Facebook Newsfeed Changes: Tips to Stay Ahead of the Game.

In this article, we review Facebook’s major news feed changes from 2018, what they mean for you as a business and what you can do to stay ahead of the game.

Let’s take a moment to briefly unpack some of the major Facebook changes for the user, and more importantly, what they mean for your business marketing.

 

User experience

Facebook’s theme for 2018 with the news feed changes was to ensure users are enjoying their Facebook experience. One of the most noticeable changes we as users may have experienced was the delivery of a ranking system that aims to eliminate a lot of the junk, click-bait style content that has been filling our news feeds for far too long.

 

Ultimately, Facebook wants to ensure that consumers see more of their family and friends posts first and to ensure that they are having *meaningful interactions* with business pages. Facebook has acknowledged that passive scrolling of “meaningless content” has a negative impact on our wellbeing…. (I know, I know, it’s hard to believe that Facebook actually cares about our health and wellbeing, but I digress).

 

At the end of the day, Facebook want their users to feel good about using their platform, as they should!

 

What does this mean for businesses?

So far, businesses are likely to already be experiencing a significant decline in organic reach, video watch time and page traffic. Posts that ordinarily would have performed really well and gained some incredible reach, will now not perform so well.

 

Businesses now have to work harder and think more strategically about the type of content that is being served up to their audience.

 

 

So what can you as a business owner/marketer do?

 

Get a plan

Start flexing your digital storytelling muscles. Get creative, and ensure that your social media marketing strategy is tight.

 

Get creative

Change is inevitable, so, focus on cultivating deep communities on Facebook by providing valuable content that your followers are going to absorb and share!

 

Get seen

Show your community how to see your content first!! This is a quick, do-right-now step that can help put you in their spotlight. Users can still choose “See First” in their news feed preferences to make sure they always see posts from their favourite pages.

 

This is a privilege for you, so make sure you return the favour by delivering them with quality content.

 

People love seeing people! Storytelling through video is key, people have an insatiable appetite for this kind of content, think educating, while entertaining through video, get creative and think outside the box.

 

 

Live video is the way of the Facebook future. If you’re not one for going live in front of your followers, find someone in your business who is! Going “live” is such an easy feature to make use of, and it’s free! People don’t expect BIG production and studio lighting. In fact, real, raw and unplugged is the type of content that users can’t get enough of. So start incorporating live videos into your social media strategy.

 

Create dialogue with your followers, this creates room for that “meaningful interaction”.

 

Get strategic

A lot of businesses forget that social media algorithms can change at any point. Less space from organic advertising will create opportunities for creative paid advertising campaigns to reach your target audience effectively.

 

Social media shouldn’t be your main strategy. Use these platforms strategically as leverage to get your target audience on the platforms that you have full control over, such as your website and your email lists and push them through your marketing funnels.

 

Understand your marketing funnels and metrics and make sure they are set up to yield a positive ROI so you can confidently invest in paid marketing campaigns.

 

This brings us to your email marketing strategy. Don’t neglect this, in fact, utilise your list for retargeting when you build your stellar Facebook Advertising Campaign.

Moral of the story?

• Facebook wants to see more user to user communication and engagement and will reward posts where users are sparking conversation between themselves.
• Take steps now to encourage more meaningful interactions
• Publish quality content that is likely to spark conversations among your followers
• Engage in Facebook groups.
• Invest time in live video.
• Ensure your followers learn how to see your content first
• Invest in an effective Facebook Advertising strategy.