You worked hard for your organic audience on Facebook.
But with Facebook's latest algorithm change prioritizing 'meaningful engagement' over all else, you feel like the rug has been pulled out from under you. Is this the time to cut your losses and head back to MySpace? Hardly.
With 2.23 billion monthly active Facebook users, there remains a huge available audience. They may feel tantalizingly beyond your fingertips without paid advertising, but with the right strategies, you can still maintain and increase your organic reach.
Without question, the algorithm change is making it hard for Business Pages to get content seen. However, if you manage to make the algorithm work for you, there will be less competition and more opportunities as a result.
An algorithm-friendly Facebook marketing strategy is required to ensure your content gets the screen time it needs going forward.
Before you can start on your journey back from the social wilderness though, you will need to know what you are up against.
While Facebook has implemented a number of News Feed changes over the years, the magnitude of the most recent one was made clear in an open and transparent statement from Mark Zuckerberg.
We're making a major change to how we build Facebook. I'm changing the goal I give our product teams from focusing on helping you find relevant content to helping you have more meaningful social interactions. The first changes you'll see will be in News Feed, where you can expect to see more from your friends, family and groups. As we roll this out, you'll see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media. And the public content you see more will be held to the same standard -- it should encourage meaningful interactions between people."
Facebook previously used signals like the number of people who reacted, commented or shared a post to determine where that post appeared in the News Feed.
The delineation between active interactions (commenting and sharing) and passive interactions (likes and click-throughs) is now clear.
In preferring posts from friends and family over public content, and prioritizing posts that spark conversations and meaningful interactions, a digital line has been drawn in the sand.
Apart from sending marketers and businesses to the dictionary to define 'meaningful interactions' this change has caused organic engagement metrics to nosedive.
As meaningful interactions involve the connection between people, discussions that are robust and organic, and a promotion of togetherness and community, this makes sense.
Or an update from a business page you don't remember following, announcing their latest range of products you are not interested in?
A cynical person may suggest the algorithm change represents a desire to drive advertising revenue. But I am far too busy enjoying the latest photo of Charlie the pug eating a slice of birthday cake to get dragged into that conversation.
Regardless of the reasons behind the algorithm update, the days of chronological feeds and easily attained organic reach are gone.
We can all lament the loss of simpler times, but there is work to be done if you want your business to stay visible. As we power through 2018, it is a case of getting what you are given.
Despite the shift towards a family and friends-first feed, the overriding metric of 'engagement' still plays a major part in News Feed position. This metric must now be the focal point that marketers and businesses must tailor their Facebook strategies to meet.
While any algorithm change can feel like the end of the world, there is hope for those who are willing to change. Consider the following 7 strategies to ensure your change works with Facebook's algorithm update and not against it.
Facebook's own research has shown that video content drives higher engagement and interaction in comparison to all other content types. Videos, even if produced just on a local level, can help to increase your organic reach by keeping eyes firmly glued to your page and promoting discussions as a result.
Dove has shown the power of creating video content that is authentic and honest while tying these to their broader company values at the same time. According to a recent study by the Harvard Business Review, customers who are 'fully connected' emotionally to a brand tend to spend twice as much on average compared to customers who identify as 'highly satisfied'.
In the video, women were given the choice of walking through a door marked 'average' or a door marked 'beautiful'.
With no Dove products on show, the video focuses on the company's desire to help and empower women. This focus fosters a deeper connection with the brand and is a prime example of video content that connects with consumers.
Use captions - 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound due to default settings so include clear and self-explanatory visual cues. Adding captions makes for a simple user experience and ensures your message is received.
Front load your content - The first seconds of your video are the most valuable. By delivering your most important messages first, you will grab attention and compel people to stay watching.
Be open to change - There are many variables at play when creating Facebook video content. The length of your content, subject matter, video production tools, copy, tone, the list goes on. Being open to change will allow you to find what works best for you.
Despite the importance of video, it is not necessary to invest entire marketing budgets to create high-quality video content.
