The Algorithm
Let’s talk about the word that circulates through our social media conversations yet no one really knows what it means…
“The Algorithm.”
We know it does things to our feeds–Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, you name it. Somehow there’s a system that curates content that it thinks you’ll enjoy, which is great! But how does it work, and how can small businesses benefit from it?
Algorithms are interesting because not only does it rely on the literal content that is being posted (boosted by the well-known #Hashtag), but it also relies heavily on the engagement that it receives, especially in the early stages of posting. Comments, likes, shares and tagging all help to boost engagement which signals to the algorithm that a company’s content is worth sharing (which for small businesses, it totally is)!
For large businesses with already huge followings, the algorithm naturally gravitates toward them, which can get in the way of small businesses being shared. Which is why we’re here to share the best ways to support your favorite local and small businesses when you can’t necessarily buy everything (even if you want to)!
Following: This might be an obvious one, but remembering to follow small business accounts is the easiest way to continuously show support!
Liking + Commenting: The most basic of interactions that we are all aware of. What you may not realize, though, is that the the more likes a post gets, the more likely it is to be deemed relevant for the explore page. Commenting will do the same thing, which takes only 5 seconds more of your time. If you love the post, make sure to like AND comment for that extra push!
Sharing: The next step up from liking and commenting on posts is sharing them to your stories and posts (retweeting on twitter, etc.). This is a great way to spread the word about what a small business is up to with your followers who may have never heard of them before! Whether you have 100 or 100,000 followers, this lil’ extra step can go a long way. Make sure to tag the creators too so they can send you some love back!
All of these tasks may seem small, but when small biz communities make the effort, it makes a big difference–you don’t always have to buy something to help out. Next time you see a post from your fav small company, show them some love. Trust us, it’ll mean more than you know!
