By now you’ve definitely noticed a drop in views on your Facebook posts. The question is are giving up on Facebook or are you figuring out how to make it work?
The change…
Facebook has once again changed the algorithm that decides what hits your news feed. The good news is as a user you’re going to see more content from your friends. This is an update that is really meant to make sure that the users are happy.
It’s worth remembering that Facebook is driven by users, not marketers. If the user base leaves Facebook becomes irrelevant, in reality it becomes MySpace. So Facebook has to make sure that they are adding weight to content they REALLY want to see. They don’t on average want to see a list of BUY ME updates.
The other addition is more weight on what Facebook calls “comment stories”. I’ll let Facebook explain this one.
“While trying to show more articles people want to read, we also don’t want people to miss the conversations among their friends. So we’re updating bumping to highlight stories with new comments. After people read a story, they are unlikely to go back and find that story again to see what their friends were saying about it, and it wouldn’t bump up in News Feed. With this update stories will occasionally resurface that have new comments from friends.
As a result, people may start seeing a few more stories returning to their feed with new comments highlighted. Our testing has shown that doing this in moderation for just a small number of stories can lead to more conversations between people and their friends on all types of content.”
Basically this means that engagement is key – you heard it directly from Facebook!
Posting things that create conversations and not just clicks is really going to be the tools that drive your Facebook page. Focus more on creating conversations.
My favorite way to do this is to ask questions. I ask my community on a regular basis what their social media questions are and then I just answer them. This is a way you can get them commenting and also share your value. Show your expertise.
One of the things I talk to my clients about during the Rock Star Guide to Facebook Marketing is also using their profile to help drive engagement. Now this can be a slippery slope, you’re not able to sell from your page. However you can share your posts from your Facebook page. You can also ask those folks who you are friends to like and engage with you on your page. Plus don’t forget the value of groups, you can only access the groups through a profile but you can share your business there (as long as it’s ok with group rules). Find appropriate spaces and answer questions and show yourself as a resource.
These changes are definitely going to impact how you use Facebook to market your business. With that said though Facebook is only one of the tools you have, remember to diversify your social media time with other networks like Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Also remember the value you have in your email list. Use those other tools instead of relying on the power of one tool.
The Stacey Harris is a powerhouse online entrepreneur helping her clients reach rock star status with communities full of raving fans who follow them anywhere. She is the creator of the Rock Star Guide to Facebook Marketing and also the host of Hit the Mic with Stacey Harris. You can find her and the show at www.thestaceyharris.com. Image Courtesy Jacob Bøtter
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