WELCOME TO THE NEXT EVOLUTION IN YOUR CONTENT REQUIREMENTS
It's the very first fortnight of 2018, and while some of us planned a relaxing transition back from holiday to business mode, Facebook had other plans for Business Page Administrators.
We all know change is inevitable so if you haven’t already, prepare yourself for the next evolution of Facebook... Here's the skinny on what you need to know about the latest Facebook changes to affect your business presence.
On January 12 (2018) Facebook (Mark Zuckerberg) dropped some pretty big algorithm-bombs on the social media world:
WHAT?
"...We're making a major change to how we build Facebook. I'm changing the goal I give our product teams from focusing on helping you find relevant content to helping you have more meaningful social interactions".
Words we want you to focus on here - "finding relevant content" is out, "more meaningful social interactions" is in.
HOW?
"...you'll see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media. And the public content you see more will be held to the same standard - it should encourage meaningful interactions between people."
Over the coming weeks Facebook will start to change the way we see updates in our news feed. Visibly less news & business content, more friends and family content.
WHY?
"...too often today, watching video, reading news or getting a page update is just a passive experience."
Facebook has acknowledged that it's news-feed has been a bit of a free-for-all up to now.
Once upon a time Facebook was the place we went to connect with friends and family.
Fast forward to today. I think we all agree our news feeds are pretty chokka with a few updates from friends and family, and the remainder is a lot of useless information and ads we don't need to be see.
WELCOME TO 2018 EVERYBODY! ...SURPRISE!
For you and me as Facebook users, this news is welcome. I personally think Facebook's move toward decreasing spam in our newsfeeds will make the Facebook experience a whole lot more enjoyable.
For businesses, these Facebook changes mean some pretty big updates to your content and advertising strategy will be required.
To reiterate, Facebook has specified that updates and advertising from business pages will be given less reach in the personal newsfeed.
Facebook will be prioritising content that 'creates conversation' and community. We're not talking tags, reactions and shares here - we're talking back and forth conversations that are borne out of genuine, meaningful content.
As brands, our business on social media should be all about creating community and conversation. But, up to now the majority of businesses on Facebook (worldwide) have been all-aboard the free (or low cost) promotion train.
This has resulted in a huge amount of mindless content being created (we’ve all seen it), and for brands who have been taking advantage of Facebook's 'open-playground' those days nearing an end.
WHAT DOES THIS ALL REALLY MEAN?
It's time to revisit your social media strategy and plan for the future, especially when it comes to your business Facebook presence.
Posts about “International Cookie Day” or the likes may still be relevant but it will be all about the story leading this conversation, not just the picture of your puppy wearing a cute hat, eating the cookie.
If you're not creating genuine content that meets Facebook's new algorithm criteria - it's likely your audience won't be seeing much of you, at all.
Innovation, planning, creative, use of new tech and conversation will need to be at the top of your priority list when it comes to strategy. Knowing your audience and what makes them 'tick' will be the key to keeping your content alive.
Brands who choose to create meaningful connections with their audience will grow by adapting, and will evolving with the times. The algorithm changes present exciting opportunities for deeper engagement and brand loyalty.
These changes are something we foretasted a long time ago at The Social Shop, and for all of our clients creating meaningful conversations is something we do on a daily basis.
SET A BUDGET
If you're not advertising already, 'paying to play' is going to become a necessity for the majority of brands on social media. Because of the algorithm preferences, advertising on Facebook will need to work harder meaning it's set to become more expensive.
We're not saying that your organic content won't make it into personal news feeds at all, we're saying that NOW is the time to get strategic about your content, and your advertising approach / goals for using Facebook / budgets / etc.
If social media isn't your strong-suit, and you don't currently have a strategy maybe it's time to talk to an expert about where to from here.
There's LOADS of information about these latest changes to the Facebook newsfeed online, but if you want to talk your particular approach to Facebook with a professional team then get in touch with us.
We're here to make your business social media experience exciting, long-lasting and profitable. Let us know your thoughts or questions on our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter posts. Remember from now on, and more importantly than ever it's ALL about the conversation.