Mark Zuckerberg has announced new changes to the Facebook Newsfeed, which comes as no surprise after algorithm changes in the last 18 months and Facebook’s recent pilot of a secondary newsfeed. But what are the changes coming to Facebook and how will they change the way we use it for marketing?
The move is to encourage users to have more ‘meaningful interactions’ with those closest to them, their family and friends, and dampen the noise in a newsfeed. Which, according to Facebook research is what we’re all after.
While the specifics from Zuckerberg and the team haven’t been released yet, we have had some teasers on what to expect and how we can plan to move forward.
What’s going to happen to my business Page?
Your business Page will stay. There’s no need to worry about that! Everyone who has liked your Page will continue to see your posts in their newsfeed if those posts are engaging enough. It simply means that Facebook Pages will be held to a new standard with the content they publish. Your content will need to work to get into the newsfeeds of your audience.
This means that the more people you have meaningful interacts with those posts, the higher the reach or impression it’ll gain. This isn’t a case of getting a few likes or reactions, your audience need to be having a conversation on the post and when sharing the post. Which, for many B2B Page’s, is a harder task to complete.
How do I make these interactions meaningful?
It’s all about conversation! Facebook is bringing an end to Pages broadcasting to their audience. You’ll need to know who your audience is, what really gets them talking, and what type of posts they interact with to have a bigger chance of creating conversation and getting shown in the newsfeed.
An example Facebook gives is of live videos, which on average gain six times more interactions as regular videos on the platform. The use of these videos would help your Page gain the necessary interactions/engagement to be shown in a person’s newsfeed. The stat here is unsurprising since we process imagery 60,000 times faster than text.
This isn’t to say every post should be a video or a live video. Your posts should be varied in their format but the key here is to make them engaging! Key questions to ask yourself: would you comment or like the post you’re about to publish? Would your colleagues? Will the information be interesting or add value to your audience’s day?
Is this going to be the end of organic Facebook posts?
Of course not! For businesses, I’ve always advocated a healthy mix of organic and paid on social – especially Facebook. This won’t change that. Organic activity will still be needed to keep your account active.
What this is going to do is make you/your Social Media Manager/Community Manager have to work harder on creating organic posts for Facebook. In B2B, many marketers fear pushing the boundaries or giving that emotive feeling to content and to keep up with Facebook we’re likely to see a shift in this. Content will need to make people laugh, look to a brighter tomorrow in the office, and most importantly engage! Look to your favorite B2C brands and see what inspiration you can use to shake off the shackles of the B2B mindset because you’re going to need it.
Remember, your product or service could be what helps somebody get the recognition from their co-workers or manager that they want. That’s as important as choosing the right gift for a friend or partners birthday!
As we know more on the changes to Facebook Pages and their relationship with the newsfeed we’ll be able to update you, but for now, think about what you’re posting and whether it’s really going to grab the attention of your audience.