Facebook is constantly changing policies, algorithms and who knows what else that has an impact on companies making a profit online. Some of the most recent changes they made are related to the algorithm that determines what people see in their News Feed. For the daily user who has no interest in getting worldwide recognition, except for those desperate for attention, these are not changes that will affect them in a bad way. After all, Facebook was created for people interaction, not for businesses so they should be the ones to benefit the most. The intention here is to spare the users from undesirable content and to give them exactly what they want.
Of course, some argue that these changes are meant to discourage cheap money making and to force businesses to invest more in Facebook ads and promotion. So what is this change in algorithms going to do to your business? More precisely is related to how high on the News Feed will the posts appear. This will give less visibility to promotional organic posts so the chances are that your visibility will also decrease.
Getting ahead of the algorithms
What guidelines to follow so you can keep the pace with changes and to keep on winning with your Facebook page?
- Focus on getting the audience to your platform and don’t rely only on Facebook for promoting yourself. Use it how it should be used: as a tool that will help you provide what you want and not as a machine for making money. Nevertheless, if you are also ready to invest some money use Facebook ads to target the right audience that will become the customers you want.
- Don’t forget about quality: it is very important to provide high quality content that is relevant for your business and for your visitors as well. Here, once more you can use Facebook ads to boost that valuable content. You might want to post less but better, than risking too many uninteresting spams. Once you have that perfect content don’t waste it and adjust your timing. When is your audience more likely to be active on Facebook, to click, to read and to share? Those are the times you should also be active so you can increase your visibility.
- Put the posts into the right context. If there is a certain post that has become viral and it guarantees success on the News Feed it doesn’t mean that you should post it if is not relevant for your identity as a brand. Even though the algorithm is trying to prevent free ads from getting on the News Feed, concentrate on getting lead generation and conversion on other platforms. And on top of that, sharing the same information over and over again can also decrease your visibility because Facebook no longer agrees repetitive content.
- Don’t forget that the main purpose of Facebook is to reunite people and what they are trying to improve through these changes is that closeness and familiarity. Be casual, friendly and opened to discussion. The content that has proven to be successful has a friendly approach, where people are invited to discuss, ask question and give feedback. People are looking for attention on Facebook so why shouldn’t you offer them that sense of recognition? There is no point in talking about yourself, your brand, your business, your product because people are tired of promotional stuff and it will get you nowhere. Leave the promotional material for the audience you already converted.
No matter the changes to come, bad or good for the business, they should be seen as challenges that will open new perspectives. These fast changing rules will force business owners to be more intuitive and to make greater use of their imagination. So embrace the new algorithms and give the best to your audience.