The Australian Government announced this week that social media tech companies such as Meta and TikTok have been directed to update their software to allow users to opt in to an algorithmic feed. This means, from as soon as next year, we’ll be able to choose to view content only from the accounts we purposefully follow, leaving behind content served to us from around the internet. Under these new directives, your chosen option – algorithm or none – will be your default feed. We’re not sure yet what this update will look like, practically. Will this change also impact the Explore or Reels tabs? We’ll soon see.

On the plus side, this means less toxic, inappropriate content being served to those most vulnerable, and a little more protection from the time and attention suck of the addictive endless scroll. But if you’re a brand, venue or creator who relies on the power of social algorithms to reach new customers and grow your communities, or if you’re just a user who appreciates being fed new content from unexpected places, how will this change affect your content strategy or experience of these platforms? Gird your loins:

The Algorithm Drives Post Virality, But is Going Viral Actually Helpful? 

At Buffet we measure virality as content which:

• Hits 100k+ views as a baseline threshold.
• Reaches 10x your average view count. Virality is relative to your existing scale, not an absolute number. If your average is already 100k, hitting 100k isn’t viral for you, it might take 1 million. Virality has to represent a genuine lift in impact, not your normal output.
• Reaches an audience where 80%+ are non-followers. True virality means the content escaped your existing audience and found new people.

With no algorithm serving content to non-followers, our idea of “viral” may soon look different. But maybe that’s ok? Are all those “viral” viewers all that relevant to your brand or venue? Their location, gender and age matters. Views for views sake mean nothing if the reach isn’t converting to audience growth, foot traffic, bookings or orders. Virality can definitely mean positive things for a business if the audience is local and ready to engage, but not always; virality can lead to an unmanageable increase in foot traffic or orders, resulting in a sub-par customer experience and a subsequent negative review. It can also drive the wrong type of customer to a venue – one that drops in for photo of a single dish, stays two hours, and orders nothing else. This tampering of “virality” might mean a swing to more meaningful, stable growth. 

Saves and Shares Will Matter Even More

With no algorithm amplifying views, how should you measure success? Saves and Shares will become more powerful and relevant than ever (we already look to them as the most important success metrics). High Shares and Saves mean your followers are sharing your content to others (increasing reach), with clear intent to act, whether that’s to learn more about your brand, buy your product or book a table at your venue. 

Make Follower Counts Meaningful Again 

Right now in our algorithmic world, follower counts don’t matter so much, they’re called “vanity metrics” because what really “matters” is reach and views, and we rely on serving the algorithm to achieve these. Currently, only a tiny percentage of your followers will typically see an account’s content – around 1-3% in hospitality. It’s exciting that ditching the algorithm could flip this, encouraging brands and creators to focus on building their audiences via original content, and that audiences will be served the content they signed up to see! 

Higher Engagement Coming?

Content shifting towards being served to a follower-first audience could be a very positive change. Most users (we believe) feel frustrated they’re not being served the content posted by the creators and brands they’ve actively chosen to follow, so this change could deepen audience loyalty and engagement. Users won’t be (as) distracted by random algorithmic content, so they’ll hopefully be more focused on what you’re publishing, and engaging with it. With no algorithm and thus no super posts flooding feeds, the playing field of competition is somewhat levelled out. However it’s unlikely the feed will revert to chronological view, posts will most likely still be ranked in order of engagement. Posts that don’t performs as strongly will probably still be down-ranked to the bottom of your feed. 

What About Ads?

Paid ads bypass the algorithm, so it’s unlikely this route to reach won’t change. A paid tier built in for discovery will now become a non-negotiable for launches, as it might be difficult to cut through with a brand new account relying solely on organic content. Right now, new accounts are prioritised by the algorithm for reach if the content is strong enough. It’s possible to amass thousands of followers via just a few bold organic posts. For consumer brands, paid collaborations with creators may grow to be even more powerful and lucrative than they are now, since brand accounts may need to rely on the creator’s in-built audiences for guaranteed reach, alongside parallel paid ad activity. 

Is This The End of Trends?

Trend-focused content has arguably taken over social media. You can’t escape it. Brands and creators recycle trending formats over and over, riding on the algorithm’s preference, until all we see is the saaaaaame kind of content. The end of the algorithm could put a stop to this, or at least tamper it, forcing brands and creators to be more original and creative in order to cut through the feed and encourage Saves and Shares.

This will always be consistent advice from Buffet, but any good social account should offer their audience a very good reason for people to follow, whether that’s an emotional connection, a strong value exchange such as educational content, or an exceptional creative offering. We’re hopeful that this change will encourage brands to try new things, without the pressure of matching what’s popular and “proven successful” or trending on the platform at any specific time. This is the time to lean into playing with content that shows what your unique brand and its personality is all about. That’s more important now than ever.

Need help with some new ideas, or a fresh social strategy to help you cut through? Contact us at hello@buffet.digital.

Or, tired of algorithms altogether? We offer EDM and Substack strategies which serve your entirely owned, algorithm-free database and increase awareness and conversion. Email us to find out more.