Facebook kicked off the New Year by announcing that its news feed algorithm was changing to deliver more content from friends and families and less from brands. The goal is to help Facebook users to have more meaningful social interactions.

While some brands reacted as if the sky is falling, Electrum applauds Mark Zuckerburg’s effort to enhance the user experience.  “I expect the time people spend on Facebook and some measures of engagement will go down,” he said in his post about the changes. “But I also expect the time you do spend on Facebook will be more valuable.”

What’s a brand to do?

Create More Engaging Content

  • Videos or photos that showcase your brand’s culture. But, keep it brief.  Nobody wants a tour of your six-floor chia pet factory or view 89 photos of your call center team.
  • Posts that answer questions your fans have. FYI: The answer to “Do these pants make my butt look big?” is ALWAYS no.  Trust me.
  • Ask questions that start a dialogue. Do not ask about your pants (see above).
  • Host and promote events that offer value. And, no, we do not mean Tupperware although a lettuce crisper is always a welcome gift.

Get More Strategic

  • Evaluate which posts are performing well and replicate them. Meaning, post more photos of the customer service team dressed as Smurfs and fewer photos of the accounting team dressed as…well, accountants.
  • Know when your fans are most active on Facebook and post then, not at 3 a.m. when you can’t sleep because you had a nightmare about the Facebook algorithm.
  • Sponsor your content. According to Forbes, Facebook’s ad revenue for Q3 2917 totaled $10.3 billion, so sponsored content is not going anywhere. Like any campaign, target your audience and message, set realistic goals, budget accordingly and measure results.

Encourage Your Employees to Be Advocates

It is estimated that the average brand post reaches only 2-5% of its followers, meaning that if 100 people “like” a brand page, only two to five of them are likely to see one of its posts. Your employees have the potential to be your single most valuable opportunity because they are trusted by their peers.  By liking and sharing your brand’s content, they are helping to increase the odds that it will be seen by their friends and family.  And, since your employees are viewed as the source, the impressions they create generate better engagement.

Alert Your Followers to Take Action

Your fans and followers can take action to ensure that they see your content first.  Notify them to simply go to the FOLLOWING setting and click SEE FIRST.

Social media tip to be seen first in news feeds

 

Need help creating a social media strategy that’s nectar for the news feed gods? Contact the social media gurus at Electrum Branding.