If you think the tried-and-true methods you used in 2017 for digital marketing will continue to work in 2018, think again. Complacency in digital marketing tactics can be disastrous, especially when big players like Facebook make major changes to their platforms. Facebookโs algorithm change for 2018 is a biggie โ understanding the change and how to update your marketing tactics is crucial to continue getting the results you desire from your social media marketing.
What Changed and How it Will Impact Your Facebook Marketing
There is nothing simple about algorithms, but it is important to understand how they impact your marketing strategy. When giant players like Google and Facebook change their algorithms, it impacts how effective your digital marketing will be in the future. With the new Facebook algorithm change, posts from businesses and new publishers will be deprioritized, making them less likely to appear on your audienceโs news feed.
This is a big deal when it comes to utilizing Facebook to reach your customers. Posts from friends and family will be top-priority on a userโs feed and there will be fewer chances for businesses to make the cut on their screen. The idea is to have more โrealโ stories occurring on Facebook, with less chance of โfake newsโ and commercial interests on personal news feeds. If you are using Facebook as a major part of your social media marketing, this could dramatically impact your exposure and marketing effectiveness.
How You Can Adapt Your Digital Marketing
Social media and digital marketing is like a revolving door, and as a business, you need to adapt your strategy or get left behind. With this new change to Facebookโs algorithm, you need a new way to reach your potential customers. Simply posting on Facebook will not cut it anymore; you need to expand your reach and use other options to get the exposure you want for your brand. Some options include:
- Invest in Facebook ads. Facebook is still a fantastic place to reach your audience, but you may need to pay for advertising to do so. Consider adding more paid spots on Facebook to keep your brand in front of potential customers. If creating social media ads is foreign territory to you, make sure to regularly check our Workshops Page for our free Intro to Social Media Advertising class, or join our email list to be notified of new workshops.
- Diversify your digital marketing. Facebook is not the only game in town. Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms can give you extended exposure to new possibilities. While you may need to customize your content for the intended platform, it is a worthwhile tactic for your marketing arsenal to create a well-rounded campaign.
- Create valuable and engaging content. With this change, Facebook will favor posts with higher engagementโshares, likes, & comments. While you want to promote your specific company or brand, keep in mind what your followers are interested in and want to see. Post photos, videos, and other content that is visually appealing, so users will be less likely to scroll by. A good rule of thumb for creating interesting content is to 1. Make it relevant, and 2. Encourage interaction.
- Go live! Have you utilized Facebook Live yet? Facebook recently stated that Live videos are receiving six times the interactions of regular videos. Going โLiveโ on Facebook notifies your pageโs followers, which poses a great opportunity to get your message to them. If youโre not sure what to do in your first live video, here are some fun ideas:
- Do a behind-the-scenes of your business! Show your followers the people that work for your company. Show them the water cooler where So-and-so always tells funny jokes.
- Have an event coming up? Plan to go live for an exciting part of that event, and tell your followers in advance!
- Host a live Q&A! This could be about your product or brand, an important person within your company, an important customer etc. Your followers can ask questions that can be answered by you in real-time.
- Entertain your audience with a contest or challenge!
- Launch your product on FB Live! Give your followers the first look!
The ideas are endless, and ultimately what your followers will find interesting is dependent on your business or brand and the type of people you hope to attract.
Not sure how to proceed with your digital marketing with so many changes occurring on the social media horizon? Let our team at Skol Marketing help you update and innovate your marketing strategy to keep your business growing.
