Two posts, one page: 18,000 reach versus 1,300 - the difference was a link

A real-world A/B from a Facebook marketer's own page: a plain text post with a standard colored background pulled over 18,000 reach, while the previous day's post managed a dismal 1,300. The difference? The weak post contained a YouTube link - and it did not matter that the video was an interview with Instagram's own chief. The algorithm is instructed to deprioritize YouTube links specifically, and link posts generally, because the platform does not want users leaving.

The tactical takeaways: colored-background text posts with a good question can earn outsized reach, but only when mixed into a rotation with images and video - overuse any format and it fades. And if you must share a YouTube video, share it in a group or natively upload the clip instead of posting the link. Never test the algorithm with a competitor's URL on content you care about.