SEMrush does an excellent job on their Facebook page, turning what was a 10-year birthday milestone into a cross-section of informative video content that captures company values, testimonials, and entertainment.
There is a range of ways to create compelling video content without breaking the bank. Facebook Live represents a prime example of affordable and authentic video content.
As Facebook Live hit its two year anniversary in April of 2018, the average number of daily Facebook Live videos has doubled year on year. On top of this, live videos are watched for three times as long as pre-recorded videos, allowing consumers to engage with your products and services in real time.
When you create a Facebook Live video, you pull back the curtain to show the human side of your business, and that is highly valuable. In addition, with Facebook Live videos producing notifications to alert your followers on the fly, you will be able to stand out the moment you begin streaming.
Tough Mudder is a prime example of a business who has used Facebook Live to allay the fears of undecided consumers and drive interest. They anticipated the uncertainty of what to expect during Tough Mudder as a prime obstacle to people signing up.
To counter this, they produced a live video of a Tough Mudder coach leading participants through a training course. By showing potential participants what to expect they were able to reduce nerves and push people to sign up, while simultaneously driving the excitement in those who were already onboard.
With 53 thousand views to date, their Facebook live video represents a creative way to both drive interest and encourage participation.
If people start conversations by commenting on your posts, you will be working within Facebook's News Feed algorithm. It can be a challenge to get people talking though. As a starting point to get the conversation moving, focus on asking stimulating questions. Make sure your content and the accompanying question is unique and compelling.
If you are asking the same questions as everyone else, you can't expect people to feel driven to engage with you. With each post, ask yourself what new angle you can bring to your chosen topic and implement it as part of your social strategy.
Creating a natural discussion about topics relating to your brand is a great way to use the Facebook algorithm changes to your advantage. The key word is 'natural'.
It is no longer enough to create 'engagement bait' style content anymore. This type of post is openly asking for tags, comments or likes, previously encouraged engagement.
They will now be actively demoted under the new algorithm, with such engagement deemed 'not meaningful enough'.
Ultimately, while Facebook's algorithm changes may feel like punishments initially, they are actually opportunities.
Businesses able to generate natural conversations around mutual interests aren't gaming the system. They are doing what Facebook asks of brands and marketers in 2018 and beyond - humanizing themselves and creating meaningful interactions.
All engagement is not created equally.
A landslide of attention may well be the wrong type of attention when brands look to jump on the latest hot topic or 'fake news' story in an attempt to boost their visibility. Treading lightly is a virtue when the alternative option is the alienation and aggravation of your audience.
Don't disregard the power of direct action either. A simple 'please like and share' can work wonders.
Facebook allows people to see more posts from businesses they follow by selecting 'See First' in News Feed preferences. So encourage your most loyal followers to become even more engaged.
Invite your loyal followers to hit the 'See First' option.
There is no secret formula to help you succeed with the latest algorithm changes. Facebook has been transparent in demanding content that engages with your followers; this is key if you want to appear regularly on their feeds.
While you should always look to grow your audience using people not associated with your company; using your employees to help you widen your organic reach is a simple step worth exploring. With Facebook prioritizing content from friends and family over business pages, encouraging your employees to become your advocates can help attract more eyes to your content.
Your Business Page is already limited by the number of followers you have. Adding the recent algorithm changes, the number of people who will organically be exposed to your content shrinks further. Using your employees to share your content on their personal Facebook networks supercharges your exposure.
With recent studies showing that posts from friends and family are 16 times more likely to be read than posts by brands, this simple step can reap great rewards.
"Facebook generally tends to frown upon and lower the average visibility and ability of content to reach its audience on Facebook if it includes an external link."
Posting links alone won't get you blacklisted. But along with the knowledge that your organic reach will suffer, link spamming also speaks to the user experience you provide to your followers. By keeping your feed fresh with a mixture of content you will be adhering to Facebook's preferences and algorithm.
You will also be creating a welcoming and engaging environment for your followers who will enjoy the mixture of content you offer.
