Of recent, Facebook introduced new changes to its algorithm, which is slated to affect the content on its users’ News Feed. While the step stands to improve the user experience, it can hit brands and businesses below the belt.
Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg stated, “Recently we’ve gotten feedback from our community that public content—posts from businesses, brands and media—is crowding out the personal moments that lead us to connect more with each other” in a post on Facebook.
Zuckerberg went on to add, “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.”
In other words, the content on the News Feed will be more focused on those from friends and family and less from third parties.
It is a ranking change to bring people closer and help them connect better and in a more meaningful manner, which is the core of Facebook’s founding philosophy.
Moving forward, how would your business cope up with the wind of change at Facebook?
To begin with, a business may see a steep fall in the Facebook page’s engagement levels. This can be followed by higher costs for ad spaces with thousands of brands and businesses jostling. The good news here is that adhering to the new norms and making a few tweaks may work wonders for your business.
Here’s what your action plan should look like:
Pay attention to group content
Group content strikes up many conversations, with several communities on the platform having active participants. If you don’t already have a group, you may want to start one. Alternatively, you may also participate in groups by posting content the group members find relevant.
Cut down on video
Over the past few years, video content has taken center stage on Facebook and is growing at an unprecedented rate. But when it comes to engaging conversations, videos are far removed. They are more passive in nature than the other content variants and that’s why, you need to cut down on video content and emphasize other content.
Create content that finds popularity
According to the new algorithm change, content from professional pages will be given less importance as opposed to content that people talk about with their friends and family. This is a different ballgame, where you need to make sure that the content on your professional page is exciting and interesting enough to be shared.
Move away from clickbait-style language
Facebook’s new algorithm seems to be anti-clickbait.
So unless you want your content to disappear from News Feeds, move away from any clickbait-style language. Embracing authentic content in natural, everyday-language will serve you better and help your cause.
It is important that you put your target audience first and then build content around their interests. Think in terms of what would solve their problem or what content would fuel their imaginations and get them talking.
You get the hint!
Push quality content
If there’s anything that will remain constant, it is the demand for quality content on Facebook. And by that, we mean content which gets engagements and goes beyond likes, shares and comments. Simply put, make your audience love your content so that they are compelled to interact with it.
Also, it is important to reduce the volume of your posts. A rule of the thumb would be to post less, but better content. This act will make sure that your posts get the attention that it deserves from your target audience.
Establish thought leadership
This is old wine in new bottle. But it still works.
If you want to encourage more interaction and engagement with your content, work on establishing yourself as a thought leader in your industry.
For this, you may want to publish your opinion on current issues that are plaguing the industry. Or even a challenge that your brand helped solved.
Once you get the discussions started, there will be no looking back!
Give importance to live videos
As opposed to videos, Live videos have more changes of engagement. You need to create such videos, which are invariably shown on the top of the news feed.
Using Live video content will help you easily reach even the most niche audience. So, go for it!
Experiment with stories
In its nascent stage, Facebook stories have a long way to go. While the feature has amassed tremendous popularity on other platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat, it is taking baby steps on Facebook.
You can be one of the early adopters of Facebook stories for your business. Experiment with the unique format to come up with content, contests, announcements and more to gain visibility for your brand or business.
Wrap-up
These are some of the ways you can grab the Facebook algorithm change bull by its horns and be one up your competition. It may take you a while to adjust to the new setup, but in the end, it is going to be worth it as you convert adversity into opportunity!
