitter video campaign or are just starting out with video marketing, we’ve got the resources you need to create impactful campaigns. Contact us today to get started. 

Twitter Algorithm: Final Thoughts

While Twitter — like all social media platforms — evolves, the platform remains a popular place for marketers to connect with peers, consumers, and other businesses. To make your time on the platform successful, it’s critical to work with the X / Twitter algorithm to create engaging content that’s widely shared. 

*While Twitter was rebranded as X in 2023, we’ll still use the two names interchangeably due to brand familiarity and the platform’s surviving twitter.com domain.