Social media's algorithm problem: Why some female founders are struggling to be heard

Last week, we asked our members about their experiences getting their message in front of new customers using social media. The resounding consensus was that while platforms promise connection, for women tackling serious issues, the algorithm has other ideas.

For 21 years, Shelley Stuart has been building her network on LinkedIn. As user number 33,000-something, she's watched the platform evolve from a genuine networking tool into something altogether more capricious. In 2012, her biggest client approached her via the network. But since last summer, her experience has taken a disturbing turn.

Posts that once attracted triple-digit views now struggle to reach double figures. A recent piece about AI, shared widely and actively discussed, received mysteriously low engagement. "It was just really, really weird," said Shelley, who runs communications consultancy Stuart Consulting.

Shelley posts thoughtfully, avoiding AI-generated content and tagging people judiciously. Yet her visibility has plummeted. "Why bother more than you would before?" she asked. "I don't see half the stuff from my network that I used to see."

She's not alone in reporting these issues.

For Clare Campion, founder of Campion Coaching and Consultancy, the algorithm's unpredictability isn't just frustrating; she thinks it's potentially harmful. The workplace consultant and business strategist specialises in helping organisations prepare for new miscarriage leave legislation coming into force in 2026 as part of the Employee Rights Act, time-sensitive work that could affect many employees.

Yet Clare's carefully crafted LinkedIn posts about workplace compassion and pregnancy loss support vanish into what she calls "tumbleweed". "If I get one or two reactions to a post, I'd be doing well," she explained.

The contrast is stark. When Clare wrote about finally connecting her phone to her printer, engagement rolled in. A light-hearted post about tea? Plenty of interactions. But content about pregnancy loss support in the workplace, information businesses urgently need, barely registers.

"I've seen a lot of women talking about how they feel like LinkedIn has almost blacklisted women talking about certain things," said Clare. 

After 20 years in higher education, where her LinkedIn posts reached colleagues easily, Clare now finds herself talking "to the void" as she tries to build connections beyond academia. Her measured, empathetic approach, mirroring the sensitive nature of her work, doesn't translate into algorithmic success.

"I don't want it to be something to beat companies with," she said of the upcoming legislation. "You don't know what you don't know."

But that thoughtful, consultative tone is precisely what Clare feels the algorithm penalises. On a platform where shocking content and celebrity gossip dominate, her vital messages about workplace rights struggle to break through.

Understanding the system

Sara Chaves, founder of Social Keys, has made her business understanding these algorithmic quirks. Her boutique content creation agency specialises exclusively in Instagram management for health brands, and she's candid about the challenges.

"The algorithm is getting worse and worse," admitted Sara. "It's showing less and less of the content, which makes sense because more people are posting, which means there's bigger competition."

Her insight reveals another layer to the problem: platforms deliberately favour personal content over brands, pushing businesses towards paid advertising. "People connect better with people," she explained. "Instagram deliberately favours personal content."

For the Hitchin-based entrepreneur, who launched her agency five years ago following her own health journey, success means adapting to these realities. The Enterprise Nation member shared her strategies for small businesses trying to cut through the noise.

Sara's tips for beating social media algorithms:

• Bring personality to your brand: Don't hide behind the brand; show the person behind it. People connect with people, not logos.

• Demonstrate your values: Remember why you created your product or service in the first place, not just that you want to sell it.

• Explain exactly why your product stands out: Use science and education to differentiate yourself. If you're selling vitamin C, explain why someone needs it and what the research says.

• Focus on meaningful connection over vanity metrics: Ask yourself, are those likes and comments from people who will actually buy, or just engage for visibility?

• Create community, not just content: Build trust through education and genuine engagement. When people fall in love with your brand, they become advocates.

It requires constant strategic curation, resources that not every small business can afford.

The real cost

The implications of these experiences extend beyond individual frustration. Clare suspects the AI-driven algorithm has learnt from human behaviour, potentially absorbing and reflecting society's discomfort with sensitive subjects, particularly those relating to women's experiences in the workplace.

Shelley echoes concerns about LinkedIn's lack of response to complaints from female users. The platform's unpredictability has become a disincentive for the kind of thoughtful, authentic content it ostensibly claims to reward, she said.

The question these women are asking remains unanswered: when algorithms appear to fail at recognising what's actually important, how do experts who genuinely want to help ever reach the people who need them?

For some female founders tackling serious issues with measured, compassionate voices, social media's promise of connection increasingly feels like a broken one.

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