Today, social media connects people all over the world – to others with shared interests and companies they care about. How those connections happen is through an algorithm.

A lot of conversations happen about the algorithm. How does it work? Why is it showing me certain posts? How do I find more of what I like? But if you're a company, questions all come down to one thing: how do I connect with existing customers and find new ones?

Let's explore how the X (formerly Twitter) algorithm works in 2025.

What is the X (Twitter) algorithm?

The X algorithm works to make connections. It's the internal mechanism that determines what's on a user's feed. As social media became more crowded, it became necessary for the recommendation algorithm to help curate accounts that the user might be interested in. It evaluates millions of posts every day using artificial intelligence.

How does the X algorithm work?

Algorithms use complex mathematical computations to make decisions.

On social media, the recommendation algorithm analyzes what users do on a particular social media platform. It looks at their past interactions, where they spend their time, and what posts cause them to respond by following or sharing. It then finds other content that matches that behavior.

The X algorithm is a similar recommendation engine. It goes through three stages to put relevant content in front of users:

  • Sourcing potential posts
  • Ranking them by relevance
  • Applying filters to refine the results

Content comes from two main sources: In-Network (users that other users follow) and Out-of-Network (users they don't follow). In-Network sources are ranked based on engagement predictions, while Out-of-Network sources are selected using engagement patterns and content similarity. If a brand can rank highly for Out-of-Network tweets, usually they'll see a lot of new followers.

Additionally, users themselves can apply visibility filtering to adjust their feeds manually. The machine learning model can take those preferences into account along with chosen Out-of-Network sources and In-Network sources. The final result is a diverse, personalized feed.

Users tend to engage with a mixture of In-Network and Out-of-Network tweets, so try and prioritize achieving both.

X algorithm ranking signals

For businesses, the ability to navigate the algorithm ranking signals on X can help them determine how to create impactful content

Key signals include:

  • Engagement: Likes, replies, reposts, and shares heavily influence visibility.
  • Recency: Fresh content is prioritized to keep the feed relevant.
  • Media type: Videos, images, and polls often outperform plain text.
  • Relevance: Posts that align with a user's past behavior and interests are ranked higher.
  • Author's credibility: Frequent and meaningful engagement boosts the weight of your content. 

These components provide some insight into what the X algorithm might prioritize day to day.

12 strategies for working with the X algorithm

Let's put everything into practice. It's not enough to post content; you need an intelligent and thoughtful social media strategy. Here are our best 12 tips for creating content to maximize engagement and align to the algorithm.

1. Post consistently

Posting consistently covers two things. First, the algorithm likes recency, so having fresh content on a regular basis tells the algorithm that there's something valuable to share. Next, it gives your followers a reason to continue to check back on your X account and to interact. 

When you have continuous stream of fresh content that your followers engage with regularly, the algorithm may begin to prioritize your new content, showing it to others who may be interested based on its three-stage ranking system.

2. Engage with your audience

Engagement heavily influences your visibility. The more people engage with your post through likes, shares, and replies, the more likely the algorithm is to show your posts to other people.

We know what you're thinking — "I need engagement to get the visibility I need to get more engagement. Where do I start on that cycle?" Well, you start by engaging with your specific audience, no matter how small it is in the beginning. Once you post, stick around to reply to any comments. If someone likes one of your posts, you can like one of theirs back. If a user shares your post, you can reciprocate by liking their reshare and even commenting to thank them or offer further help.

Think of engagement like a conversation. Just like employees in a brick-and-mortar store acknowledge and interact with customers when they walk in the doors, you should interact with users as they "walk into" your social media feed. 

Combined with the other strategies mentioned in this section, you can begin to build an engaged and interested audience. The algorithm will hopefully take notice of the upward trend in activity.

X moves very quickly. As a public forum style of social media, people are always talking about the next new thing, and trending topics can be a great way to get new visibility. Paying attention to what relevant trends relate to your business and what conversations you can be involved in can help improve engagement.

The algorithm looks at what users are interested in to share content with them that matches. It might be anything from breaking news to current events. For example, let's say content from Paris Fashion Week is trending on X. If you're in ecommerce and retail, you could post thoughtful dupes of clothing you sell to match what users are loving from the fashion world. You could also reshare your favorites and comment on conversations about new and emerging designers.

What if you aren't in the fashion world? You might still participate in the conversations. If you're a major bookseller, you could match book covers from your 2025 new releases to outfits from the runway. Find ways to get creatively involved and take advantage of the upward trend.

One big consideration is posting just ahead of when the trend peaks. A social media management tool like Brandwatch can help you spot trending topics as they're on the rise, rather than reacting to the momentum too late. Don't forget to utilize relevant hashtags to label content that users might be looking for. 

