It’s no big secret that the Facebook algorithm has adjusted the way they prioritize businesses. Mark Zuckerberg announced in late 2017 that businesses will no longer be as prevalent in the news feed.
Why the change? Facebook has shifted their focus to favor person-to-person, “meaningful” interaction in order to provide users with a better experience.
With organic reach plummeting at a rapid pace, many businesses and marketers panicked with this news (and are continuing to panic). Though the “new” feed does pose a challenge for brands, reaching your audience is not impossible under Facebook’s new algorithm shift. The update requires businesses and marketers to get creative with content type and distribution. Strategy is of utmost importance if you want to see value from Facebook.
The phrase “content is king” wore itself out a few years ago, but now quality content is king, queen, and the whole royal family. Here are a few ways to reach your audience with the new Facebook changes.
Renewed focus on video content
Though Facebook put a huge focus on video, it is no longer enough to earn you a top spot in the news feed. The quality of video matters more now than ever.
You can create quality video content without breaking the bank. One thing hasn’t changed – Facebook users want to see personality. Video is a great way to showcase yours!
To begin, try taking some of the content you’ve already created (blogs, infographics, etc.) and turning them into short 30 second – 1 minute videos. For bonus points, go live on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to get the immediate attention of your audience.
Create content that connects
Go back to basics and consider your buyer persona when creating content. What do they care about? What types of content do they find to be valuable? Can they relate with what you are posting? Does it give them an opportunity to engage? Create content that does all of the above!
Create a Facebook Group
Facebook groups are a great way to bring inclusiveness and community to your audience. Oftentimes, people feel more comfortable engaging in a group because it’s a more private and exclusive setting. Because Groups have a different dynamic, you will want to create a content strategy specifically for your Group.
Pro tip: Make Groups part of your content strategy rather than relying on them completely. If we’ve learned anything, it’s that you cannot rely on one tactic to reach your audience on a consistent basis.
No more engagement baiting
Though it has been against Facebook’s TOS (terms of service) to bait users into engaging with your brand (example: like, tag, and share contests), many businesses still managed to slide under Facebook’s radar. With Facebook’s new changes, this type of content will not only be demoted in the news feed, but brands will be punished and potentially face account banning as a result of the violation.
Post reactions and short comments are no longer considered high-quality engagement, either. Consider some of the following:
- Creating short FAQ video post and encouraging users to drop their questions in the comments
- Ending each post with a meaningful CTA (call-to-action)
- Asking users to share photos of your product/service (incentivize for an added bonus)
- Asking for input on a blog post or other piece of informational content
You will need an ad budget
Long gone are the days of a 100% organic strategy. Your audience “liked” your page because they care about and find value in what you offer, but the unfortunate truth is that your message has a 10% chance or lower of showing up in a news feed – even for those that consistently engage with your page.
Boosted posts and Facebook ads are now an essential component to your social media strategy. You can create a Facebook audience based on current follower data.
Do not rely solely on paid advertising
No one gets on Facebook because they want to be sold to. Craft boosted posts with careful consideration. Is the message conversational? Does it solve a problem? Is the imagery captivating and relevant? If you can confidently answer “yes” to all three questions, you have a much better chance of utilizing boosted posts to drive engagement and sales.
A common mistake among many businesses owners and marketers is that they attempt to force success of bad copy and imagery by boosting it. If a post isn’t performing well, the answer isn’t always to boost it. Not only is that an ineffective use of your ad budget, but you are also doing your audience a disservice by forcing a message onto them that didn’t resonate with them to begin with. Boost content that is performing well to get the most out of it!
Are there new Facebook strategies that have been successful for your brand? Do you have questions about acceptable content types? Share them with us in the comments!