Do you wonder why your organizations’ Facebook posts are seen by fewer and fewer people? Does it feel like no matter what you post, you’re not getting the response you expected?
You can blame Facebook’s latest algorithm for this.
But wait. Before throwing in the towel on social media, know that there is a way to succeed within this algorithm.
Mark Zuckerberg wants to “bring people closer together”
What’s behind these changes? And how and what should you post in order to get visibility with customers?
Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, announced that the goal of the latest News Feed algorithm had shifted from serving “relevant content” to generating “meaningful social interactions.” In his own words, his goal is to make “the time you spend on Facebook… more valuable. And if we do the right thing, I believe that will be good for our community and our business over the long-term too… By focusing on bringing people closer together — whether it’s with family and friends, or around important moments in the world — we can help make sure that Facebook is time well spent.”
Ok. Sounds nice. But what does it mean to businesses?
When Facebook says it will “prioritize posts that spark conversations and meaningful interactions between people”, it means that you should think of your posts in terms of the stories you want to tell people about your brand. It’s a big opportunity for a story-driven content marketing strategy, because, well… when you tell meaningful stories, they spark meaningful conversations.
Think about what makes your product or brand personal or meaningful to people
What will get them talking? What stories do you want to tell? It needn’t be profound – you can get people talking about a new item on your restaurant’s menu, or a way to save time or money with your app, or how a landscape facelift will bring a higher sale price on their home. These are “social conversations” – the kind Facebook is looking for when it prioritizes which posts to show first in a newsfeed.
Consider these immediately actionable steps to boost your posts’ visibility
Once you’ve come up with the stories you want your brand to tell, try these tactics to get them shared widely:
- Incorporate video. Video content drives higher engagement and interactions than any other type of content on Facebook. It’s easier than you think. Your video can be pre-recorded or live-streamed with Facebook Live. Start small to test the medium, and then get fancier. You can take a simple video with your iPhone to start, and later hire a video production company if needed. Keep it short and sweet. Ideas for videos: brief tutorials, demos, interviews with customers, or your product in action. You could use Facebook’s Boomerang video app or any number of other easy-to-use video production apps.
- Start a discussion by asking questions. Post a survey, or ask a direct question or multiple-choice question. Consider asking “non-controversial controversial” questions that are relevant to your product or service (like,”who’s tried mustard ice cream?”, or “tell us your most embarrassing travel story?”), or post a poll or quiz. And don’t forget that fabulous image to go with it – that image is the make-or-break between posts that get shared widely and posts that go nowhere.
- Post on the right day and time. As the old saying goes, “it pays to fish when the fish are biting”, so learn when your audience is online and most likely to see your posts. This study by SproutSocial, says that the best times to post are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays are the worst, and evenings and early mornings get the least engagement.
As super-marketer, Alaura Weaver says, the way to leap over your competitors and shoot to the top of Facebook’s latest algorithm is to “humanize your marketing goals to focus on impact, connection, and sustainability over rapid growth”.
Let’s do this
Need help finding your brand’s stories, or coming up with conversational Facebook posts that beat the algorithm? Don’t go it alone. We can help. This is what we do. Contact carla@yellowhouseco.com today.
