Every major platform algorithm is built around one goal: keep people on the app longer. Understanding that single incentive explains almost every ranking signal marketers argue about.
What actually gets rewarded. Watch time and completion rate matter more than likes. A 15-second video someone watches to the end outperforms a polished 60-second video that gets skipped after 3 seconds, because the platform reads completion as a sign the content is worth showing to more people. Comments and shares carry more weight than likes because they predict a post will keep other people on the app too, a share literally pulls a new person in.
Consistency beats virality. Chasing one viral post is a weak strategy. Algorithms favor accounts that post reliably because predictable accounts keep the platform's recommendation engine confident about what to show their followers next. Three solid posts a week for three months will usually outperform one lucky hit surrounded by silence.
The first three seconds decide everything. Whatever hooks a scroll, a bold on-screen text, an unexpected first frame, a direct question, determines whether the algorithm gets the completion-rate signal it needs. Write the hook before you write the rest of the script, not after.
Native beats reposted. A video with a visible watermark from another app, or a link that sends someone off-platform, is quietly deprioritized because it works against the platform's own goal of keeping attention in-house. Post natively, and keep links in the bio or the first comment, not the caption.
Algorithms change their exact weighting every few months, but the underlying logic, reward whatever keeps people watching, commenting, and coming back, has stayed the same for years. Build content around that logic instead of chasing this month's specific hack, and the reach tends to follow.