There is a range of free tools available including Canva, Stencil, and Design Bold, so it has never been easier to become your own graphic designer and create some much-needed eye candy.
While it may sound obvious, by creating content that people actually enjoy you will be optimizing your content for organic success.
With the margin of error so small, it is no longer an option to throw up content and hope for the best. Instead, the goal is to drive as much interaction as possible from single posts. Untargeted mass posting has been replaced by selective posting.
This means targeting each post to a specific audience, which is possible whether you have sponsored your post or not. Through targeted posting, you will increase your chances of driving engagement among the people who are most likely to find it useful.
Now you can use Facebook's targeting feature. When you compose a new post, you will have the option of filtering your audience.
You can add up to 16 interest tags to target people whose interests align with your posts. You can also restrict the visibility of your post based on audience age, location, language, and gender.
If your audience falls outside these parameters, the post won't be visible to them.
When you are finished filtering your audience, click 'Save' and finish publishing your post.
By using your Facebook Insights to see which posts were successful and which were not, you will be able to fine-tune your targeting strategy going forward. You are often better off targeting a small section of your followers to receive higher engagement, rather than targeting your entire follower count and thinking higher engagement will come from your wider target audience. While it may feel counterintuitive, reaching out to a smaller but targeted audience can be a smarter decision compared to posting to your largest audience possible.
With the expectation to post between 1 and 2 times per day according to the latest statistics from Hubspot, there is pressure on brands and marketers to strike a balance between originality and consistency.
Repeat posting of the same content and a failure to post are both a disservice to your business. You can solve this problem by reposting your content with new and original descriptions each time; this will help you to avoid becoming stale and exposes your content to a broader audience.
If you have used a quote the first time, consider using a question the second time, or a statistic to reinforce your message the third time. Another creative angle to attack this problem is to repurpose your content.
These can then be broken down further, for example.
Images: Tips, quotes, infographics, humor, behind the scenes.
Text: Questions, quotes, tips, testimonials, fill in the blanks.
Video: Testimonials, educational, promotional, stories.
Other people's content: Videos, images, blog posts, news or current events.
As this shows, the rabbit hole of possible content runs deep.
Use this creative spectrum to turn your latest market research into a vibrant graphic using Canva or Adobe Spark. Remember, your Facebook posts are not about you; they are about your audience, what they are interested in, and what they would find valuable.
Whatever the size and scope of your business, high quality and well-researched content should be the beating heart of your Facebook marketing strategy. Everything else falls into place after that.
The stark reality of this statement is displayed in the fall of organic reach over the previous 6 years. Between February 2012 and March 2014, organic reach fell from 16% to 6.5%.
With the steady decline in Facebook page reach, with estimates placing this figure as low as 2%, the era of the bustling organic Business Page may well be over. Rather than abandon your Business Page as a monument to the past, consider pivoting your strategy to include a Facebook Group for your business.
A Facebook Group fits Facebook's meaningful engagement vision as they are typically formed around shared interests and create natural discussions. Here are some of the top results when searching for 'Social Media Marketing' groups on Facebook.
These groups would naturally provide fertile ground for organic discussion on the topic of Social Media Marketing.
Facebook Groups create a community of like-minded followers.
In the same way that SEO connects search queries with interest, with the opt-in nature of a Facebook Group you have already solved the problem of finding people with a tangible interest in your business.
When managed correctly, a Business Group can create a micro-community of highly engaged users who are both advocates for, and potential customers of, your business.
In 2018, likes and comments have the same desirable traits as water in the Mad Max universe. The majority of people won't want to engage in a discussion on your Business Facebook Page. That is assuming they are even aware of your posts.
It may come as a surprise, but the difference between a company logo and your (no doubt) handsome face is stark. People want to engage with you, the person, not you, the business. A Facebook Group provides the perfect setting for them to do so.
Remaining value-focused will help you to attract leads.
Such information will typically come unfiltered and raw, with the niche nature of your Facebook Group ensuring your feedback is targeted and without distraction.
