With Facebook being by far the biggest social media channel, it’s no wonder publishers of all sizes are constantly putting out content to show up on the newsfeeds of the 665 million active users each day. With so many targeted potential customers, a business page on Facebook is a must for any company. Needless to say, your page should be continually updated with engaging content. The changes to be made to news feed algorithm will shift and more favorably promote posts by friends and family as opposed to news publishers and brands.
FACEBOOK'S ALGORITHM PLANS
The changes are intended to keep users connected to the people, places, and things they most want to stay connected to. The update is expected to affect all types of content being posted to Facebook, including links, videos, live videos, and photos. Reach and referral traffic are expected to decline for many pages who drive traffic using Page posts.
Facebook’s algorithm research on the matter of user’s newsfeeds has detailed the fact that after friends and family updates, people want:
News stories in their feeds that are informative and interesting to them
News feeds that are entertaining, with entertainment being subjective for each individual
HOW THIS WILL AFFECT YOUR BUSINESS PAGE
The impact this update will have on your page depends on the composition of your audience. If your referral traffic is the result of people sharing your content and their friends liking and commenting on it, you will feel less of an impact. If your traffic traditionally comes from page posts, expect a decline in reach.
HOW BUSINESSES WILL CONTINUE TO THRIVE ON FACEBOOK
Facebook made sure to point out the importance of authentic communication and being inclusive of all perspectives and viewpoints without favouring specific sources and ideas. A tactic that should be practiced going forward is to create audience targeted content so that followers are more inclined to share. Developing new and innovative tactics to get your content shared is always beneficial for your brand, but it has become more important than ever if you want to remain relevant on your follower's newsfeeds.
It’s still very possible to establish a Facebook strategy that lets you market your business successfully on the platform. We love Facebook ads and PPC as they’re great tools that have let us help our clients strategically increase web traffic and enhance sales. The International Cool Climate Chardonnay Celebration (i4C) is one of the many examples we have in which social media and PPC have been used to drive sales.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Let’s face it, the majority of your posts won’t appear on all of the timelines you want them to, and the engagement levels may not be that high. That being said, the goal of your posts shouldn’t be solely about the engagement you’re getting on that specific platform. Social media is a great tool for capturing attention, but the end goal should be trying to get that user from your social page to either your website or in contact with you. Facebook’s algorithm shift is just another example of how frequently social channels are changing their algorithms to reduce the clutter on a user’s newsfeeds.
Content will always be king, you should be focused on the quality rather than the quantity. Having a strategy for your Facebook presence is important in facilitating online relationships with your customers. Digital channels are becoming more and more important for customer engagement and being prepared for shifts in the platforms such as this can help maintain a strong brand presence on all social media networks.