4. Focus on rich media (images, GIFs, videos)

X is still primarily a text-based social media platform, but the content type has expanded greatly over the years. Images, GIFS, and videos also signal the algorithm that there might be something really interesting for people to see. 

Today, thoughtful visual content consistently outperforms text-only posts. High-quality images, attention-grabbing videos, and engaging GIFs can stop a user mid-scroll. Experiment with different media types to see what brings you the most engagement from your audience, and continue to replicate those posts with fresh content.

Again, a social media management tool can help you craft posts using consistent visuals and integrate rich media into your posts in a way that helps your message rather than distracts from it. You might even be able to see an overarching progression of content based on your current marketing goals.

5. Use polls to boost engagement

There's no better way to get an audience talking than by directly asking them what they think. Polls make it simple for someone to respond to a question with their opinion.

A poll is a simple way to keep your audience engaged. They respond with one click without having to type out a response and then can stick around to see any further comments anyone chooses to give. Use a poll that's relevant to your intended audience and simple for them to respond to.

6. Optimize post timing

Post timing can help you improve engagement on your posts, but it requires some strategic thinking. The best time to post on X depends a lot on when your audience is online to see your posts, and that will require looking at the data.

X's analytic features allow you to analyze post traffic. Premium subscribers will have access to metrics for posts showing things like reposts, impressions (or how many users saw the post), and likes. For more in-depth analytics, a third-party tool can go into granular detail about what posts performed well.

If you're new on X and don't have much historical data just yet, we do have some posting recommendations. We've found that the best time to post on X, in general, tends to be between 9 am and 12 pm on weekdays. Out of the weekdays, Wednesdays and Fridays often see the highest engagement. 

That's a good place to start, but continue to refine your posting schedule based on when your ideal users are most active. You can also analyze competitors and other experts in your target field to see when their posts are well received.

7. Craft engaging and concise content

There is no shortcut or gimmick that can replace quality content. This is another opportunity to look at the data to see what your ideal users find interesting. 

You don't have a lot of space to make your point, so concise content is preferable. The first few words matter, so make them count.

Ways to create engaging content specifically for the X platform:

  1. Start your posts with a strong hook (an opening line) that captures the attention of the reader. Some examples include a compelling question, a bold statement, or a shocking statistic.
  2. In most cases, brevity is key. Aim for clarity and impact in every word, as longer content may lose attention.
  3. For topics that require more in-depth discussion, experiment with threads. These are the replies – all collected under one post – and allow a user to explore a topic more deeply.
  4. Use a tone that matches your brand voice and shows personality. On X, this is likely some variation of casual, conversational language that speaks directly to the user.
  5. Encourage users to interact with your post with a call to action. Make sure you work them naturally into the post and simply ask users to give their own examples, reply with an opinion, or share with others who may want to know the information.

Once you've posted, begin measuring how your content performs. Here's how.

10 ways to measure how your content is performing specifically on X

  1. Engagement metrics: Track likes, replies, shares (reposts), and quote posts. High engagement indicates that your content resonates with your audience.
  2. Impressions and reach: Monitor how many people see your posts. A high impression count paired with low engagement might suggest your content needs stronger hooks or CTAs.
  3. Engagement rate: Calculate engagement rate (engagements divided by impressions). A higher rate suggests strong audience interaction relative to views.
  4. Click-through rate (CTR): If you include links in your posts, track CTR to see how effectively your content drives traffic.
  5. Follower growth: Analyze whether your content is attracting new followers. Spikes in growth often correlate with well-performing posts.
  6. Time of engagement: Look at when your posts receive the most interactions. Use this data to optimize posting schedules.
  7. Content-type performance: Compare metrics across different formats — text posts, threads, videos, polls, etc. — to identify what performs best with your audience.
  8. Topic analysis: Evaluate which topics generate the most interest. Double down on popular themes or explore variations of successful content.
  9. Audience insights: Use X's analytics to understand your followers' interests, locations, and demographics. Tailor your content to align with their preferences.
  10. Sentiment analysis: Gauge the tone of replies or comments. Positive interactions indicate content alignment, while negative feedback may highlight areas for improvement.

8. Encourage replies and conversations

As we mentioned in the previous section, encouraging replies and longer conversations can have a direct impact on engagement. Here are some post ideas to encourage people to reply and then stick around to have a conversation.

