Written by: Susan Marshall
MARKETERS NEED TO FIND ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO ENGAGE WITH CUSTOMERS AND DRIVE TRAFFIC TO THEIR WEBSITE.
I’m sure many of you have heard that Facebook made some big changes this week, prioritizing personal posts over content from brands – causing a big gap for marketers. Your newsfeed is going to look a lot different, and if you are trying to reach potential customers, you are going to have to think differently.
Below are the most important things for you to remember:
What’s going on
Facebook is changing how it ranks newsfeed content – prioritizing personal posts from friends and family over content from brands As a consumer, you’ll still be able to see content from your favorite brands with an option to prioritize the pages and friends you’re most interested in seeing posts from Facebook will also prioritize posts that your friends find engaging – meaning marketers need to create highly engaging content if they want to be seen
What this means for marketers
People will be spending less time on Facebook, so consider looking at your ad dollar mix a bit different and test other channels More than ever before, you will need to produce high-quality, engaging content if you want it to show up on the newsfeed at all Marketers who are relying solely on Facebook to drive traffic will need to find new ways to fill that gap
What’s next
Related: 10 Steps to Get Your New Marketing Technologies up and Moving
LOOK FOR QUALITY OVER QUANTITY
Keep in mind there are digital paths to your page other than the newsfeed, such as your Facebook page still ranking for SEO. It will still be important to keep your content up to date.
FOCUS ON POST ENGAGEMENT
Posts that foster conversations between users are said to rank higher in Facebook’s newsfeed algorithm. Producing and sharing live videos is a great way to engage viewers. Learn the basics of Facebook Live. Shy away from engagement bait tactics. You want your audience to naturally engage with your content. Facebook is already preventing these spammy posts from worming their way into the newsfeed.
PLACE YOUR BETS WITH OTHER CHANNELS AND FOCUS ON OTHER OWNED MEDIA
Here are 5 essential email campaigns you should already be running Put more emphasis on other organic social channels like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter Re-evaluate your paid social ad strategy
Bottom line
It’s never been more exciting to be a marketer, and it’s never been more challenging. Changes happen all the time, and as digital marketers, we need to be prepared to adjust, try new things, and optimize what works.
