A post’s “Edge” is a hidden metric that defines how likely it is to be shown to a user. The greater an Edge a post has, the higher its EdgeRank is and the more likely it is to show up on news feeds.
How EdgeRank is determined
EdgeRank is determined by a combination of its Affinity, Weight and Decay, and here’s what each category means:
Affinity
Affinity is how closely you and the post’s creator are linked. If you are Facebook friends then you are more likely to see their post but having friends in common also increases a post’s Affinity.
Weight
Posts and interactions have different levels of Weight. To put it simply, the more effort something requires, the more Weight it has and the more likely it is to appear on a newsfeed. For example, simply liking a post has very little Weight but sharing that post has a lot more.
Decay
The older a story or post is, the less of an edge it has. Most engagement occurs within the first few minutes of a post’s life and this is because Decay quickly sets in and reduces that post’s EdgeRank.
A higher EdgeRank means greater reach
A post’s EdgeRank determines the number of people that will see it. If you want to make the most of your content, consider the following tips to maximise your audience:
- Create engaging content: When more people engage with your post, its Affinity and therefore its EdgeRank will increase.
- Follow the rules: If your post breaks Facebook’s community guidelines then this will likely create a surge in activity but Facebook will punish you by penalising your efforts to be seen in the future.
- Create more posts: Post regularly but be wary of overwhelming people. The idea is to generate relationships with fans and reliable, high-quality content is the best way to do that.
- Time your posts: Figure out where the bulk of your audience is located and time your posts for when they are more likely to be online. Remember that Decay quickly affects your EdgeRank so you want to get the engagement started as quickly as possible after you create your post.
- Respond to your fans: Social media works in two directions so talk to the people that follow you and be sure to engage with people who comment regularly on your posts. Talking to people both increases the likelihood that they will return and boosts your Affinity score with their friends.
Above all, be responsive when planning and creating content. Your fans’ behaviours are going to change and you need to be ready to change with them.
