Facebook Updates: What You Should Know

By Jenn Clark

Part of what we do is stay up to date with all the changes in the digital world so that we can educate and train our clients about these changes and how to successfully update their marketing plans to keep the momentum going.

This week, we want to discuss the recent modifications with Facebook along with what to notice in the near future.

To begin, you may have noticed it is increasingly harder to reach your followers. You may have 1,000 people following you but only received a reach of 54 views. Sound familiar? At the beginning of the year, Facebook’s algorithm changes made your previous 20% reach to your followers decrease to roughly a 2-6% reach. It is now at an average 1-2% reach. (!)

The good news is that there are ways to defeat it.

To start, make sure your page is set up to your benefit. Don’t just post and leave! Under settings, choose whether or not your page is recommended to others (Hint: check this box!)

You can also set up your preferred page audience so that you are getting your page out in front of people who will actually be interested in your product or service. Your page can still get out to a variety of people, but knowing your audience is key! Check your insights to evaluate who your audience is first, then determine your selections based on this.

When posting, try telling a story rather than just simply selling your service. For instance, tell a little behind-the-scenes narrative about how you came to business and why you believe in your product or service. You can even mention how it has helped YOU personally.

This may look something like: “I always struggled with weight as a child but discovered a love for fitness in my teen years. After losing 60 pounds on my own, I still wasn’t sure what to eat or how to eat and reached a plateau. So, I decided to learn about it! Fast forward ten years and forty more pounds lost later, and I have been able to successfully not only maintain a HEALTHY lifestyle but change the lives of many other individuals as well through my special nutrition and fitness plan.”

This is much more effective than: “Click here to buy my meal plans!”

Furthermore, your About page now allows you to do a video introduction. Even if you decide to not film yourself welcoming everyone to your page, video posts do seem to gain even more attention than a post with an image (and, when given the opportunity, most of your posts should have either a video or image attached in order to gain more involvement from your followers).

In addition, there are a couple tweaks for you to notice and use to your advantage. To start, it is no secret that Facebook’s advertising system can be dismaying and challenging. But, the developers are kindly working toward making it easier for non-developers to understand and use to their full advantage (because they want you to use it to make monaaayyy, duh!). And, the easier it becomes for you to use, the more willing you will be to use it. With great content, you can do a fairly cheap boost, which, summed up, is a way to increase the knowledge of your content, and collect numerous leads and positive results. (The key here is great content.)

Don’t just boost any old post, though. How do you know which boosts will be the most successful? Facebook gives you a head start. You will obtain better outcomes using a post that is already gaining some attention (even if not a lot) by choosing the ones that people are already “liking” or commenting on. Why? When people see a post with likes already, they are more likely to engage. (The power of psychology!)