KAFFEINE / Digital & Social Media

FACEBOOK ALGORITHM UPDATE, A HEADACHE OR OPPORTUNITY?

31 January 2018

Facebook announced the biggest shake up to its news feed algorithm in January that favours content from friends and family over posts from brands and publications.

Zuckerberg wrote, “You’ll see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media. And the public content you see more will be held to the same standard—it should encourage meaningful interactions between people.”

What does this mean for brands on Facebook?

Although the full impact is still coming to fruition, it is likely organic brand posts will suffer, and many brands will instantly resort to spending more to “boost” posts to secure visibility and cut-through.

But, is boosting the only option? Or should brands use this as an opportunity to become better at crafting content that their audiences really want to engage with?

Zuckerberg has the answer – encourage meaningful interactions between people.  

Brands should use the algorithm change as an opportunity to reconsider their approach to produce content that refocuses their activity towards more meaningful engagement with and between their audiences.

If you’re thinking about your Facebook strategy consider these six simple steps:

1. Boost appropriately – While boosting isn’t the only solution, it is part of one.  Ring fence budget and put in place a targeted boosting strategy to complement your organic reach
2. Be part of the conversation – Brands that broadcast content and stimulate low meaningful interactions won’t succeed. Put time into responding to comments and engaging with your audience every day in a manner that builds a genuine community
3. Be clear about your audience and what you want to achieve – have a firm understanding of your audience, what matters to them and how you want them to think about your brand
4. Share less, but be more meaningful - The content your brand shares needs to resonate with your audience, prompting more positive reactions and comments than before. Monitor your top performing posts and replicate the formats that achieve the best reach and engagement, without being repetitive
5. Be picture not so perfect – It’s true that pictures and film tell better stories and stimulate greater engagement but social media is moving away from the air-brushed over stylised imagery. Images of real people engaging with your brand are more meaningful and generate greater real engagement – and even better if there’s a back story to go with the image
6. Analyse and adjust - Interrogate your data and learn from the posts that perform well (and those that don't), adjusting your strategy in response

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