How to Survive the Facebook Algorithm Change

“I get by with a little help from my friends…” The Beatles said it best (and you can listen here if you’re looking for a #MusicMonday suggestion) and that’s how you’re going to survive the Facebook algorithm change.

In 2016, Facebook shifted gears — publishers (that’s businesses as well as public figures, entrepreneurs and anyone who wants to use a business page to sell on Facebook) were pushed to the background and content from your “friends” came to the foreground.

In 2018, Facebook is doubling down — it’s not just about friends vs. pages, it’s about the engagement, the interactions and the conversations.

News Flash: That’s what SOCIAL media communities were about to begin with!

When I started managing the Facebook community for This Old House magazine (over a decade ago), it was a Facebook group. It was the quickest and easiest way to communicate with the audience above all of the noise on the message boards and aggregators of the time. It was the first digital community that allowed a two-way conversation between publishers (that’s you!) and their audience.

This year, Facebook is bringing the focus back on groups . And real, authentic reactions. Not the surface “like this or that,” true, honest questions that provoke thoughtful answers and clear, respectful conversations.

How can YOU survive this change?

It’s quite simple, really — be. yourself. And follow these three tips:

Maintain Your Group : Focus on digital scavenger hunts , live trainings and group programs to keep your group engagement and interactions up. Create a daily or weekly theme and encourage your audience to visit your group from all content that you share. (Shameless plug, join MY free group, The Get Set , to be on top of all the things you need to know to get a life you love)

Study the Analytics, Not the Algorithm: In the last two years alone, Facebook has made some pretty big shifts. And if you keep following the algorithm, you won’t focus or deliver on your brand promise. Look at Audience Insights in business manager to get a sense of the interests held by your audience members and how can you better serve those interests within your personal offerings and zone of genius.

Higher Quality Content : While the initial shift will be in changing up the types of posts you’re sharing and the types of content, you’ll also want to consider the quality of your content. If you can only post 1-2 amazing blogs, videos or podcast episodes 1-2 times a month? That’s what you start with. The more you create quality content, the more the audience looks to you as a valuable source. And the more you remember that? That is where true success lies.

Related: It Takes Digital Domination to Create a Brand that Converts

The healthy, delicate balance of personal, business and thought leadership content on all social platforms is one we must all continue to work on.

The best way to find a strategy that works for you is to have a clear strategy in place BEFORE the changes so you can weather the storm through the changes.

If you’re ready to learn how to make 98.6% more income in four weeks using social media, let’s talk — my 1:1 group program is designed to help you create a strategy, execute the strategy and see the results you crave within our first session of working together.