What happened?
According to a recent announcement from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, the social media network will soon implement changes to its news feed to prioritize posts from friends and family, reducing the amount of content from businesses, brands and media. In doing so, Facebook hopes to promote more “meaningful interactions” and less “passive experiences” on the platform.
What does this change mean?
As a result of Facebook’s newest algorithm, brands and advertisers will likely see a drop in reach and engagement numbers. So, what does that mean for your business? If you weren’t prioritizing paid social before, it’s time to jump on the bandwagon. In order to reach new audiences, “paying to play” will need to become an essential part of your brand’s overall Facebook strategy in 2018.
There is good news surrounding these recent changes, however. We foresee that Facebook’s new algorithm will facilitate a shift from overly-promotional, sales-driven content to more creative, engaging posts that spur relevant conversations. This will give businesses more of an opportunity to build relationships with potential and existing customers, and showcase what makes them truly unique over their competitors.
How should businesses handle this change?
It’s time to acknowledge that just like any other part of a marketing plan, social media is an investment. Moving forward, businesses will need to make paid social a priority, rather than just an afterthought. It’s more important now than ever to think “quality over quantity” and take a more precise, tactical approach when targeting an audience to ensure you’re reaching the right demographic with the right messaging to create a connection.
As Facebook makes a shift to promote more “meaningful interactions,” businesses must also embrace a new era of engaging content by focusing more on creativity and conversation and less on self-promotion. It will be essential for businesses to create content with the intention of building relationships and starting conversations, rather than seeking a page “like” or website click. Try asking yourself, “What makes my business unique?” or “What do my customers value about my business the most?”
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by Facebook’s recent changes, don’t panic. Just ring our bell! At PAVLOV, we recognize that social media is an industry driven by change, and we’re constantly working to find new strategies that will keep you and your business ahead-of-the-game in the race to the top of the news feed.