Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that the social media giant would update the algorithm of its news feed to prioritize content from family, friends, and groups. Any content that generates conversation will receive the most attention from Facebook. Public content, including posts from businesses and brands, will feature less prominently.
Algorithms will constantly change for all live platforms like Google, Yelp, Bing, FB, Twitter, etc.
What This Means for Brands
Brand pages will see a significant decrease in both organic and paid posts. That might sound discouraging if you have invested time and resources in building a Facebook following, but it doesn’t have to be. If your page posts content that encourages conversations between friends, the algorithm change won’t affect you as much. Businesses posting high-quality content may even find there’s less competition on Facebook. You should continue posting content that sparks engagement such as comments and shares.
Avoid Engagement-Bait
Some marketers have already resorted to asking their followers to comment without providing any meaningful content. This won’t get you the results you want because Facebook considers it engagement-bait and will demote the content. It’s better to ask questions in your posts or write about timely topics that prompt people to want to share their opinion.
Remember that Facebook users can still choose which pages they want to see first by setting their news feed preferences. You can still ask people to follow your Facebook page and to set the See First option without the risk of Facebook demoting your content.
What About Paid Campaigns?
The new Facebook algorithm ensures that organic reach will decline more than it already has. It will also increase the price of paid advertisements. That means your campaign must be even more strategic in reaching audiences most likely to engage with a comment or share. Even if you have a promoted post, you need to speak to the people who view it as more of a friend than someone trying to promote a brand. Although this can be difficult to achieve, Facebook expects more engaged users who will likely be more receptive to your message.
The Push for Live Video
With this big algorithm change comes Facebook’s push for brands and pages to create live videos and host them on its platform. It claims these videos achieve six times the engagement of other types of content. That means it’s a good idea to start considering live videos your company may want to create.
A Diverse Digital Portfolio is the Answer
There’s no question that Facebook is the leading social media platform. Even so, it’s best to diversify your company’s social media presence so changes like this one don’t devastate your