Did you catch wind of “Mobilegeddon,” Google’s major algorithm update that shook the marketing world? Believe it or not, the search engine giant’s big update might not be the algorithm update your business should worry about.
Around the same time, Facebook made a few major algorithm changes. These updates have the potential to change the publishing landscape for brands.
If you use Facebook to promote your business (which you should be!), you’ll want to listen up!
The Algorithm Updates
Facebook’s algorithm seems to put the social network back closer towards its roots. The changes center on a person’s friends, pushing branded content lower in the News Feed (if it’s shown at all).
Here are the three core updates:
- Facebook will show multiple posts in a row from the same person/source.
- Content posted by friends gets priority.
- More content posted directly from friends will be shown, and there will be less posts about what other content your friends have liked or commented on.
What This Means For You
As a business, this could spell trouble. Many Facebook pages are already reporting significantly lower organic reach in the Facebook News Feed. The new update implies an increased decline in reach.
It’s not all doom and gloom in Facebook marketing. There are a few things you can do to keep your page appearing in front of your target audience.
Keep your loyal fans engaged
Engagement has never been more important than it is now. Although the friends of your followers won’t see “Joe liked this page” or “Michelle commented on this post,” your posts will still appear in the News Feed to people engaged with your brand.
Focus on the type of content you’re providing. Does it solicit a response without overtly asking for one? Get your fans talking so that your messages continue to get seen and read.
Get your fans to share more
This is a difficult situation. Facebook tends to ignore pages that directly ask for shares. However, the more your followers share your posts, the more their friends will notice them, giving your page greater visibility. Share content that motivates sharing—information that is useful and worth passing on—like this one:
To encourage sharing, focus on your visual content. Humorous posts, quotables, and other forms of branded content created with an intent to get shared is key.
Pay your way into the News Feed
For years, brands have realized that Facebook would use its advertising platform to make them pay for visibility. While they haven’t fully committed to this approach, the new algorithm definitely pushes advertisers to spend money to reach an audience. Instead of simply hitting the “Boost Post” button for quick, untargeted likes, think outside the box. Consider using Facebook Unpublished Posts to promote your content.
What changes are you making to your Facebook marketing strategy after this latest algorithm update?