For publishers, the Facebook Freefall continues

Since January, the average amount of engagement brands and publishers are getting with Facebook posts has fallen 20% since the first of the year, according to Buzzsumo. After analyzing 880 million FB posts, Buzzsumo reports that image and link posts had the largest drop off.

Videos now get twice the level of engagement of other posts.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen this trend. Reach for brands and publishers has been on the decline for quite some time. A study by Social flow last year showed a 42% drop off.

“Back in the fourth quarter and through January, media companies were doing phenomenally well,” said Social Flow CEO Jim Anderson in 2016. “Then Facebook made a change to the algorithm.”

In May, the publishers in the analysis produced around 550,000 posts — up from 470,000 in April — but overall reach from January to May was off 42% per post. “This is evidence, in part, of Facebook’s algorithmic change,” said Anderson.

READ MORE:
Publishers seeing a 42% drop in Facebook reach (June 6, 2016)

I don’t know about you, but I don’t always like to watch video on my phone — especially if I’m doing a quick look while waiting in line. Jordan Teicher Contently poses the question that if this video trend continues, will it force publishers to do video whetehr they want to or not? After all, they are using FB to get people to engage… the more engagement, the more your content is seen. If video is the way to get engagement, it only makes sense to do more of it.

Worth thinking about.