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"Whether it\u2019s that loosely connected \u201Cfriend\u201D who\u2019s faded off into obscurity, or brands looking to make the biggest impact, Facebook\u2019s EdgeRank holds all power of visibility. While we\u2019ll never know the true mechanics behind the ultra-secret formula, there are a few key steps that can greatly improve your overall Facebook exposure.\r\n\r\nBefore digging into how to ensure that your news is seen the most, we need to start at the source: EdgeRank. Just over a year ago, two brave Facebook engineers took on the task of explaining the methodology behind their newest offering, EdgeRank. While to this day details have remained scant; Facebook has provided us with this insight:\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nIf I lost you at Sigma, fear not. Let\u2019s break this algorithm down into pieces and see if we can\u2019t figure out how it all adds up to who, how often, and when you see (or don\u2019t) news in your News Feed.\r\nEdge What?\r\nBefore looking at the individual pieces of the formula, it\u2019s important to understand what an edge is, and how you create one. In order to provide a balanced equation, Facebook views all input as \u201Cobjects.\u201D Meaning, Status Updates, Pictures, Videos, Links, etc., these are all objects for Facebook to consider. For the purpose of defining what can be edged, these objects are all the same. Now that\u2019s not to say that some objects won\u2019t have a higher likelihood of becoming edged, but more on that in a minute.\r\nSo many Edges, so little time\r\nThe minute that you or your brand creates an object on Facebook, an initial edge has already been made. Each successive time a friend or a fan interacts with this object, an additional edge is created. Liking an object, tagging a photo, leaving a comment, these are all edge generators. So why is it that some of my status updates go unseen by others? More on that in a moment, but remember, Facebook is in the business of clicks (amongst others). How many times have you clicked on that tiny thumbnail in a friends\u2019 news feed to view the image vs. clicked through to the friends\u2019 page to view their status?\r\nNot all Edges are equal\r\nNow that we\u2019ve ascertained the fundamentals behind what creates an edge, it\u2019s time to look at the secret sauce pictured above. While no one other than Facebook insiders knows exactly how the algorithm functions, The Daily Beast undertook a study in 2010 to put the mechanism to the test, and discovered a number of valuable insights that we can use to guestimate how EdgeRank functions.\r\n\r\nAs the formula notes, Sigma, or EdgeRank, is composed of three primary components; Affinity, Weight, and Time.\r\n\r\nAffinity\r\n\r\nThink of Affinity as friendship bracelets. The more bracelets you give to a particular person, the more often you\u2019ll likely see them; in the school hallway, at lunch; perhaps the two of you even walk home together. It\u2019s the same story with Facebook\u2019s Affinity score. The more often you like, view, comment, click on a friend's object, the higher your Affinity score towards this person rises. Likewise for brands, the more often you check in with Red Bull, either via commenting, liking a photo or two, etc., the more Red Bull-centric your News Feed will become.\r\n\r\nIt should be noted that according to The Daily Beast\u2019s research, Affinity score is a one-way street only. Affinity is from one user towards another, and not vice versa. Meaning, even an army of Acme Toilet Cleaner Facebook marketers can not command more attention on the platform simply by clicking incessantly on fans\u2019 items in order to gain more exposure. A particularly noteworthy item for marketers: as it would appear Facebook also relies on ye old adage, Content is King.\r\n\r\nWeight\r\n\r\nWhen it comes to edges, Facebook places a great deal of importance on weight. Remember, to Facebook, eyeballs=revenue. The longer an end user engages or interacts with content, the better it is for Facebook. Thus, Facebook applies a Weight to each object to help determine the object\u2019s overall, you guessed it, EdgeRank.\r\n\r\nAgain, while no clear-cut scientific data can support this claim, it would appear as though the hierarchy of Facebook EdgeRank importance is as follows:\r\n\r\n&amp;amp;nbsp;\r\n\r\n\tPhoto/Video\r\n\tLinks\r\n\tStatus updates\r\n\r\n&amp;amp;nbsp;\r\n\r\n&amp;amp;nbsp;\r\n\r\n&amp;amp;nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut it\u2019s not just the posted\u00A0content that factors into EdgeRank. Remember the Affinity score above? How many photos did you \u201CLike\u201D today? And how many images did you leave a comment on? And there we have it \u2013 the comments. Comments are the single most valuable factor in an object\u2019s EdgeRank. The Facebook reasoning here is engagement. Meaning, it takes much more effort on the end users\u2019 part to type out a comment than to click a \u201CLike\u201D button.\r\n\r\nA side note: Ever notice how a politically charged image, or even status update can generate what seems like a never-ending forum of back and forths? If you or your brand has the perseverance and conviction, go ahead and throw out some thoughts on the upcoming presidential race, and watch the comments roll in. Having said that, political comments can, and often do, lead to polarization, so use at your own risk.\r\n\r\nTime\r\n\r\nNo one likes to read yesterday\u2019s news, and Facebook knows it. In order to remain up-to-the-minute relevant, Facebook wisely employs a \u201Cfreshness\u201D factor to all edged objects. It\u2019s this \u201Cfreshness\u201D factor that helps determine what and when you see it.\r\n\r\nFor example, major world news events always bring a massive spike of activity to Facebook, readjusting a wide variety of Affinity and Weight scores. Events such as the death of Bin Laden make their way across Facebook\u2019s systems, and receive a large number of comments, likes, interaction, etc., but that doesn\u2019t mean that this news should still remain at the top of your News feed weeks later. Again, Facebook\u2019s Time factor ensures that Top News really is Top, and not \u201Clast weeks.\u201D\r\nWhat EdgeRank means to friends\r\nBefore anyone sends me another \u201CFacebook is blocking which friends news I see in my news feed, sign my petition,\u201D invite, I usually ask them which friends\u2019 news has specifically not shown up in your news feed. 9 times out of 10, I\u2019m greeted with the blank stare.\r\n\r\nFacebook is keeping you engaged with their system by presenting you with the most relevant information based on your regular habits. If they didn\u2019t, chances are that you might miss something of value, and/or just become bored with, or perhaps worse, overwhelmed by the non-stop, all-the-time, all-the-news, news, and ultimately migrate away from the platform; a disaster for Facebook.\r\n\r\n*If you\u2019re really interested in what that 10th grade \u201Cfriend\u201D is up to, go visit their page, nose around and comment on a few pictures, videos, etc., and see if that friend doesn\u2019t start appearing a bit more frequently in your News Feed.\r\nWhat EdgeRank means to brands\r\nEven the perfect 3D-directed by James Cameron- 30 second spot can\u2019t penetrate users\u2019 walls if they\u2019ve previously not interacted with your brand. Chances are if you\u2019ve got James Cameron on board, your spot is going to take on a life of it\u2019s own, but you get the point. To marketers, or individuals that use the Facebook platform as a personal branding tool, a users\u2019 Affinity towards your brand is key. It\u2019s also not a coincidence that Coca-Cola has over 13,000 photos on Facebook.\r\n\r\nGaining traction with your fan base can be done in a variety of ways, but when viewing at the EdgeRank factor alone, crafty marketers know that it\u2019s all about the Like and the Comment.\r\n\r\nSo whether it\u2019s your personal or brand account, Facebook\u2019s EdgeRank is something to always keep in mind. It\u2019s great that you\u2019re featured in some users\u2019 feeds (Hi Mom!) but who doesn\u2019t love being noticed? Comments appear to get the most amount of attention from EdgeRank, so if you\u2019re looking to up yours, and ultimately start appearing in more friends, and fans, News Feeds, get the conversation rolling!"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://thenextweb.com/socialmedia/2011/05/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-facebooks-edgerank/>