  1. Ask open-ended questions. People love sharing opinions and experiences, so asking questions like "What's your favorite tool for productivity, and why?" might nudge them to respond. Then, you can add your own commentary to keep the discussion going.
  2. Share an unfinished thought. An unfinished thought might encourage creative responses and curiosity. For example, "We're still figuring out if [topic] is worth investing in. What's your take?"
  3. Be controversial or shocking, but professional. Bold opinions can spark debate, but don't go so far that you alienate your users. This will require a deep understanding of your target audience. For example, "Hot take: [controversial statement]. Agree or disagree?"
  4. Use strategic polls and surveys that match what your audience is already talking about, or add one to execute one of the other ideas on this list.
  5. Coordinate a challenge, like "Day 1 of sharing tips on [topic]. Add yours in the comments!"
  6. Acknowledge and show appreciation for replies to existing posts. You can also use this space to ask users follow-up questions. 
  7. Host question-and-answer or "ask me anything" sessions so that users can get answers to things they're thinking about. Some examples could be "Ask us anything about [topic/niche]!" Or "What's one thing you've always wanted to know about [your field]? We'll reply to every comment."

9. Build relationships with influencers and communities

Another way to create engagement and encourage conversations is by partnering with influencers and relevant communities in your field or industry. Influencers bring a broader audience into the fold, while communities provide a focused space for meaningful interactions. In both cases, this means more visibility and account credibility for your X account.

The purpose of this is to create meaningful conversations and interactions with new audience members and those that overlap. It's important to make sure that the community you've chosen is relevant to what your company does and that any influencer partners are already strong participants in your same field. 

Neither of these has to have large followings either. Influencers with smaller audiences or tightly knit niche communities can also help you form a dedicated audience of people who share your mission and love your work.

10. Diversify post types

Having a formula that works is wonderful. Following a consistent set of brand guidelines is still best practice. But recreating the exact same structure for every post may not keep your audience interested.

Instead, experiment with text updates, threads, videos, polls, and even live audio discussions through X Spaces. A dynamic content strategy can engage different segments of your audience and showcase a much more interesting range from your company. This can help boost your posts up in the X (Twitter) algorithm.

11. Use X Spaces

Speaking of X Spaces — these are live studio discussions, much like podcasts or even live radio. They can be a really powerful way to connect with your audience. You can host conversations on relevant topics, answer questions, or invite guest speakers who are experts in your industry. You might even interview users of your product or services.

This is a unique formula for social media. Anyone can listen in or even speak when the host toggles their mic on. Listeners don't have to follow you to listen, and you can post links to the space or send direct messages to users who are interested.

12. Monitor analytics and adjust strategy

The best thing you could ever do for an X (Twitter) algorithm boost is to continually monitor the analytics for your content's performance and make adjustments. Start by regularly reviewing key metrics like engagement rates, impressions, and follower growth.

Wherever you consistently see high engagement signals content your ideal audience likes and, on the other side, consistently low engagement signals an area where you should examine what's going on. If it's content that otherwise performs well, it could be the posting time. If it's during what's typically a peak posting time for you, maybe the audience doesn't like the media style. 

Combine this with what you know about your audience — when they're online and typically engage, their demographics, and their preferences, to create and post content that they'll be more likely to enjoy.

A third-party tool for managing activity on your social platforms can help streamline the process. Brandwatch's advanced analytics can provide deeper insights into sentiment, content trends, and emerging topics. Use these tools to gauge how your audience feels about your content and spot opportunities to incorporate trending hashtags or themes.

Additionally, Brandwatch's scheduling and demographic segmentation features allow you to tailor your content strategy to different audience groups, ensuring relevance and boosting engagement.

Succeeding with the X (Twitter) algorithm

Mastering the art of the X (Twitter) algorithm in 2025 is a combination of knowledge and strategy. While there have been changes over the years to the way it works, the primary point of the algorithm is to introduce users to content they love.

If you do your research and watch your analytics over time, you can improve your content and build rapport with your target audience. 

FAQs

Still have burning questions about the X (Twitter) algorithm? Let's answer them.

How does the X (Twitter) algorithm decide what content to show me?

The algorithm determines content by analyzing user behavior on the platform. It looks at what a user likes, what they don't like, and what others like them engage with to suggest related content. It uses a variety of candidate sourcing to help make these suggestions.

Does the X (Twitter) algorithm favor certain types of content?

Yes. Rich media like videos and interactive content like polls tend to outperform simple text posts on the X algorithm. That said, a deep understanding of your specific audience can tell you more about what type of content to prioritize than general findings like this.

How often should I post to improve my visibility on the X algorithm?

X moves very quickly, and many companies post multiple times a day to stay on top of users' feeds. However, consistency is much more important than how often. Posting five times on Monday and then nothing on Tuesday or Wednesday may be less effective than posting once a day, but every day. Again, watch your analytics.

What time should I post for maximum engagement?

More specific times to post will depend on your particular audience, but in general, weekdays between 9 am and noon tend to see good engagement and help you appear in users feeds.

How can I increase engagement with my posts?

Good analytics will tell you what your audience loves, but using rich media with interactive content can also help. For example, if your audience responds well to GIFs, you might post one and add a poll or ask an open-ended question.