Social media is no longer just a broadcast channel. Users now expect platforms to help them discover new products, services, ideas and content. If your brand still treats social platforms as a place to publish and hope for engagement, you are missing a core opportunity. In this article, we explain what social media discovery means, how people search inside social apps, and how your brand can optimise for being found first in these environments.
What Does It Mean that Social Media Is a Discovery Engine
Traditionally, discovery happened on search engines. Users typed queries in Google or Bing and scrolled through results to find solutions. Today, users expect the same behaviour inside social media apps such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest. They use search bars, explore pages, recommendations and interest-based feeds to discover new content and brands without leaving the platform.
For example, Instagram states that search and discovery experiences are a key reason people use the app each day. Users search for hashtags, topics, trends, and accounts to find content that matters to them. This behaviour is similar to search engines, where users express intent through words but within a social context.
Why Brands Still Treat Social as a Broadcast Channel
Many brands focus on impressions, likes and followers. Content teams produce posts hoping that more visibility leads to discovery. This approach is rooted in the early days of social media when reach was the primary currency. Today, reach alone does not guarantee discovery. Users are overwhelmed with content, and platform algorithms prioritise relevance over recency. Simply broadcasting content without optimisation for discovery means that your best content may not be seen by those who are actively looking for it.
How Users Search and Browse Inside Social Apps
Understanding user behaviour inside social platforms is the first step to optimisation. Each platform has unique signals that indicate how people discover content.
Search Bars and Query Behaviour
Users enter keywords, hashtags and phrases to find relevant posts and accounts. These queries can be broad for inspiration or specific for intent. For example, a user might search for healthy recipes or sustainable fashion. Your content can surface for these searches if it includes relevant terms in captions, hashtags, profiles and descriptions.
Explore and Recommendation Feeds
Platforms analyse user behaviour to recommend content. Watch patterns, save actions, search queries, and interactions all feed into recommendation systems. These recommendations guide discovery without explicit search queries. Optimising content to align with patterns that signal interest can improve the chance of appearing in recommendations.
Hashtags and Topic Tags
Hashtags and topic tags remain a key part of discovery. They create associations between content and user interests. Using relevant and varied hashtags helps platforms classify your content and increases the chance users will find it when browsing related topics.
How to Optimise for Social Media Discovery
Optimisation for discovery requires a change in mindset from broadcast to search and relevance. The following principles guide this process.
Use Discovery-Oriented Keyword Research
Catalogue the terms your audience uses when they search inside platforms. These can be phrases, hashtags and even emojis that signal intent. Tools within apps often show related terms and suggestions. Use these insights to shape your content captions and metadata.
Craft Descriptive Captions and Metadata
Captions are not just a space for creativity. They are signals to platform algorithms and users. Write clear, descriptive captions that naturally include keywords related to your content topic. This helps platforms understand what your content is about and match it to relevant search and recommendation queries.
Optimise Your Profile for Search
Your profile is a discovery asset. Include keywords in your username bio and description that match how users search. A clear and searchable profile helps users find your brand when they are actively looking for solutions you provide.
Leverage Platform-Specific Discovery Features
Each social media platform offers discovery features that can be used to surface content for relevant audiences.
- Instagram Explore page and search with topic tags.
- TikTok’s For You feed, which is driven by user behaviour and relevance.
- YouTube Search and suggested videos based on watch history.
- Pinterest Visual search and guided search are based on interests.
Tailor your content format and optimisation for each platform to maximise visibility in discovery contexts.
Case Example of Discovery Optimisation
A fashion brand noticed that users searching for sustainable fashion looks were using certain phrases and hashtags. By analysing competitor tags and search suggestions, they identified a set of priority terms. They updated their post captions and profile with these terms and, within weeks, saw an increase in organic discovery traffic from search and explore. Engagement increased and new followers found the brand through terms that matched their intent.
Common Misconceptions About Social Media Discovery
Many brands equate discovery with virality. Viral content can drive discovery, but it is unpredictable. Consistent optimisation improves the odds of discovery by aligning your content with user intent and platform signals. Another misconception is that more hashtags equal more discovery. Excessive or irrelevant hashtags can confuse platform classification and reduce relevance.
Measurement and Metrics for Discovery
To understand how your optimisation efforts are working, you need to look beyond likes and followers. Metrics that indicate discovery include:
- Search impressions where your content appeared for specific queries.
- Profile visits from search.
- Discovery traffic from explore or recommended feeds.
- Saves and shares, which signal relevance to platform algorithms.
Tracking these metrics over time helps you refine your keyword choices and content formats for better discovery.
Expert Insight
“Brands that optimise for discovery inside social platforms are more likely to be found by audiences who are actively seeking content and solutions. This approach moves beyond broadcast to relevance-based visibility.” – ExtraDigital Marketing Manager.
Factual Reference
Learn how ExtraDigital can help you optimise your social media presence for in-app discovery and intent-driven search. Explore our social media search optimisation services here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is social media discovery, and why does it matter for brands?
Social media discovery is when people find products, services, and ideas directly inside platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest, often through search bars, explore pages, and personalised recommendation feeds. It matters because users increasingly expect social apps to surface relevant content, meaning brands that optimise for discovery can be found by high intent audiences earlier in their journey.
How can a brand optimise its content to be found through social media search?
To improve discoverability, brands should use discovery oriented keyword research, write clear captions that include relevant terms naturally, and apply focused hashtags and topic tags. It also helps to tailor content formats and metadata to each platform’s discovery features so algorithms can classify and surface content more accurately.
What should brands include in their social profiles to improve in app discoverability?
A social profile should be treated like a searchable asset. Using relevant keywords in usernames, bios, and descriptions can help a brand appear when users search for specific topics or solutions. ExtraDigital often recommends aligning profile language with the same terms people use in platform search suggestions and topic browsing.
How is social media search behaviour different from traditional search engines?
Traditional search engines rely on textual query input and present ranked links and ads. Social media search behaviour includes keywords but also signals from user interactions, saves, watch time, and engagement patterns. Platforms use these signals to recommend content in feeds that feel personalised. Users discover content not only by searching but by engaging with what they find in explore and recommended feeds.
Which metrics show whether social media discovery optimisation is working?
Discovery success is better measured through signals such as search impressions, profile visits from search, traffic from explore or recommended feeds, and saves and shares that indicate relevance. Tracking these over time helps refine keywords, content formats, and platform specific optimisation, something ExtraDigital supports through discovery focused strategy and reporting.
