Maximizing Listening Time
Spotify’s personalization runs much deeper than just playlists. Daily Mixes, Discover Weekly, and personalized DJs all smooth out the “what do I listen to” friction that could kill session time. The shuffle is not a “true shuffle,” but an optimization of the order of songs that will keep you on the app as long as possible. The ROI is simple: more listening time means higher ad impressions on free users and reduced churn for premium users.
Driving Session Frequency
LinkedIn’s feed personalization is less about entertainment and more about the need to stay up to date on your network. The algorithm prioritizes company updates, job changes, and micro-achievements that nudge users to check the app multiple times per week. Furthermore, when you meet someone new, LinkedIn is often the first place you look for more information about that. To unlock searches of higher volumes of people (with ultra-specific filters), users have to pay a premium. The ROI shows up through premium subscription services, recruiter ad spend, and repeat sessions make LinkedIn look alive and justify its pricing.
Maximizing Ad-Targeting Accuracy
TikTok is the purest expression of algorithmic personalization. Every swipe, like, comment, and share trains data. The For You Page runs a continuous multi-armed bandit that identifies preferences in minutes, which translates directly into hyper-targeting ads. Better targeting leads to higher advertiser spend, which brings in stronger revenue per minute of end use, thus increasing ROI.
