Social Media Marketing: Foundations to Practice · How Social Media Algorithms Actually Work
Platform-Specific Algorithm Quirks
The general ranking signals covered in the previous chapter get applied differently on each platform. This chapter covers the specific quirks worth knowing before planning content for a given platform.
Facebook's 2026 feed runs on a near 50/50 mix of connected content (friends, family, followed Pages) and algorithmic discovery content, with dwell time, specifically 15 or more seconds spent consuming a post, cited as the primary ranking signal; strong initial performance against predicted engagement expands a post's distribution to non-followers, while weak performance causes it to quietly fade [14].
Key Takeaways
- Facebook weighs dwell time (15+ seconds) as its primary signal, with strong initial performance expanding a post's reach to non-followers.
- Instagram runs separate algorithms per surface (Feed, Explore, Reels, Stories); Reels get the widest reach, carousels get the highest saves.
- LinkedIn's Depth Score rewards dwell time, comment substance, and saves over simple reaction counts, explicitly favoring substantive engagement.
- The early-engagement window that determines broader distribution has compressed to roughly 60-90 minutes on some platforms as of 2026.