What is Facebook EdgeRank and is it really important to know what it is? If you are into marketing online – most definitely. In a nutshell: EdgeRank is the algorithm that Facebook uses to determine who sees what on their timeline. If you want to get more exposure and be seen on the Facebook Timeline by users and friends, then it’s important that you know and understand how EdgeRank works.
While not all the details have been released on how the EdgeRank algorithm actually works, there’s quite a lot of information available which have been made through trial and error through careful observation. The name “EdgeRank” was chosen for the algorithm because all interactions on Facebook are classified as an “edge”. If you share a new link, upload a video or an image, or posting a simple status update, it creates a new “edge” on the platform. These “edges” are social signals and building blocks upon which the prioritization of the data on this channel can be calculated.
There are three factors used to calculate EdgeRank and they are affinity, recency, and edge weight.
Affinity, recency, and edge weight
Affinity: This metric could just have been called the friendliness factor, because in plain English, that is exactly what it is. If a Facebook member user makes consistent interaction with another member through likes, comments, etc, there is a good chance of that person’s updates showing on their news feed.
This clearly means that getting people to engage and interact with your updates should always be important. Entice people by sharing interesting content, use questions and ask for comments and feedback. This can create a much higher affinity regarding the topic you are promoting. Sometimes the content you share might be considered a little bit too personal for business and therefore requires that you be a bit more creative in your content sharing strategy to get more interaction from your updates.
Recency: This is the second factor and it’s calculated by the time that the news first appeared on the timeline. Take advantage of this metric by posting updates on a consistent basis. Don’t make your Facebook Fan Page or profile a ghost town. Try to post at least one new update everyday of the week to make sure your get some type of interaction from your target audience.
Edge weight: Links, images, and videos have a higher “edge” than plain text updates. These items are what keeps Facebook ticking because they have a higher chance of attracting interaction. Liking an advertisement is less likely to get any response as the sharing of a photo. This should always be considered on what content you would like to share with your target audience.
As with any social media strategy it takes time and effort to get good results, but it can greatly help you if you understand how the channels work that you are using in your strategy.
