Photo Courtsey of Facebook
Facebook has changed its algorithm for the posts in a user’s News Feed many times, however, its most recent algorithm change has altered the way businesses engage with fans.
This change will cause a slow but major decline in organic reach due to the high amount of content produced. At any time, there could be over 1500 stories shown to a user and because that number continues to grow, Facebook must change its algorithm to prioritize the content shown.
This means that content that users like and engage with will be mostly shown. In order to keep engagement and visibility up on a business’ page, we recommend that you follow these tips:
-Rather than drastically reducing time spent engaging on a Facebook page altogether, businesses should keep it updated and stay engaged with others.
-Facebook pages can still help businesses view analytics of how people engage with their posts. Pages can also be used for running contests, incorporating Facebook apps, and promoting mailing lists. An email list can help deliver information straight to a customer rather than have it get hidden in their feed.
-Make your page stand out by having exciting and updated cover and profile photos. Update your “About” section, ensuring that your location, website, and phone number are all correct.
Your Facebook page can also help you connect with users and answer questions; those who already like your brand can spread the word.
Another feature that can help reach your audience is the “Following” feature on your own personal profile. This feature allows users to view public posts on your personal page because user posts are prioritized above Page posts on a News Feed.
Facebook has also been pushing Instagram onto its users as they have been slightly prioritizing Instagram posts. In the future, Facebook will continue to push its most recent features so taking advantage of them now can help you get ahead of the curve.
If you would still like to keep engagement up on Facebook, make the most of your advertising budget by making some changes to your existing ads. Carefully target your audience by using Facebook’s demographic data and target your ads to users who have shown interest but have never made a purchase. Instead of focusing on your business, posting content such as eBooks or podcasts will receive greater engagement.
Platforms such as a website, blog, or video series should be used to help earn trust from your customers. After you’ve built these up (as relevant to your brand), you may try to increase engagement on other social media platforms.
Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest are all increasing in user growth and can be helpful in reaching out to more customers as well.
Not all businesses have noticed a change in engagement, but if this new algorithm has affected the activity on your page, making a few adjustments to your strategy can help you build a strong Facebook community.