Alexis Krisay is a partner and president of marketing for Serendipit Consulting, a public relations, marketing, branding and event-planning firm with a specialization in franchise, real estate, healthcare, fitness and wellness.

Mark Zuckerberg has recently announced some significant changes to the Facecook news feed algorithm that will ultimately affect both users and businesses. With Facebook being one of the world’s largest distributors for news and online ads, many companies that rely heavily on Facebook as its primary source of traffic will be hurt the most. The new algorithm is causing Facebook to change gears and go back to its initial purpose as a communication platform – enhancing personal user experience.

Overall, the reason for this change was because Facebook’s executive team saw that news articles and marketing ads were creating an imbalance in the platform, drowning out all of the personal moments people had to share. With this change, Facebook recognizes that it cherishes user experience more than brands that pay it. What does this mean for a business? If a company wants to be able to drive traffic and attempt to engage its audience, it must do so by paying the price of advertising on the platform. Below are a few ways businesses can overcome the new Facebook news feed algorithm.

Facebook Live and video content

Live video took the world by storm in 2016, majorly changing the way brands engage with their audiences. According to streaming experts, 80 percent of brand audiences would rather watch a live video or video content rather than read an article or blog. Consumers prefer watching video content as they feel more engaged with the brand. With the new algorithm change, this can play in a company’s favor due to how Facebook values video content over ads, news posts, etc. as a video is more personal to the user.

Create a community through Facebook

Facebook provides a service where businesses can create Facebook Groups that are built around a particular community that cater to a specific audience. Companies can utilize these pages by posting content that is guaranteed to reach an audience due to how people have to opt into the group on their own. Additionally, this is a great way to track what content is working for the audience based on the engagement performance of the group page.

Shareable content is key

If a user enjoys a video, photo, article, etc. they are likely to share that content with their network – allowing the post to reach a larger audience. Considering Facebook is pushing for user experience over ads and news placements, this is a great way for businesses to think outside-the-box and get creative to engage with its targeted audience. Additionally, Facebook favors shares over likes so if a post has a high engagement in shares, it’s more likely to have a lot more success compared to a post with a lot of likes.

Budget for pay-to-play

Facebook has always been a pay-to-play platform, however, with the new algorithm change, it will be vital for businesses to budget more money to put behind their content. Companies can expect a drastic decline in organic reach. Overall, whether you advertise your material or not, it’s more important than ever to create and share content that will resonate with your Facebook audience. By engaging with your audience via asking questions, telling compelling stories, providing valuable insights, producing authentic, raw visuals through photos and videos, etc., businesses will have the ability to drive stronger results.

Ultimately, Facebook has made it harder for businesses of all shapes and sizes to market and advertise their brand on the social platform. With user experience being more important than ever, it’s essential brands understand that it’s not competing with other businesses, they’re competing with personal moments shared through friends and family.

 

Alexis Krisay is a partner and president of marketing for Serendipit Consulting, a public relations, marketing, branding and event-planning firm with a specialization in franchise, real estate, healthcare, fitness and wellness.