One of, if not the biggest challenge in social media marketing is staying on top of the ever-changing algorithms that affect how many people see your content. Facebook is always changing how they treat publishers and businesses, and the platform’s latest announcement has many companies biting their nails wondering how to stay competitive.
The change is motivated by Facebook’s desire to be more people focused. During the announcement, Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg said, “public content — posts from businesses, brands, and media — is crowding out the personal moments that lead us to connect more with each other.”
So, if Facebook is going to make getting your content in front of consumers more difficult, is there any hope? Of course! And it’s not nearly as scary as you might think.
1. Make Your Page A Community
It’s easy to look at your page strictly from an advertising perspective, but your goal should really be to connect your clients and customers to each other, not just your brand. The more conversations going on, the more active a community, and strong communication from you will help keep your content in people’s feeds.
2. Make Your Content Count
Rushing out content to make sure you’re reaching posting goals is a trap many companies fall into. “We want to be seen, so we’d better get lots of posts up!” is no longer the best way to do it. Focus on your audience. See what they gravitate to. Stop looking at reach as your holy grail of metrics. Your audience reactions will be far more important than your reach, so give them value, not volume.
3. Video, Video, And Video
Facebook has encouraged video for a long time, and that is not going to change anytime soon. However, it isn’t just pre-made videos they want. Take advantage of Facebook Live to create your content and bring your fans a more personal touch. Show off events, your product, even just an office tour. Make your page about the personalities behind the brand, not just the brand.
4. Find New Avenues
One of Facebook’s new, and little used, tools is the ability to plug into your customers through Messenger. The program started testing late last year, and gives you a way to quickly speak to customers, and give them the feeling of talking to a person and a friend, not a company. That small personal touch will help grow your ads, and your audience.
5. Know Your Budget
Organic reach has been on the downswing for a while, and relying on it is a recipe for disaster. If you haven’t prepared a budget for a paid strategy, you could be in trouble, unless you’re really on top of your game! Facebook Ads Manager is getting increasingly robust, and the options you have for targeting offer a level of specificity that is staggering. Be prepared to spend money, and start testing your audience to see what is most effective. Plan your budget out, and get the most out of each ad!
This might be one of the largest changes to Facebook to date, but it is nothing to panic over. There are plenty of other ways to keep your page flourishing, but it’s important to remember, change course, but don’t abandon ship!