20 September 2012, a day when administrator of company or brand’s Facebook page probably noticed changes in the reach of your page.
Like most changes to Facebook it was met with a case of caution, fear and opposition. So what happened? Facebook changed its Edgerank algorithm for pages meaning for many a significant percentage drop in the reach of their posts.
Sound like yet another money grab by Facebook? Its true sponsored posts are going to appear higher and more frequently on people’s timelines but the new algorithm is also setting higher standards for content and engagement. The companies which will feature more regularly in their fans timelines are the ones using techniques to get their fans to engage with and share their posts. Another reason is the increased competition on Facebook. Every brand and their dog has a page on Facebook these days and while Facebook would want to increase their advertising revenue they are wary of too much branding on people’s timelines and risking becoming seen as ‘spambook’ by their users
The challenge social media managers now face is being more creative with their posts on Facebook and encouraging people to engage rather than simply scanning through as part of their Facebook routine.
One way to look at it is comparing it to a billboard campaign. If you picked a mediocre poster in a poor location would you blame the billboard company you rented the space from? No you would be looking at why it’s not engaging people and why there isn’t proper traffic accessing your poster.
Likewise if you a fantastic message in a great location where people were talking about the ad would you be congratulating the billboard company or patting yourself on the back because of your successful brand promotion?
Like a billboard your posts risk becoming a part of Facebook furniture just like the old billboard someone walks past every day without taking the intended message in.
So how can a company ensure their social media is being effective and maximising the reach of their posts and thus brand promotion to the public?
Keep it simple, pretty and immediate…
You want your fans to like, comment and share your posts. This way your posts are being exported to their friends, giving your posts greater coverage than your original fan base. A picture tells a thousand words so if you can incorporate catchy imagery to your posts. And posts don’t necessarily always need to refer to your brand. Something fun and connecting will encourage a more personal relationship with people a strong asset for brand recognition. They are more likely to share with friends if they believe there friends would find a connection with your posts.
Immediacy is important too, getting people to engage as soon as they see a post will increase the chance of it reaching further as people aren’t likely to come back to old posts especially if they have to track it down themselves. One way to create immediate engagement is offering incentives for comments (Be the first to comment and win a free hat!) and likes as well as using language encouraging instant engagement (Like now if you agree!). Put simply the change to Facebook’s Edgerank algorithm is forcing social media managers to adapt in line with traditional branding techniques. Boring, mundane pages will be left behind while creative, innovative and engaging pages will be the talk of (Facebook) town!