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Raise your hand if you've ever felt personally victimized by the Instagram algorithm. I know there were times in the past, I'd be raising my hand. But today, we're going to pull back the veil on the algorithm so that you don't ever have to feel victimized again. So teacher authors, go ahead and reheat that cup of coffee, because I'm your host, Cassandra Foster. And we're about to get schooled in socials. Welcome back to school and socials, the ever elusive Instagram algorithm, we share love to hate it, don't we? Sometimes it can feel like we're in Mean Girls, and the algorithm is Regina George making our lives miserable, making us feel personally victimized. Here's the thing, though. We don't need to be victimized by the algorithm anymore. With a little knowledge, we can flip the mindset of fighting against the algorithm, and instead start getting it to work harder for us. Let's start by clearing up some common misconceptions about the algorithm. First is that the algorithm is actually a thing. What I mean by that is, so often we personify the algorithm, like it has thoughts and feelings. But in reality, this just isn't true. Now, don't get me wrong, I am 100% guilty of this, because it's hard to talk about something that's truly just a series of zeros and one's some code expert typed into computer. So that's why we kind of make it seem like a person. But that's exactly what the algorithm is. It's just a code. In its most simplified form, it just tells if x happens do Y, for example, if a lot of people like this post, show it to more people. Now again, that is super simplified. And that actually brings us to our second misconception that there is one algorithm that runs Instagram. Nope. There's actually four different algorithms at work in the app. There's the feed algorithm, the Explore algorithm, the reals algorithm, and the stories algorithm. So with all of the complexity, no wonder we feel like it is this big, mysterious entity dictating our social media success. And that brings us to our last misconception. No one knows how the algorithm works. Okay, this is partially true, we will never know every single in and out of the four Instagram algorithms. But we are very fortunate that Instagram, specifically Instagram CEO, Adam Mussorie, is pretty open about the general workings of the algorithms they use. Because this isn't always the case with platforms like this. If you don't already follow Adam, I highly recommend it. Because he often does videos on important Instagram topics like the algorithm introduces new features that they're testing. And he even answers questions from users just like you in his stories. So I'll leave the link to his account in the show notes so that you can take a peek. So let's do a little wizard of oz in here and pull the curtain back on the great and powerful algorithm. The first thing it is important that we understand about Instagrams algorithms is that they truly only have one job. And that job is to keep people on the app and engaging on the app. Because that is how Instagram runs its business. The more people that are on the app, and the longer they stay there, the more they can be advertised to. So the algorithms were built to keep us there. Which means the success of your content isn't actually due to the algorithm. The algorithm doesn't make you go viral. It's the people on the other end of the screen that the algorithm is trying to keep on the app that dictate how well our content does. There is so much pressure this time of the year to buy more stuff from Black Friday sales to Christmas ads. But I don't want you to buy more stuff. I want you to get the right things you need to uplevel your business in this season. So that's why I've opened up my mini Social Media Console scheduled for the next three months. So that we can make resources that are going to get stuck in your downloads and courses that are going to go immediately to your desktop graveyard like thing of the past. Instead, you're going to get my brain and your business for a focus 30 minutes so that you can make sure you have a solid plan moving forward. And you know your social media will help you reach your business goals. This is not a one size fits all solution. Instead you're going to get targeted advice that is focused on you and your business. And for black Friday. And until these spots sell out, you're going to be able to get it for $47, which is the lowest price point these mini consults have ever been. We're talking transformational advice that will make your social media work harder for you. For less than a night out. This isn't stuff, it's the thing, you need to get clarity and move forward with your social media marketing, you can grab your discounted spot right now in the show notes. But hurry, because once these spots that I've opened up for the next three months are gone, this price point will be gone too. I can't wait to make 2020 for the year that your social media marketing helps you reach all of your big business goals. Okay, so if the algorithm isn't determining the success of your content, your audiences? How does that all work? It's actually pretty simple. The algorithms are set up to track what are called signals. And again, Instagram has been pretty open with us about what these signals are. So the algorithms actually track things like social signals, which show you have a relationship with someone on the app, engagement signals, clicks, signals, view time, signals, and more. And from all of these signals, it determines what content to show to you, and who to show your content to. And when it comes down to it, the more signals the better. The more signals between you and your audience, the more signals they leave on your content, the more likely your content will be shown to them, and even others, which is why it is so important that you are crystal clear about who your target audience is, and what kind of content they resonate with. There's really no need to hack the algorithm like a lot of people talk about, if you spend time getting to know your audience, and figure out what content is most helpful for them, or interesting to them. That's where the social media magic happens. Truly, when it comes down to it, the algorithms are just a bunch of code, and not some person trying to stick it to us. By not showing that real we worked on for three hours to more people. It's one and only goal is to keep people on the app. So we need to shift our focus from trying to hack the algorithm to getting to know the people behind the screens that are consuming our content, if you're intrigued by the algorithms and want to learn more later has a great blog post that goes in depth on each of the algorithms, and I'll leave that link for you in the show notes. Now it's time to go spread the word. Share this episode to your stories and share one thing you learned about the algorithm so we can start demystifying it for everyone else. And don't forget to tag me in your stories so I can see what you learned from today's episode. All right, cool coffee friends. Thanks so much for listening. If you're loving getting schooled in socials, make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Also, I would love it if you left a review so that other teacher authors like you can start getting schooled in socials too. All right, I'll see you in the next episode.