Facebook’s news feed algorithm does not display posts strictly in chronological order for several reasons. The main goal of the algorithm is to show users the most relevant and interesting content at the top of their news feeds. Showing posts strictly by time would not achieve this goal.
The Facebook News Feed Algorithm
Facebook introduced the news feed algorithm in 2006. Before this, Facebook simply showed all posts by friends in reverse chronological order. However, as more people and pages joined Facebook, this became overwhelming for users. There was simply too much content to sort through.
Facebook needed a better way to determine the most important and relevant posts to show users. This led to the development of the news feed ranking algorithm. The algorithm takes into account over 100,000 different factors to determine the top stories to display in each user’s feed. Some of the main factors considered include:
- How recently the post was shared
- The type of post (photo, video, status update, etc)
- How many likes, comments or shares the post receives
- If the user has interacted with the person posting before
- The post’s relevancy to the user based on interests, groups, pages followed
Facebook is constantly tweaking and refining the algorithm to improve results. The goal is to maintain user engagement by showing posts users are most likely to interact with at the top of their feeds. While time is a factor, it’s not the only or main factor driving the ranking.
Advantages of Non-Chronological Order
Showing posts out of chronological order has some advantages from the user perspective:
- Seeing the most popular and engaging posts first – The algorithm surfaces hot trending stories and posts with lots of interaction at the top rather than burying them.
- Less spam and clutter – Spammy posts and uninteresting updates can get buried underneath more relevant content.
- New accounts are not drowned out – Posts by new connections are not always buried at the bottom but rather mixed in based on relevance.
- No need to constantly refresh – Important posts do not get buried as quickly, reducing the urge to constantly refresh the feed.
The algorithm aims to create an optimal feed tailored to each user. Facebook believes this creates a better overall experience than strict chronological order. Users engage more with the content they see, rather than getting overwhelmed sorting through irrelevant posts.
Challenges and Criticisms
However, Facebook’s non-chronological news feed has also faced some criticisms and challenges:
- Some users prefer seeing posts in timely order and complain the algorithm is too opaque in how it ranks content.
- Breaking news or timely posts around big events can get buried rather than being featured at the top.
- It can fuel “filter bubbles,” showing people only viewpoint-reinforcing content.
- Businesses and creators complain posts’ organic reach has plummeted to encourage paid promotions.
- Politicians and media outlets criticize Facebook suppressing political viewpoints through the ranking.
- Ranking bias allegations, with posts from some accounts favored over others.
Facebook has tried addressing some of these concerns over time. For example, it has added options to view feeds in chronological order and created separate feeds like for News and Groups. It has also been more transparent about how the algorithm works. But major challenges remain around bias, control, and transparency in how Facebook ranks content.
The Impact on Businesses and Creators
Facebook’s algorithm has significantly impacted businesses, brands and creators that use it for marketing. Key effects include:
- Organic reach of Page posts has dropped as posts’ visibility relies more on paid promotions.
- Businesses have to work harder to create engaging content that the algorithm will rank highly.
- More focus on Facebook ads, which compete directly against organic posts in feeds.
- Emphasis on posting content that drives strong engagement and interaction.
- Need for extra optimization and testing content to understand what ranks best.
Facebook is no longer a channel where simply posting achieves significant reach. Businesses must carefully craft content strategy and leverage paid ads to counteract the algorithm’s effects. Many complain Facebook has crippled organic reach to push more ads, significantly harming small business marketing. But creative tactics exploring video, live video, and community engagement can still achieve success.
Organic Post Reach Over Time
Here is a table showing the decline in organic reach of Facebook Page posts from 2012 to 2022 as algorithm changes took effect:
| Year | Organic Reach of Page Posts |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 16% |
| 2013 | 12% |
| 2014 | 6.5% |
| 2015 | 2.5% |
| 2016 | 1.5% |
| 2017 | 0.9% |
| 2018 | 0.7% |
| 2019 | 0.5% |
| 2020 | 0.4% |
| 2021 | 0.2% |
| 2022 | 0.1% |
This demonstrates the massive decline in organic visibility as Facebook pushes more pages toward ads. Where once over 10% of a page’s followers would see posts, now less than 1% do without paid promotion.
Tips for Marketers and Creators
Despite the challenges in reaching audiences organically, marketers and creators can employ tactics to adapt to the Facebook algorithm. Some best practices include:
- Post consistently high-quality, engaging content like videos and photos.
- Respond to comments and questions on posts to drive up engagement.
- Encourage shares, tags, and follows from fans.
- Join relevant Facebook Groups to connect with target audiences.
- Post content at optimal times when followers are active.
- Diversify content across Facebook, Instagram, etc. to extend reach.
- Analyze competitors’ content strategies and results.
- Test content types, timings, keywords to learn what resonates.
- Leverage paid promotions strategically along with organic content.
Marketers who learn to leverage the algorithm throughOptimization, paid ads, and understanding their audience stand to continue driving results on Facebook. But it requires adapting to the platform’s shifting priorities.
The Future of Facebook’s Algorithm
Facebook will likely continue refining its news feed algorithm in the future. Some potential changes include:
- Incorporating more artificial intelligence to better understand post content and user interests.
- Tuning the algorithm to drive engagement across Facebook properties like Instagram and WhatsApp.
- Adding options to port feed rankings to other platforms like TikTok.
- Providing more user controls over feed ranking and preferences.
- Issuing transparency reports on algorithm corrections and removal of bias.
- Ranking mostly original creator content over shared content.
Facebook must balance relevance and engagement with concerns over filter bubbles, bias, and control. But the days of simple chronological timelines are likely gone forever. The future will see feeds become more personalized through AI, with Facebook promoting content it sees as healthy and demoting undesirable content. Marketers and users alike will need to continue adapting strategies to prosper within Facebook’s vision of the “ideal” customized feed.
Conclusion
Facebook upended chronological news feeds in favor of algorithmic ranking to show the most relevant content. This aimed to improve engagement and address information overload as Facebook grew. But it remains controversial due to perceived bias, lack of transparency, and the move from organic reach to ads.
Businesses must work harder to make content stand out and complement it with ads. While challenging, marketers can still succeed by understanding the algorithm, testing content, and driving authentic engagement. Facebook will likely continue refining its algorithms balanced with calls for more user controls. But pure chronological timelines seem permanently relegated to history as feeds become more personalized.