Optimizing Platform Features to Increase Reach
February 1
7-minute read
KEY INSIGHTS:
Platforms reward creators who use native features.
Features like hashtags and geotags help discovery.
Engagement tools help the algorithm notice your content.
Have you ever posted something you care about and watched it barely get noticed? Yeah, we’ve been there... It doesn’t feel too great. At first it feels personal, but after we do it a few times we realize that performance is not just about the message. It is about the signals we send to the platform.
Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn are built to keep people inside the app. The more we use the tools they offer, the more the algorithm sees that engagement is happening. When we add a hashtag, a location sticker, a poll in our Story, a mention tag, or even a quiz box, we are not just decorating our content. We are telling the platform that this content is interactive and deserves to be shown to more people.
This is why seasoned creators talk about using every tool the platform gives them. A simple example is hashtags. When we add relevant hashtags to a post, our content becomes part of a larger conversation. People who search or browse those tags see our content too. That helps discovery beyond our followers.
A geotag works the same way. When we add a location to a Story or a post, we make our content part of that location’s feed. Someone browsing that location might discover us even if they never followed us.
Interactive tools like polls and questions do more than invite engagement. They create a two‑way interaction that the platform can interpret as a signal that people are participating. The more participation we get, the more likely the platform is to push that content into more feeds.
Most of us have posted static content before. It feels safe. But when we experiment with the features a platform builds, we often see a noticeable increase in reach. That increase is not random. Platforms reward use of their tools because it keeps people engaged and active.
How to Use Platform Features to Grow
Start with one feature per piece of content. On Instagram, try a poll or a location tag in your Story. On LinkedIn, use hashtags that reflect your main topic. On TikTok, try trending sounds or interactive effects. Do not worry about doing everything at once. Momentum comes from clarity and consistent experimentation. Remember our motto: Done is better than perfect.
One insight I return to often is that engagement is about participation not perfection. The more we invite our audience to participate, the more the platform notices and rewards the content.
When you build using platform tools, you give your audience more ways to interact and you give the platform more reasons to show your content. That is how visibility grows.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Using platform features increases discoverability.
Hashtags, geotags, mentions, and interactive elements help the algorithm take notice.
Small experiments in feature use can lead to big growth.
Engagement is built when you invite participation, not just broadcast messages.
If today’s action item in the DIY Digital Marketing Guide involves posting to your social platforms, make a point to use at least one feature you have not used before. Then check results and refine your approach.
To see how this fits into a bigger omnichannel strategy, watch the YouTube workshop on building digital marketing infrastructure that works for you.
