Prospects and Tips for Social Media Strategies with the New Facebook Algorithm

When someone makes a New Year’s resolution, ideally you support that person, encourage them, motivate them – or at least ignore them and let them get on with it. Things went very differently when Mark Zuckerberg publicly announced his New Year's resolution this year: he wants to “fix” Facebook. This led to little encouragement from advertisers. Dismay would probably be a more accurate word. But it has always been this way when changes to the Facebook algorithm are announced – first there is a great outcry, then we see what happens next.

At Zensations, we are not exactly famous for panicking. So, this time too, we calmly sat down and considered what the impending changes on the number one social media platform mean and how they can even be used to one's advantage.

What is actually broken?

The social aspect of the social network was lost somewhere between the boom of business pages and the last major algorithm change (latest vs. “most relevant” news). Our News Feed gradually filled up, on the one hand, with news presented to us as relevant by Facebook, for example, because we had clicked on a similar post in the last few days, or because other Facebook users with similar profiles had shown interest in the respective content in some way. On the other hand, we were shown more and more advertisements. All of this meant that we often did not even notice updates from our friends or family members because their content was “not relevant enough”.

From Information to Interaction

It was precisely the networking with friends, school and university colleagues, relatives, etc., that made Facebook big back in the day. And the network's journey is set to return to this bygone era. The focus is shifting away from “relevant information” and towards “meaningful interactions”. Lively exchanges should take place on the platform, users should be encouraged to comment more, instead of just passively reading articles and watching videos. Engagement baits, such as surveys answered with reaction emoticons, or “tag-a-friend” posts will be penalised even more with reduced reach in the future. There should be no restrictions for live videos. For example, if a business page starts a live video, all fans of the page who have subscribed to its updates will be informed, which quickly leads to a large increase in interactions (live video views, live comments, reactions, etc.).

How can I, as a page administrator, continue to reach the right people?

This question arises primarily for advertisers who manage smaller businesses. For large businesses and corporations with high marketing budgets, only the distribution of costs will change. In the new Facebook News Feed, there will probably only be a limited number of ad slots, which will lead to an increase in prices. So, those who can naturally afford to spend more will win the race for these placements. However, even for small businesses and less well-known pages, there are a few aces up their sleeve.

QUALITY FIRST

Reach will play a lesser role than before. What counts for a business to appear in the News Feed is the fans' willingness to interact. The page needs genuine fans who can identify with the business or brand and are therefore happy to interact. It will no longer be enough to run Page Like Ads; as a page administrator, I must also retain new fans. And in such a way that they do not just remain my fans “on paper” – meaning they do not unfollow – but so that they actively want to engage with my content. Quality over quantity applies not only to newly acquired fans but also to one's own page content. For sustainable visibility in the new News Feed, the motto should be: less with more, meaning publish fewer posts that genuinely offer added value for fans. Polarising content is also likely to pass News Feed censorship, as it tends to be commented on extensively.

COMMUNITY FIRST

As described above, it is becoming increasingly important to emotionally connect users to the brand. This includes active community management. Questions and reactions from users should be answered promptly. The fan must feel valued and important. This way, they are happy to return to the page and, subsequently, visit the website, shop, company events, etc. Posts in groups are also not expected to be restricted. So, how about a linked group to your business page? There you can better address user questions, present services, reach interested fans in live videos, get in better contact with them, and so on. Setting up a messenger bot that informs fans about new content can also be helpful. Bots are suitable, for example, for welcoming new fans to the page (“welcome message” via Facebook). When setting it up, however, make sure your texts sound particularly human.

INFLUENCE!

A new era of influencer marketing could be dawning. As follower count on Facebook becomes less and less meaningful, influencers and blogs with high interaction rates are gaining importance. This leads to the rise of micro-influencers (fewer than 5,000 fans) and nano-influencers (fewer than 1,000 fans).

The Otto mail-order company already set an example last year: employees can be trained as corporate influencers in several workshops. Companies that want to be successful on Facebook should therefore work not only on customer loyalty but also on employee retention. But be careful: in German-speaking countries, there are legal frameworks that must be adhered to when employees act as brand ambassadors for a company.

OBSERVE THE RULES OF THE GAME!

Facebook has published its own News Feed Publisher Guidelines, which precisely describe what content Facebook supports and therefore distributes to a larger audience. Here, page administrators will also find similar input: content quality is crucial and clickbaiting is bad. Links to mobile-optimised and responsive websites are welcome.

BONUS TIPS

See first

In the News Feed settings (Preferences) within their own profile, every Facebook user can decide whose content they want to see prioritised. Here, up to 30 people or pages can be defined whose content should always appear in the News Feed. Few users know this, so page administrators could recommend it to them in a post.

Go Live

Live videos are highly interactive and will therefore continue to play a significant role in the success of a Facebook presence.

Set New Goals

Your goal should no longer be to reach as many people as possible, but the right ones. Those who are genuinely interested in my company, my brand, my content. Ultimately, these are the users who are also willing to use my service or buy my product. With the help of shares and mentions by other users and multipliers, you remain in memory and in the News Feed. Posts must generate conversation and encourage thought and commentary.

Explore New Avenues

It does not always have to be Facebook. The days of organic reach have long been over anyway. Analyse your target audience more closely: where else do they spend their time? Are they other social media platforms? Do your customers enjoy reading trade magazines? Or do they like to attend certain events? To achieve long-term success in online marketing, one must not (allow oneself to) become dependent on a single platform. Cultivate several fields and social networks. The most important of your online platforms, however, should remain your company website, because that is something you have control over yourself.