Facebook has done it again – changes to our news feeds have now been confirmed and put in place. While the social media giant is notorious for constantly implementing changes while keeping us on our toes in regards to our marketing, the new changes may actually have a noticeably bigger impact on your business. However, don’t throw in the towel just yet. All is not lost – and like always, we are sure that the digital marketers of the world will soon find the best ways to work around the new changes. Today we are here to let you know about the new changes and how they will affect you. Plus we have a few tips to help you get seen on Facebook during this change!
If you scroll through your personal Facebook feed, you may notice that you no longer see posts from (business) pages you follow, unless it is a post that has been shared by a friend or a sponsored ad. According to Facebook, they are now encouraging more engagement between friends (some would argue they are actually forcing it to happen by changing the way the News Feed works) in order to “make your Facebook experience more meaningful.”
But the news is not so great for (business) pages! The new changes affect the reach for business pages, by drastically eliminating content seen unless 1. the post is sponsored or 2. it has a high engagement – a.k.a lot’s of likes, shares, and comments). Businesses who depend on posting valuable content daily to be seen will definitely feel the hit unless you invest in Facebook Ads (which we do not recommend for “all posts”, like a meme – but has always been valuable for content intended to drive visitors to your website)
So what can (business) Pages do to counter potential reach declines? Facebook’s Head of News Feed Adam Mosseri offered some suggestions: “Page posts that generate conversation between people will show higher in News Feed. For example, live videos often lead to discussion among viewers on Facebook – in fact, live videos on average get six times as many interactions as regular videos. Many creators who post videos on Facebook prompt discussion among their followers, as do posts from celebrities. In Groups, people often interact around public content. Local businesses connect with their communities by posting relevant updates and creating events. And news can help start conversations on important issues.”
It will take at least a few weeks before the digital marketing world cracks the code and finds the best ways around the new changes. Until strategies begin to roll out, we also suggest the following:
- Continue posting content daily!
- Figure out which posts have brought you more engagement and directs traffic to your business website (you can find this in your “page insights” tab) and boost those or create similar posts/content which you can also boost.
- Get involved in “Facebook Groups” (but don’t spam!) or start your own group, where you can help others, share knowledge, gain trust and grow an authentic following.
- Share your business posts to your personal feed (and mark those as “open” (non-private) posts, so it can also be found by people you do not know as well on Facebook.
- Ask friends and family to share some content for you. However, do not tag them, spam them or force them to share or flood your/their feed with business posts (this can annoy others and they may end up muting your posts).
- Ask followers to select the “See First” option on your page – this will guarantee that Facebook will have your posts show up (first) in their feed!
Again, keep in mind that digital marketers are constantly finding new ways to strategize around social media and search engine changes. Do not give up on platforms like Facebook, as they are still highly valuable to your business and is very necessary. We will make sure to keep you in the know as new strategies emerge, so you are able to continue rocking your social media and digital marketing! So, remember to keep following us and sign up for newsletter updates to stay in the loop!
How do you feel about the new changes? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook page!