Just when you think you have the Facebook algorithm all figured out, they go and change it again! Recently, Mark Zuckerberg announced some significant changes that will primarily affect the News Feed. In his post, he stated:
“We’re making a major change to how we build Facebook. I’m changing the goal I give our product teams from focusing on helping you find relevant content to helping you have more meaningful social interactions.
…The first changes you’ll see will be in News Feed, where you can expect to see more from your friends, family and groups. As we roll this out, you’ll see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media. And the public content you see more will be held to the same standard — it should encourage meaningful interactions between people.”
Yes, you read that correctly: Facebook will once again prioritize friends and family over business pages. Regardless of whether you agree with this policy or not, one question should come to your mind: How will we all survive?
So, without further ado, here are 5 things your brand can do to survive the new Facebook algorithm.
1. Commit To Video
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you should know that video content now dominates Facebook. Studies have shown that organic reach fell last year by at least 20% across the board, but the decline for video content has been much smaller than that of link or photo posts. Videos now get double the reach on average do than other post formats.
But this shift toward video doesn’t guarantee your video content will be successful. You still have to put work into making your content engaging and relevant. Due Facebook’s recent crackdown on “engagement bait” your entire page could be demoted if you double down on low-quality content that gets cheap clicks.
2. Ask followers to “See First”
Organic reach on Facebook is the lowest it’s ever been, with less than 5% of followers (if that) viewing your posts in their News Feed. You should expect it to drop even more in the coming weeks and months. Luckily, Facebook has a small setting you can ask your followers to change that will ensure you can still reach them organically. Simply ask them to navigate to your page, click on “Following” and select the “See First” option.
3. Jump Into Facebook Groups
One bright spot in Zuckerberg’s announcement is the inclusion of groups on the priority list. This is a very underused tool that may help you maintain your online community. Building a successful group will take time and effort, but the benefits are enormous. If it makes sense for your business and you are willing to put in the work, groups can build fierce brand advocates. Try creating a forum for your customers to ask questions or give them early access to blog posts and exclusive deals.
4. Make Better Content
Content quality has always been important, but now it’s essential to keeping your reach numbers up. The truth is many pages rely on clickbait and other tricks to make their content appear engaging when it really isn’t. With the sheer amount of content available on Facebook, it was only a matter of time before these lazy (let’s be honest) tactics were dumped in favor of truly engaging content.
So, put some thought into your content. Do some research and get familiar with what your followers and prospective followers are into. Monitor trends, hire a design team, or get creative with your delivery. Whatever you do, just make better content.
5. Share Elsewhere
I’m sure you’ve heard the saying: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. If you hadn’t, now you have. If you’re relying solely on Facebook for social advertising, you probably shouldn’t. With the rise of Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and a plethora of other social media platforms, there’s no need to only pick one. Try sharing your content on other sites, just make sure it’s appropriate for the platforms you choose.