2018 has dropped a bomb-shell on organic ad reach, and a lot of marketing experts have been crying that the sky is falling ever since. This week on #SocialSpeak, we’re going to be analyzing Facebook’s new algorithm change to give you some hints that can help you navigate this new and exciting phase!
What exactly happened to Facebook’s algorithm?
On the 12th of January, Mark Zuckerberg posted an update on Facebook about new changes the platform will be undertaking in 2018. In the post, Zuckerberg stated that he wants Facebook to once again be a platform for “meaningful connections”, mentioning that soon people will be seeing less Ads and more updates from their friends and families.
This caused quite the uproar online, with many experts declaring the end of organic marketing. But that’s not what Zuckerberg was saying! While he did explicitly state that Facebook users will see less content from “businesses, brands, and media”, he made a point that we would like to focus on:
“As we roll this out, 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”
-Mark Zuckerberg
So how can a business or a brand “encourage meaningful interactions between people”? The answer isn’t as hard as one might think, here are a few practices we encourage you to take up (or give up) to have as smooth a transition into 2018 as possible.
Content, content, content!
Content should be the first thing any business re-vamps this year because it seems to be one of the biggest game changers for Facebook visibility. You need to start writing quality content, content that starts up a conversation, and more specifically, content that gets comments, not likes.
One thing to look out for: don’t force engagement onto your followers. Posts that ask people to “COMMENT on this post if…” are called engagement-bait, and they will soon be a problem of the past. The best way to drive engagement this year? An indirect approach.
Provide content that can be discussed, and people will discuss it. What’s the go-to content this year? Live videos.
Influencers may be the heroes of the online marketing world
Businesses have been partnering up with influencers for a while now, but this year, it’s no longer about having an influencer that praises the benefits of your product or brand. You need to start focusing on partnering up with influencers that are, as people, in-line with your product or brand. Remember, the keyword for the year is “meaningful interactions”, and an influencer that can spearhead the discussion about your services is a keeper.
Invest in Facebook Ads
Facebook Ads have been around since the dawn of the platform itself, but businesses need to up their Ad game this year. There needs to be more research into your audience, your business needs to figure out exactly what and to whom they should be marketing their products/brands for. Make sure you’re getting the reach you’re paying for by knowing your target audience inside and out, and you might want to think about increasing your ad budget.
Facebook Groups are Making a Come-back!
Facebook groups often lead to building an online community, and businesses should be looking at creating communities around their brand or product. Tight-knit groups that have active members lead to fan-based discussions, which can be an untapped hub of engaging and insightful content. Invest in Facebook groups, and more specifically, invest in the community that rises from those Facebook groups.
Sources:
https://blog.hootsuite.com/facebook-algorithm-change-2018/
https://www.facebook.com/zuck/posts/10104413015393571
http://metro.co.uk/2018/01/20/facebook-algorithm-update-will-change-news-feed-7245129/
