Field Guide · Grow Your Reach

Cracking the Algorithm
YouTube, Reels & short-form video

The algorithm doesn't care about you. It cares whether people keep watching. Here's what actually earns reach on YouTube, Facebook, and Reels — and the quiet mistakes burying your videos before anyone sees them.

Start here — the one rule

Retention is everything

  • Every platform shows a new video to a small test batch first.
  • If they keep watching — and like, comment, share — it scales you to thousands, for free.
  • If they scroll past in the first 3 seconds, it quietly buries you.
You're not fighting the algorithm — you're feeding it. Give it retention, it gives you reach. That's the whole game.
DoWhat earns reach
01

Hook in 3 seconds

Open on the payoff or a bold claim. No slow intro, no logo, no "hey guys." The first frame decides if you even get shown.

02

Upload native — always

Never post a link out. Every platform buries content that sends people away. Upload the video file itself.

03

Right shape per platform

9:16 vertical for Reels / Shorts / TikTok. 16:9 for main YouTube. Wrong aspect shows up tiny and gets skipped.

04

Captions on screen

~85% watch muted. If the message needs sound, it's lost. Burn in captions every time.

05

One idea per video

One tip, one fix, one story. Short and focused beats long and rambling for reach, every time.

06

Post consistently

The algorithm rewards active creators. 3–5× a week beats one video and a prayer. Volume compounds.

Don't — the reach killers

What quietly buries your videos

  • Slow intros or logo-first. You lose them before the algorithm even finishes testing it.
  • TikTok watermark on a Reel. Platforms bury re-uploaded competitor content — export a clean file for each.
  • Links in the post body. Kills reach. Put the link in the comments or your bio instead.
  • "Like & subscribe" before value. Asking before you've earned it tanks retention on the spot.
  • Clickbait that doesn't deliver. A hook that lies makes people bounce — punished harder than a weak hook.
  • Bought followers. Dead accounts wreck your engagement ratio — the exact number the algorithm reads.
  • Going quiet. A month off tells the algorithm you're done, and it stops showing you.
RefPlatform quick-reference
  • YouTube (main)16:9 · thumbnail + title = the click · watch-time = the reach
  • YouTube Shorts9:16 · under 60s · separate feed · hook + loop it
  • Facebook / IG Reels9:16 · native · captions · shares > likes; groups amplify
  • TikTok9:16 · trending audio · fast hook · post volume
GoBefore you hit post — 6-second check
  1. Do the first 3 seconds hook — payoff or bold claim, not a warm-up?
  2. Captions on?
  3. Right aspect for this platform (9:16 vs 16:9)?
  4. Native upload — no outbound link in the post body?
  5. One clear idea, nothing extra?
  6. Post it — then reply to the first comments fast.