Facebook recently changed its News Feed algorithm so that posts from family and friends appear before posts from company pages and brands. This can have tremendous impact on your company’s Facebook metrics.
In its announcement, Facebook said the new algorithm update “may cause reach and referral traffic to decline for some pages.” However, it was also quick to point out that not all pages may be affected similarly.
The impact depends on your content
Facebook Engineering Director Lars Backstrom explains, “If a lot of your referral traffic is the result of people sharing your content and their friends liking and commenting on it, there will be less of an impact than if the majority of your traffic comes directly through page posts.”
This basically means that if you publish content that is engaging, and your audience is sharing it with their friends, you will not be affected as much. But if your Facebook engagement relies solely on likes and comments straight from your company page and original posts, then you will see a decline in reach and Facebook referrals.
How to produce engaging Facebook content
In order to maintain or increase your Facebook reach and referrals, your company posts will need to be so engaging that your audience will want to share it with their Facebook friends. That’s the whole point of marketing on Facebook anyway, right?
Here are some best practices you should follow when posting branded content for your business:
Be active and post frequently
Don’t expect big results when you’re only posting once or twice a week. Study after study has shown that an increase in frequency delivers an increase in engagement. In a study conducted by Facebook, it discovered that “increasing post volume by an average of 45% over a week resulted in a 76% increase in outbound clicks, 10% increase in likes per post and 47% increase in page likes.”
Post photos and videos
Photos and videos get the most engagement on Facebook. Videos in particular show up more frequently in the Facebook News Feed because of their high engagement rates. Amplify your video’s engagement by adding a call to action within the video. Photos of people, custom infographics, and behind-the-scenes photos at your company will perform better than stock photos and generic graphics.
Use hashtags
Using popular hashtags that are relevant to your business will automatically add you to the conversation and story surrounding that hashtag. When users click on a hashtag, they can see all posts that have used that hashtag, which will increase your reach and visibility.
Engage your key business figures
With the new algorithm update, post shares will generate a higher reach than an original company post. Encourage key figures within your business to share, like and comment on your posts. Chances are, they demand attention and have a large network, so they are able to increase your company’s reach and influence from their personal page.
Be a part of the conversation
When it comes to social networks, you can’t simply start a conversation, you have to be a part of it. Respond to comments with thoughtful answers and thank your audience when you reach Facebook milestones, such as 1,000 followers. Facebook is all about developing a two-way relationship with your audience.
After learning about the Facebook News Feed update, many marketers may to bite their nails and pull out their hair. Instead, take this time to analyze your content and determine how you can make it better. Facebook is simply trying to get back to its roots and facilitate connections between people. Incorporate Facebook best practices so that you’re creating content that people want to share with other people, and you can be successful on the platform.
Need help creating engaging social media content? Contact the GREENCREST experts!