Why social graph context changes everything
Many social media platforms look similar on the surface. However, the way they push content can vary widely.
Platforms such as YouTube and TikTok make algorithm decisions according to user interests. With these platforms, you get video recommendations based on previous videos and topics that you’ve watched or liked.
For brands looking to boost awareness and visibility, creators on these platforms are great for reaching large audiences. However, these audiences may not have as personal a connection as with creators using Meta’s social graph marketing.
Facebook and Instagram Feeds have a social-graph system. The algorithm uses an individual’s real-world relationships with people like family, friends, co-workers, classmates, and other connections to determine how to distribute content.
Meta’s social graph is a network of real-world relationships for users. This map connects people depending on who they follow, message, tag, and interact with on the platform. The Meta algorithm takes all of this information and uses it to shape what appears in individual users’ Feeds.
The trust environment
When a user scrolls through their Feed on Facebook or Instagram, they can see posts from people they actually know. They may see photos of their cousin’s wedding, videos of a colleague’s vacation, or a friend’s opinion on a recent sporting event.
Compared to other platforms that fill up feeds with popular but impersonal content, this creates an environment of familiarity. Creators directly benefit from this familiarity. When their content shows up between posts from contacts, the user’s brain automatically thinks of it in a more trusting way. Users categorize the content as more authentic than the content on other platforms.
Along with this naturally developed trust environment, users like, share, and comment on content they connect with, which then becomes visible to their followers. This spread the content further.
It also acts as social proof. If your best friend finds an Instagram Reel funny and gives it a like, it may appear in your Feed. But rather than it simply being a random post by someone you don’t know, you will see your friend liked it. This creates an instant connection to it. You will likely have more interest in watching the Reel to find out why your friend enjoyed it.
The amplification effect
Engagement with content leads to it appearing on other feeds, amplifying the reach of that content. This perk means that an influencer’s video expands its visibility while maintaining trust throughout the social graph. This is especially helpful for conversions.
When a brand runs a holiday campaign through Facebook or Instagram, there are many amplifying benefits:
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Likes act as stamps of approval.
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Comments become a conversation about the brand.
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Shares stretch the content to new audiences.
Other platforms, like YouTube and TikTok, can also promote gift ideas for the holiday season. However, they don’t have the same type of peer endorsement. They can feel more like random suggestions from strangers. Though it’s possible to share a YouTube or TikTok video with others, it’s often as a DM and takes more effort.
With Facebook or Instagram, product shares appear right in other users’ Feeds. They feel like a more personal recommendation from someone they know in real life.
The holiday advantage
Holiday campaigns can explode on Meta platforms. If a creator posts an unboxing video or reviews a product on Instagram, it could be shared or DMed to friends or family as gift ideas or recommendations.
People entering the season stumped on what to get their children, partners, or colleagues will see product posts pop up on their feeds that their peers have endorsed. For brands, this often results in positive Facebook or Instagram creator ROI.