Creating a Facebook Group is a long-term strategy. While the ability to get opinions, ask questions, and develop a community of like-minded individuals is all beneficial; doing so are a means to an end.
All uses of your Facebook Group share one vital element - trust. Without trust, you won't have an engaged group, tour CTAs will not be effective, your polls will not receive feedback, and the offers you announce will not be successful.
Particularly valuable for brands looking to establish a foothold in the wake of Facebook's algorithm change, Facebook Groups offer the chance to problem solve, educate, workshop, acquire market research, and generate leads at the same time.
By tracking your content over time to find the top performing posts you can establish a base level of engagement. If you see a trend across content type and time that is seeing higher engagement, you can use this knowledge to pursue more interactions.
Knowing the right time to post and the right content to post should help streamline your strategy going forward. With Facebook's algorithm prioritizing engagement, timing your posts to appear in front of an active audience is now vital. Once you have used Facebook Insights to determine what works for you, create a content calendar to remain consistent.
While there is a range of studies available recommending the 'best times' to post on Facebook, these should not be considered gospel.
Facebook posting best practice guidelines.
Instead, use these as starting points for your own testing. Your Facebook Insights data will become your new best friend, so use the results to determine a posting schedule that works best for you.
Marketers and businesses who understood the inherent value of connecting with an audience beyond a superficial level will now be a step ahead of the competition. Those who previously relied on surface level engagement would do well to remember the expression, 'fans are vanity, sales are sanity'.
Algorithms will change as will preferences, trends, and motivations. Change is inevitable in marketing and business, so it's good to be open and flexible to address these as well as project possible shifts.
Your Alexander Porter marketing tips are the best and most needed. They helped me a lot! But I want to ask you what do you think about buying comments and likes on Facebook? Will it help me to increase the organic facebook connection? Thank you in advance!
Thank you for sharing information! I think it also would be effective to target your Facebook competitors' audience. The thing is that competitors' customers have already shown the interest in a similar product. That means they're more than likely will be interested in your product too. If you're wondering how to do it I recommend you to use LeadEnforce. It's really a good website where you can get competitor's custom list and use it for running your ads on Facebook.
I have a Facebook brand page but I can't use it correctly. I don't have the idea about facebook insights, page settings, and audience tracking. Not only this, I can't follow any post content rules just make an ordinary post, like and share. But after study this content I realize, I was wrong. Can you tell me what types of routine we should follow to active social media and better response from facebook audience?
Thanks for your question Ivana. Your challenges growing your Facebook reflect the core of this article - organic social media success is a marathon, not a sprint.
The steps in this article would be a great starting point for you. At the very least you must be creating content that your audience wants to consume. This should be full of value and across the spectrum of entertaining, educational, or inspiring. Consider spending some time researching your competition to see what works for them. This will give you valuable insight into the type of content that your audience would find useful.
If you are looking for more success with your Facebook, I recommend getting to know Facebook Insights, or connecting with someone who does. While the data may seem overwhelming at first, it is necessary to adjust and improve your social media strategies as you move forward.
Remember, random strategies return random results. When you start building your social media strategy around quantifiable data you'll be giving yourself a better chance of the response you're after.
It's really great advice for me on starting my facebook task. Most of the time I upload just image and some informative content but not maintain regular schedule or relevancy. I hope your advice makes a perfect routine and try to build up a new Facebook marketing journey.
You've hit the nail on the head Ivana. It would be lovely to drive engagement through image posts with some informative content, but these days it takes more to engage with an audience. Keep your posting consistent, deliver real value to your audience, and put your brand out there.
Over time your existing audience will become your loudest supporters and help attract a greater audience. Good luck!!!
I took up a challenging SMM role for a company that gets old/damaged household electronics from clients for recycling, evaluates the items and give the clients new devices of their preferred brands at reduced rates.My challenge is how to come up with engaging posts for happy clients and win over potential ones as well.
