Facebook feels like the ultimate social site to share your brand’s information, but the reality is, the reach of your posts are dictated by an algorithm that favours content from friends, family and news organizations.
This means that your ability to reach your followers and get the engagement and likes that you want (and need), is a crazy hard proposition.
However, no matter how crazy hard as it is, you can still find organic success on Facebook, we’ll discuss how below.
In 2014, the brains behind Facebook started to manipulate their algorithm to favour user-relative content and to declutter user's Newsfeeds. Since that time, Facebook’s organic reach numbers have drastically declined. Studies shows that the algorithm now allows your posts to reach just under 2% of your total followers.
The algorithm prioritizes content from family and friends over businesses. Only those who engage with your content on the regular will receive your posts. This is because users' actions speak louder than words and tell Facebook what relative content is by clicking and commenting on the platform.
If you use Facebook Ads you may know that you able to define the audience that you are advertising to. The same can be done on your non-paid posts. When you create your next post, try targeting a specific audience, this way you are sharing content that is better tailored to specific follower’s interests and is therefore considered ‘better’ content.
Ask your followers to click, like, share or comment in the content of your posts. Simply asking your followers to do something with your posts often results in actions and engagement.
Videos are the content rulers of Facebook because users watch and engage with video content over everything else. Videos receive 186% higher engagement and 1000% more shares than any other content shared on Facebook. (source) Video sharing on Facebook needs to become apart of your strategy.
You no doubt have some followers that don’t want to miss an event, sale, photo update or article from your brand. We suggest you ask these followers to visit your page and set their notifications to “See First” this way they’re sure to see your posts in their Newsfeed.
Facebook experts believe that organic reach is set to decline to zero, so now is the time to do what your competition is doing and start advertising on Facebook. Facebook’s advertising platform has excellent targeting capabilities and includes tools that further help you to create effective advertisements.
The tactics for winning at social media are constantly changing. In Facebook's case, winning means spending advertising dollars. This doesn't have to be a bad thing, as Facebook ads are incredibly effective when done right and are a lot cheaper than traditional media spends. Talk to one of our team members about what a winning social media strategy looks like for your brand.