Social media algorithms are designed to learn from our behavior, analyzing our likes, comments, and shares to decipher the content we find most engaging. This personalized touch aims to keep us hooked, ensuring that each scroll through our feed is a unique and captivating experience. Yet, the magic of social media algorithms comes with a double-edged sword. While they enhance user experience by showcasing content likely to resonate, they also raise concerns about the echo chambers they can create. Algorithms, if not carefully monitored, may reinforce existing biases and limit the diversity of perspectives we encounter. As social media managers and content creators it is so important for us to develop an understanding of these forever changing algorithms. Algorithms dictate content visibility, determining whether your creations reach your audience. A grasp of how platforms prioritize and recommend content enables strategic planning, optimizing reach and engagement. Tailoring content to align with algorithmic preferences enhances discoverability, helping creators cultivate a dedicated audience. Staying informed about algorithmic updates ensures adaptability, allowing content creators to align with these evolving platforms. Having an understanding of algorithms helps you be able to position yourself in front of your audience effectively on any social media platform. When trying to understand an algorithm on a social media platform I use two tricks to really help me understand what to post to a platform to best align with their algorithm. The first thing I do is look up keywords in the niche I plan to post to, to see what types of videos perform the best within my niche. The other thing that I look into is what new features an app has recently added because they tend to favor those who use these features so others can become aware of them. An example of this is how when both Instagram and Youtube added short form videos to their platforms they boosted content that was in this form to more people to encourage them to use it. Of course there are many other aspects and statistics you have to look at to truly understand a platform's algorithm.