The ability to create engaging posts will be at the heart of successful Social Media Marketing going forward. When you're connecting with your audience authentically you'll be giving yourself the best chance of growth.
Hi Alexander! While I was reading your post, I started to think "what is the diference between boosting a post or facebook ads? ", when we boost a post, we are only showing our post to people who follow our brand?
Hey Inês. Thank you for your insightful question. Boosted posts and Facebook ads are similar in many ways, with differing strengths to suit your business needs.
A Boosted Post is a post to your page's timeline that you can pay to boost to an audience of your choosing. This is effectively the simplest way to advertise on Facebook. You won't need to use Ad Manager.
In contrast, a Facebook Ad is built through Ad Manager and offers more advanced customisation features. The differences come through the targeting features and difficulty of use.
To answer your question, boosted posts are not just for those already following your brand (Though you can do this if you like, whether it represents true value for money is another question). If you decide to boost your post you will have the option to do so based on set on locations, interests and other parameters. However, you will not have access to the full custom audiences provided through Ad Manager.
And thank you for taking the time to ask questions!
Amazing tip considering Facebook Audience Optimization! Thanks for your article, Alexander, will definitely test many of your ideas.
Thank you for taking the time to read it! Best of luck to you!
Engagement is crucial in almost every form of marketing especially Social Media marketing, and it is one of the toughest tasks as well. Engaging the audience is not easy, but Alexander, your post lists out the crucial ways that can help you achieve that. And in this process, if you require any help in learning about your audience, then you have Facebook Insights to seek help from to prepare an effective SMM strategy.
You're spot on. Authentic engagement is at the heart of successful marketing. Thank you for taking the time to read my article!
Thanks for the great tips! The importance of video cannot be understated. Creating your own Facebook group is also a great way to gain exposure and create natural conversations, so it's a 2-in-1!
You're absolutely right. Many of these tips can be blended to help your organic content efforts further. Adding compelling and engaging video to your Facebook group is a win-win. Great point!
(I am not good in English).... I am not sure if I am right, but I have noticed that some of my facebook pages which I have boosted using the FB paid promotion lost the organic reach. After I stop paid promotion these pages become dead. But the other pages are still getting good organic reach.
Is there any such behaviour noted by you? Or it is just one case with me.
With so many variables at play across paid social and organic social it is difficult for me to be able to comment on your particular campaigns.
Without question Facebook Ads are valuable though. It may be worthwhile revisiting your targeting options to ensure your content is appearing when and where it is most valuable.
As for your organic reach, if you are still seeing success then that is wonderful!
With numerous studies showing organic reach to be hovering somewhere around the 2% mark, your success is admirable.
Keep up the good work and thank you for reading my article!
You're welcome! Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope you took something of value for your next Social campaign!
Absolutely right. While the latest algorithm changes may have created new obstacles for businesses and marketers to overcome, their core goal was to improve the user experience for Facebook users. Brands who are able to create the genuine engagement you mentioned are those who stand to benefit. Sounds like you're on top of your social game! Thank you for reading!
very insightful content,and useful tips with the help of that we can able to generate more organic traffic to our website,thank you for sharing this post.
I'm glad you were able to find value in my article! It can be a challenge finding success through organic driven content, but the best things in life are organic - fruit, veggies, coffee, why should social media be any different!
I respect the time and interest u have taken to write about " Organic Facebook Reach". Thanks for sharing great information. Good One.
Thank you for taking the time to read my article. I hope it helps you going forward!
Great article. While these tips can boost the organic reach of your Facebook posts to some extent, the fact remains that if you really need a traffic boost or engagement on your FB posts, you need to invest in FB ads.
I wholeheartedly agree. Moving forward it will be businesses and marketers who integrate paid social into their arsenal that will see the most success.
With that said, I hope these tips show that there are still ways to increase your organic reach without paid social, and while the results may not be as dramatic, organic reach is still possible under the right conditions.
Thank you for taking the time to read it. I hope you were able to take something valuable from it!