Our View: What Facebook’s News Feed Update Means for Your Business

Facebook’s Chairman and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, made news yesterday by sharing an update to the media giant’s News Feed platform. The change, according to Zuckerberg, is aimed at helping people ‘have more meaningful social interactions.’ Facebook’s algorithms will de-emphasize content from media, brands and businesses and display more updates from users’ friends and family. As expected, the news sent shockwaves through corporate headquarters around the world. As of this morning, the post has received almost 9,000 comments, 117,000 reactions and 13,200 shares. Maybe you, as a business owner or marketing manager, can relate to some of these comments from users:

Many of these points are certainly valid. You may have fought tooth-and-nail to get social media marketing budgets approved and now feel like your feet has been swept underneath you. Point taken, but let’s gather a little perspective before you throw in the towel.

Is your content being viewed anyway?
Starting off strong with this one, but do you know how likely it is for a follower to view your content in the first place? According to Locowise, who routinely analyzes 5,000 pages to measure reach and engagement, only a little over 8 percent of your content is being shown to your followers. If you have around 7,000 followers you may expect your post to be seen by 560 people. One step farther, when that post is seen, only about 5 percent of the 560 people are choosing to engage. Yikes. We’re now down to about 28 people who chose to react. You see, what’s displayed on Facebook’s News Feed is based on an algorithm that’s already out of your control.

What are you sharing?
As a social media strategist, I also find myself often discussing what’s appropriate for social media and what’s not. You see, we often view Facebook the same way we view email and other one-sided mediums, like TV and print. You decide what you want to say and you “push” it out to the masses. That’s a big mistake because social media is meant to be social — you shouldn’t be “pushing” anything. It’s a two-way conversation and the place where instant feedback and conversation should not only be expected but demanded. With so many companies vying for users’ attention, there’s no room for sharing what would normally be found on a hallway bulletin board.

The challenge and opportunity
No doubt, yesterday’s news is a big deal. However, since opening up the ability for companies to have a dedicated Facebook presence in 2007, the platform has routinely tweaked how brands can interact with followers. I encourage businesses to see this not as a deterrence, but an opportunity. Yes, you’ll likely see your engagement drop. According to Facebook, the decrease will depend on the kind of content you’re sharing and if users are finding it meaningful. A business will be held to the same standard as a friend or family member when sharing updates.

Take these steps to minimize the decrease in traffic and engagement:

• Encourage followers to visit their News Feed preferences and select “See First” next to your company’s page.

• Identify what kinds of posts your followers already engage with. You can do this by clicking:

• Insights (Top of Facebook page)
• Posts (left side of navigation)
• Post Types (Top of page)

You’ll see if your audience is engaging with photos, links or videos the most.

• Consider an ambassador program that encourages followers to share your content and comment on your posts. This could help promote your content to your followers and their friends and family. 
• Change your perspective regarding social media. View it as a place for building community and serving outstanding customer service. Reduce the urge to share content just for the sake of it.
• Consider Facebook ads. The ad platform runs separately than the organic News Feed, so nothing should change on that front.

Challenges will always arise for marketers. But, what’s never changed is the creativity and resolve that has emerged from companies faced with such obstacles. It’s better to view this change as you would any other big shift in how you reach your customers. Google has put advertisers on notice about their changing advertisement standards, print has embraced augmented reality to help tell their stories and brick-and-mortar stores are finding ways to bridge the gap between them and ecommerce. Keep people first, constantly evaluate your social strategy and share the best content you possibly can. You may find that this big shift will work in your favor.

If you’d like some help outlining a social strategy or creating content that engages followers, we’d love to help. Drop us a line and let’s start the conversation.

Updated: Sep 07, 2023