Facebook has announced that it will be lowering the amount of “promotional ads” that people see on their news feeds. The company said it is changing the News Feed after customers complained about the number of promotional posts. But that won’t affect the number of ads people see on the site.
In their statement, Facebook clearly says what is considered a “promotional page post”. What many people are claiming though, is this has much more to do with driving ad sales, than user experience. Either way, it will directly effect the way you should utilize the world’s largest Social Network for your business.
Our goal with News Feed has always been to show people the things they want to see. That’s why we often look to people on Facebook to tell us how we can improve. As part of an ongoing survey we asked hundreds of thousands of people how they feel about the content in their News Feeds. People told us they wanted to see more stories from friends and Pages they care about, and less promotional content. – Facebook
Its always been important to engage with your customers. Good marketing is driven by building trust and relationships, which is why Facebook is such a great tool for businesses to utilize. However, many businesses fail in their Social Media Strategy, either by talking too much, too little, or about all the wrong things. This change makes you focus more on the Branding and less on the sale. Of course, there will always be the option to buy an ad when you need to push your latest product, event, etc., but to remain relevant, trustworthy, and engaged with your followers, you will have to adjust the way you use Facebook.
There are many great ways to marketing your business offline, but Internet Marketing remains one of the higher ROI options available. If you want to stay on your followers News Feed, you are gonna have to change the way you communicate.
Offer Valuable Content
The most shared content is the stuff that people find both interesting and relevant to their lives. If all you are sharing is “just got to the store, stop in for a 10% discount today”, then you are missing the point of the conversation. You need to give your followers something they can relate to, something they can receive value from. Tell a story or share a great blog post. This is Content Marketing 101 – Stop making it all about the sale and start giving your followers something they actually care about.
Post Pictures & Videos
People are much more likely to engage with photographs and videos than simple status updates. Basically, if you want engagement and shares, you should be posting more visual content. Don’t abandon status updates all together. They do have value in overall impressions and brand awareness. But photos & videos are the way to go when you are looking for virality and social connectivity.
Want to Advertise, Buy an Ad
This news from Facebook speaks loudly – if you want to advertise, buy an ad. Facebook clearly wants to drive more ad sales. When necessary, give em what they want. The Facebook Ad system works great for targetted marketing, and can show huge ROI for businesses of all sizes. Next time you have a great event to share, or a product discount – throw down a few bucks and make a Facebook Ad.
[divider height=”20″]Some think this change is going to decrese your overall oxposure. Honestly – it might, but only for those that fail to focus on people first. Even with this change, a company that knows how to market themselves properly can see great results. If you need some help along the way, schedule a Free consultation with us.
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