Big news dropped yesterday, in case you were living under a Social Media rock – Facebook is implementing a huge change to the way content will be prioritised on Facebook. And boy did the panic erupt!
When I started Wise Up in 2010, Facebook was fancy free, ads were not heard of, people had high performing sales just from posts they did on Facebook, with comments as orders and if I remember right (and I did have a baby that year so forgive me if I am wrong) – we couldn’t even measure reach, or engagement, or conversion! It was literally the dark ages. I was fortunate to start my business helping others to nail Social Media and Websites from a strategic Marketing Approach.
I lived through the introduction of Ads, the swelling of content, the swelling of users and then of course the algorithm changes (oh the algorithm changes) and many times (like yesterday) I have seen the mania erupt! Before I throw my tips into the ring how how to face this new world, I want to highlight a very important thought, that I share with many clients
Don’t build your house on someone else’s land.
Truth is, Facebook should never have been your one and only strategy in place. A website, an email database, collateral (if its relevant) these are your land, you own them, they are at your mercy. Facebook is like a rental property, the landlord has the final say!
So is organic content dead for businesses? I think there will be a strategic shift by those that want to succeed
1. More Live Video Facebook lives are viewed engaged with about 6x more than other forms of video. Add personality to your brand, hold Q&s, deliver your newsletter live after you send it out, have your team engage, demonstrate your product… but do it live… allow conversation (and therefore engagement).
2. Be More Engaging Review your last 60 days of Facebook posts – what got the highest engagement? Is it when you share your own blog post? Do more of what is engaging and drives conversation – these will get your best reach.
3. Encourage “See First” by your community Do not bombard your followers, but consider ways to encourage them to opt in to see your content first (consider this on your Live Video, and in email sends as opposed to post spamming it out)
What can you focus on to maximise the Facebook Platform?
Strategically Use Ads
A hundred years ago (2009 for example) businesses of all sizes spent money to reach customers – by newspaper ads, by flyer drops, by attending network events… the list goes on. Facebook came along and all of a sudden we could connect with potential customers directly…for free. We liked it, we got used to it… and now it seems outrageous that we should need to pay for it. Facebook still has the ability to get your brand / product / service in front of infinite numbers of your ideal client – but its time to accept that investment is a key part of it. When used strategically, Facebook ads will pay for themselves and is still far more affordable and strategic than other mass advertising options.
Create a Group if it is Meaningful
Group content is going to be stronger and will be prioritised along with “friends” posts. So if you can create a relavant group that gives support, look to run it alongside your page and link it to your page. This will ensure these conversations get more traction and keep you visible in the feed.
Maximise EventsIf you’re a local business or run online events, use the “Event” function to create events that people can invite friends to. This will also have positive reach.As the dust settles on these changes, it might be the perfect time to revisit your strategy (great timing really) and see how to maximise in 2018 using all your whole marketing portfolio.Mary-Anne