Facebook is changing. Again. And so the backlash begins. Again.
In case you missed the big announcement, beginning in January Facebook will be changing the algorithm it currently uses to determine how brand posts will be displayed in News Feeds.
Under the new guidelines for the algorithm, brand posts deemed “too promotional” will not receive the organic reach they once enjoyed. What exactly is considered “too promotional” is yet to be seen, but Facebook uses the following example on their blog:
- Posts that solely push people to buy a product or install an app
- Posts that push people to enter promotions and sweepstakes with no real context
- Posts that reuse the exact same content from ads
So is that really a bad thing? Unless you had your heart set on “nonstop bunny puzzle action” and didn’t know where to get it, you might be disappointed. Some folks in the blogosphere are complaining that Facebook is just trying to free up some ever-competitive space in your News Feed for more paid ads, but our marketing agency would counter that what Facebook is doing is good. They are encouraging quality over quantity and less “clutter” in News Feeds. A better user experience sounds like a good think to this ad agency!
If you’re a marketer trying to promote your company’s products or services, you may have to rethink your social media marketing strategy.
Paid posts will still be displayed as usual, but organic posts will need to be creative in their approach because they will have to fight harder for space in followers’ News Feeds. A strong social media plan should include both paid and organic posts. First, you need to build your tribe. Paid social ads are an effective (and relatively inexpensive) tactic to get your message to the right audience, and can help you build your “tribe”. How you engage them once they reach your page is another story. A planned strategy utilizing a mix of both paid and organic media can differentiate a strong, successful campaign from an ineffective one. (P.S. the Tipping Point team can help you develop a social media strategy if you don’t have one.)
Remember, social media is still considered to be in its infancy. Facebook is growing and changing. When television was the new kid on the block, no one had even dreamed of the ground-breaking changes I Love Lucy would have on the industry – or cable television for that matter. Social media strategies need to evolve in order to remain relevant and to keep up with Facebook algorithms… Which is really not a bad thing.
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