Meta reveals the most important signals and best practices to focus on for your video to thrive on Facebook.
In a blog post, Meta shared the four main signals its algorithm uses to determine the distribution size of videos on Facebook. According to them, these four characteristics have the greatest influence on video distribution right now:
Originality
Meta defines original videos as “distinctive and produced in a manner that’s never been made before.” You can optimize for originality by:
- Publishing videos that you wrote, shot, and edited yourself or with the support of a production partner.
- Meaningfully enhancing the content that you are sourcing or licensing from others. Adding new information or humor will add new value to the content.
- Avoiding duplicate content that you played no meaningful role in creating.
Audience Retention
Meta says videos that capture the audience’s attention and encourage people to watch to the end may earn more distribution on Facebook. A slow and gradual decline in the audience retention graph can show that the topic and structure of the video match well with what your audience wants to see, while an early drop off may mean that the content isn’t what the viewer expected.
You can optimize for retention in authentic ways by:
- Focusing on the video narrative structure. Keep in mind as well that content should only be as long as it needs to be so that it’s relatable and engaging and keeps the audience interested for the entire duration.
- Building for on-the-go mobile viewing. Consider adding burned-in captions, or opt-in for the auto-generate option.
- Improving production quality. Clearly showcase your content by aiming for the best clarity.
Audience Loyalty and Intent
When people regularly come back to view your videos or actively search for your content, Meta takes it as a strong, positive signal for distribution. You can encourage these behaviors for your videos by:
- Publishing bonus content in between your regular posting cadences to stay connected with your audience and keep them excited. You can use different formats like videos, reels, stories, live videos, and even photos or links.
- Optimizing your content for Facebook search. This includes writing clear titles, descriptions for your posts, and adding a few relevant tags.
Engagement
Meta increases distribution for videos that inspire friend-to-friend or person-to-person interactions. They also value content that inspires people to create a version of their own.
