Changes Coming To Facebook Marketing
January 15, 2018
Yesterday Mark Zuckerberg shook the world of social media marketers by announcing that Facebook is changing the rules on businesses marketing on the platform.
Touting Facebook’s ability to bring people closer together when content is personal to the user (i.e posts from family and friends) and not the content posted by businesses, Zuckerberg detailed the changes that he will implement in the coming months.
In a nutshell, Facebook is going to limit what you see in your News Feed from businesses whose content doesn’t spark reactions or comments. Businesses that “engagement bait” will be demoted in the News Feed. And if you are scheduling your posts through scheduling software, the new algorithm will detect it and zing you for it.
Users will be able to edit their News Feed preferences by choosing the “See First” option for the pages they still want to see, but reaching new customers will be more difficult without sponsored or boosted ads.
The impact to your business page may or may not be dramatic, it all depends on how people interact with your page. If you receive many comments and reactions, you may not see much of a change in engagement or reach. But if your business posts content that is only seen and not reacted to, you will see a bigger decrease in distribution.
What is a marketer to do?
One, stop utilizing scheduling software to generate content on your page. Most, if not all of it is evergreen and doesn’t spark reactions or comments.
Two, create content to elicit a response. We’re not talking engagement baiting, we’re talking about content that gets people talking. Ask a question. Encourage the reader to share a personal anecdote.
Third, utilize ad boosting. Create ads that drive folks to your website or engage with you on Facebook. Additionally you can target ads demographically and by interests to get the most bang for your buck.
A new world is coming to Facebook. If you aren’t sure how to navigate it, seek the advice of experienced professionals like those at AccentuRate. We can help.