Facebook is once again revising the way it prioritizes the stories that users see. A series of new updates aiming to push popular stories to the top looks set to change the way that advertisements are consumed and means that businesses will have to rethink their social media marketing strategies if they want to stay in the spotlight.
The Facebook changes are unlikely to affect paid sidebar ads; however, they will affect the way posts on business profiles are displayed, regardless of whether users have paid to promote them. This is because they will now be assessed to see how much they have in common with individual fans’ personal tastes. The new algorithms will seek points of commonality between individual posts – including business posts – and things that users have liked or commented on.
What Does this Mean for Marketers?
There are two principal ways to approach it. The first is to post a great deal of varied content in the hope that something will make it to the top of most feeds. The second is to try to tailor content to the common interests of groups of fans.
Both these approaches have their drawbacks. The first requires the least investment but risks driving away fans, especially if they do not have many friends and the business posts come to make up a large portion of their feed.
The second requires more up front work – going through fans’ profile pages to find common factors – but once data has been established it has the advantage of generating posts that fans will be more likely to connect with emotionally as well as to see in their feeds.
It is Easier for Some Types of Business than Others
For example, businesses selling to residents of a limited local area can automatically find points of common interest without having to do research. They are also likely to have fans who know each other, which is another factor that can boost the ranking of a post.
A third way to approach the problem is to produce posts that focus on unusual subjects likely to stimulate conversation between fans. The trick is for a business to approach them in a way that raises questions without taking a controversial position itself so it does not put people off and, if possible, to connect the subject to its core activity so that the post serves to remind users what it is there for.
For help in tailoring a Facebook feed to take full advantage of the new formula, the smart move is to call Xcellimark at 888-318-3950 ext 211 to speak with an internet marketing consultant.
