Understanding social media algorithms

Social media has become one of the most important tools in brand building and reputation management—transforming this platform from being used only for casual interactions into becoming a critical tool for business communication and public relations.

- RON JABAL

And what drives this transformation are social media algorithms—very complex, automated technology systems that are designed to deliver personalization based on user preferences, tastes, and behavior.

Truthfully, these algorithms have a profound impact on how brands engage with audiences, making them crucial for public relations professionals to understand and adapt to.

Hence, more and more professionals are learning and specializing in social media technology as this may really be the future of brand communication and marketing.

As social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube continue to develop and evolve, their algorithms incessantly shape how content is distributed, and we consume this content.

This presents significant opportunities and challenges as well for PR professionals in Southeast Asia, especially in the Philippines, where social media is a dominant channel for communication.

The role of social media algorithms

For starters, social media algorithms are automated systems that curate and rank content based on several factors.

This includes behavior of users, their engagement levels, content relevance, and platform-specific priorities.

And the goal of algorithms—to create a personalized very "swak" feed for each user, particularly and with almost razor-sharp accuracy, showing them content they are most likely to engage with based on their online behavior.

Indeed, at its most basic function, these algorithms are gatekeepers as a well-designed post with great content may go unnoticed if it doesn't meet the algorithm's criteria for engagement, relevance, or format.

Since social media platforms continuously update their algorithms to prioritize different types of content, formats, and engagement behaviors, PR professionals need to stay on top of these changes as it is crucial in maintaining visibility and relevance.