img Blog

June 9, 2015

Have You Updated Your Facebook Strategy After the Latest Algorithm Changes?

Scratching your head wondering why your organic reach on Facebook is down? You’re not alone. Facebook’s latest algorithm changes sucker punched business pages, dropping organic reach. The goal? To get more businesses paying their way into the newsfeeds of adoring audiences.

What You Need to Know

Love it or hate it, this new Facebook algorithm shift is in full swing. Here are the top three changes affecting business pages:
  1. Facebook is showing more posts from friends in the News Feed;
  2. Requests for likes or comments will push posts further down in the News Feed (if they’re shown at all);
  3. Facebook isn’t showing more than one post from the same source.
Each of these changes is significant. For most social media marketers, it signals a necessary shift away from old school tactics and toward new school engagement strategies. Here are a few shifts you can make to stay ahead of the game.

Focus on Friends

At the forefront of Facebook’s changes is a laser focus on friends – and not just any friends. Facebook is showing people posts from the friends a person engages with the most. For example, you’re more likely to see posts from your best friend whose posts you comment on or like more often than an old high school friend with whom you have nothing in common (and rarely comment or like). That’s good news for your personal account. As a marketer, it shifts the way you need to focus your posts. The goal now is to get people to share or comment on your stuff so that it’s seen in the News Feeds of your fan’s friends. The more people share your stuff, the more eyeballs you’ll get on your posts.

Revise Your Content

You can’t ask for likes, comments, or shares anymore, so the key to getting people engaged with your content is to revise the type of content you’re offering. With each item you post, the goal is to organically drive likes and comments. A few ways to do this include:
  • Ask a question;
  • Create branded images that are fun for your audience to share;
  • Create a contest (just make sure it’s done in the right way);
  • Post something humorous;
  • Ask yes or no questions (they’re easier for someone to answer).
The list could go on and on. The common thread between each of these is that they solicit a response from your audience without directly requesting that response, and thereby breaking Facebook’s rules.

Reconsider the Purpose of Facebook

The Facebook algorithm changes might seem pesky, but they are good-intentioned. The goal is to keep Facebook a fun, interactive place to socialize. As a brand, keeping that purpose in mind with each post, you’ll naturally shy away from the overly-promotional content Facebook is trying to nix and instead keep your organic reach high. What are some of the ways you have revised your Facebook strategy recently?