Digital marketers received devastating news last week when Facebook announced a major overhaul to its newsfeed algorithm. While we’d already seen reduced reach and engagement on organic posts by the end of 2017, this latest update promises a greater reduction in visibility and increased costs for advertising. It’s a harsh blow to your social media strategy, but there are a few things you can do to ease the pain.
Encourage updates to notification settings. 
Make your followers aware of these changes via organic posts, e-newsletters, in-store messaging, personal conversations, and any other possible means of communication. Let them
know that if they want to continue to see your updates, they should go to your page and click Follow (under your Cover Photo), and adjust the Follow settings to “See First,” which will allow your posts to appear prominently in their Newsfeed.
Look a-Live. Part of this new push is to prioritize content that promotes genuine engagement. Facebook has said that Live videos usually have about six times the interaction of regular videos, which means they should play an even larger role in your strategy going forward. Consider creating a schedule for Facebook Live videos and use this to interact with your community. Remember to advertise these sessions through all available modes of communication (organic posts, e-newsletters, signage, etc.), and be prepared to engage in the active conversation.
Re-evaluate your Facebook advertising budget. If you don’t already, you’ll likely want to start incorporating Boosted Posts into your strategy. This will help to get your content in front of your followers, their friends, and/or another audience you designate. You’ll also need to consider raising your overall budget for Facebook ads. With increased competition in this area due to decreased organic reach, you’ll have to pay more to reach the same audience.
Keeping up with Facebook’s changes and adjusting your marketing strategy can be daunting. The experts at Reach Beyond Marketing can help you navigate the updates. Contact us today to get started.