Out With The Old, In With The New (Algorithm)

Just like many made resolutions in the New Year, Mark Zuckerberg announced what 2018 would mean for one of our favorite social media marketing platforms. Facebook features many opportunities for cost-effective advertising, but this year there will be a major shift in how the site and News Feed functions. Research suggests that people feel they waste time on social media, and some have started to move away from these sites completely. Facebook is fighting back by pushing for more meaningful content and less passive consumption. The social network will be focusing on making friends and family the core of the Facebook experience with an updated algorithm.

In an effort to bring people closer together and show more meaningful content, Facebook’s new algorithm will show less public content and external links. The News Feed will be pushing for conversation between friends and family. Brands can expect less of their organic content to be distributed in the News Feed. Overall reach, video watch time, and referral traffic for all pages will decrease.

With this new algorithm, less is more. Facebook will be pushing posts that not only have engagement (likes, shares, comments), but also inspire conversation (posts with long comments and comment threads). The era of organic content is over. Brands should be spending their time on quality content and fueling their posts with a social media advertising budget.

Facebook is still a great platform for businesses and we don’t think that will change. It is important to recognize the shift and adjust the way we communicate on Facebook. Brands should take the opportunity to find out who their fans are and what resonates with them. Facebook Live will become a great asset, usually resulting in six times the amount of interactions than non-live video content. Don’t reply on Facebook for web traffic, but instead for brand awareness.

Baffled by Twitter? Looking for a Facebook guru? At Creative Media Alliance, a full-service Seattle marketing firm, our social media team can help you construct a strong marketing plan, while our branding services and search services can help make sure you’re getting the exposure you need. Contact CMA today. We make you look good.