Why the Facebook Algorithm Change is Actually a Good Thing for Social Media Marketers
Most brands and publishers are freaking out about the new Facebook algorithm, which is about as surprising as a NASCAR driver turning left. All change is a little bit scary, but drastic changes that force companies to rethink their entire strategy?
Terrifying.
But wait a second.
Why are businesses THAT scared about this new update?
Shouldn’t they be on social media to provide value to their customers through meaningful conversation?
Maybe the scared companies are just the ones who see social media as another way to line their pockets without really understanding the point of social media in the first place.
Sure, if your entire content strategy is to use clickbait titles or static images repurposed as videos just to get your greedy, gluttonous hands on a bigger piece of traffic pie then you SHOULD be worried.
Tricking people into clicking and then feeding them into your endless loop of self-promotion is not a long-term strategy that is going to make you or your company successful anyways. People aren’t stupid and eventually you’re going to risk losing their trust if you abuse your relationship with them over and over.
If you’re using social media for the right reasons you shouldn’t have to change much about what you’re already doing!
Here’s what’s happening with the Facebook algorithm and how quality community and social media managers can use it to set themselves apart from the competition.
1. Facebook is rewarding meaningful conversations
The new algorithm will push more posts from friends and family while diminishing the reach of posts seen from brands and publishers. That idea alone has sent shudders down the spine of many a social media manager.
You may ask yourself “Why are you so cruel Mark Zuckerberg? What did I do to deserve this?!”
The truth is, Facebook is taking a stance on who their platform is for.
Historically, Facebook was created to connect people on college campuses. As it became more popular people across the globe used it to start conversations or reconnect with childhood friends, colleagues, or family members. Recent updates have made the platform more business friendly with company pages, ad accounts, targeted advertising and cookie tracking at the expense of their original audience — the user. The most unique aspect of Facebook is the sheer number of users and how valuable they find the social media platform.
If the user base is unhappy, they will leave.
That means all those awesome marketing and advertising tools will be worth nothing.
It’s clear that users are at the heart of Facebook and that means us, as advertisers and brands, must appeal to those users and make them happy. That means putting out thoughtful content, engaging with customers (not just selling them), being available for messaging and delighting or surprising people daily.
Don’t commoditize your content. Take time and think about what your customer base wants to see and what gets them talking. Then, deliver that type of content as often as you can.
2. Passive networking and marketing will be punished
Have you ever seen a company Facebook page where customers are asking questions, leaving reviews, posting comments, etc. but there are no actual responses from the business itself?
It looks horrible! Facebook agrees.
That’s why their new algorithm will reward not only comment volume but length. For example, someone who comments “cool” will not help contribute to post rank as much as a three paragraph explanation. Getting people talking is great, but if user comments go without a human response that potential for reach is being wasted. The goal is to keep the conversation going as long as you can.
If it’s a review, write a heartfelt thank you saying how much you appreciate that customer’s business and ask if there’s anything else you can do for that customer. That opens up the possibility for their friends and family to take notice and join in. When someone shares your content, don’t sit back and bask in the glory of your success. Comment on that share and ask if they have any questions about what you’ve given them.
3. Ads will not be affected by the ranking change
Adam Mosseri, Facebook’s vice-president in charge of News Feed has been quoted as saying “Ads is a separate system. So in terms of this ranking change, it doesn’t apply.”
That quote means that the advertising environment just become much more important to businesses on Facebook.
While it always was important, the algorithm change will reward businesses who know how to set up effective campaigns through the Facebook ads manager. This separates the layman social media manager from the experienced one. A social media manager NEEDS to have an in-depth knowledge of the Facebook advertising landscape. From choosing campaign objectives to setting budgets and testing creative, Facebook advertising isn’t just picking an affordable budget and hitting boost.
There will be more people paying for ad space due to this algorithm change and your ads need to be well thought out so that they stick out in the news feed among the inevitable influx of novice campaigns.
Do the work, create campaigns based on business goals, target effectively and test your ads until you find your sweet spot. Being an expert in the Facebook advertising environment will differentiate you and your business from the competition.
We recommend Facebook Blueprint for people who want to learn the basics.
4. Your audience just became more valuable
Any social media manager knows that the true value of social media doesn’t lie in page likes, comments or shares alone.
Sure, these metrics are important to measure so that you can maintain your momentum and grow your audience but that in of itself not the ultimate goal.
Page likes mean nothing if your audience isn’t buying your product or service!
In the past a business could accumulate as many followers as possible so that their organic posts would be seen on a regular basis. With the new algorithm that method isn’t going to fly. Too many businesses are buying followers and inundating them with sales messages rather than providing information or value through their brand messages.
If you haven’t been teaching your audience or giving them some sort of benefit (whether that be entertainment value or educational) through your content pieces, then you need to change your strategy immediately. If your strategy has always been to deliver relevant content to your target audience then the audience you built is worth even more moving forward. Other businesses will have to go back and rework their entire strategy which lets you push even further ahead of those businesses trying to catch up.
Always keep in mind that the goal of social media is to facilitate relationships between individuals and you’ll be fine.
