How Social Media Algorithms Actually Work

If you want to grow your audience without spending big on ads, social media is still your best bet. Paid ads can help later, but nothing builds trust like showing up consistently with free, valuable content.

The problem? A lot of coaches get frustrated because they don’t really understand how these platforms work behind the scenes.

So here’s a simple breakdown of how the algorithm works:

1. You post something
2. The platform shows it to a small group of people (your followers + similar users)
3. It watches what happens—do they stop to watch? Like? Save? Comment? Share?
4. If the post performs well, the platform shows it to more people
5. If engagement drops, the post stops getting shown

Think of it like a fitness comp. Only the people who crush it in round one move to the finals where all the eyes—and opportunities—are.

Each platform has its own quirks. For example, Instagram is big on saves right now. So if your content makes people go “Ooh, I need to come back to this,” and they hit save, that’s a strong signal to push it further.

How to Create Content That Actually Grows Your Coaching Business