Facebook announced a significant overhaul to its News Feed late last year that significantly reduces the visibility of promotional organic posts. This leads to a change in social media marketing for your business.

“Beginning in January 2015, people will see less of this type of content in their News Feeds. As we’ve said before, News Feed is already a competitive place — as more people and Pages are posting content, competition to appear in News Feed has increased. All of this means that Pages that post promotional creative should expect their organic distribution to fall significantly over time.” -Facebook

In order to stay ahead of the game, here are some tips to help with your social media marketing as it adapts to this new algorithm.

Don’t Focus on Selling

Facebook is changing it’s algorithm to combat the large amount of sales-driven content that businesses are posting on Facebook. Instead, try posting resourceful content that is valuable to consumers. Facebook is attempting to make social media enjoyable again by showing only the best content on people’s news feeds. Use content that has been successful on your other platforms like Twitter or your website.

Storytelling

The most successful social media posts tell a story. Facebook isn’t trying to eliminate businesses from advertising on Facebook, they are encouraging businesses to post valuable and relative content. An example of storytelling in a post is to relate your product or service to the history of the brand. People are more likely to engage with your post if they feel an emotional connection to your brand and services. Implement good quality pictures and videos to connect with your audience. Avoid promotional terms like “buy now”, as the new algorithm picks up on these types of phrases.

Know Your Audience

It is now more crucial than ever to understand what your specific audience wants. Use Facebook Insights on your business page to gage user interaction and develop a strategy that hits your selected demographic. Check each post you make regularly and then further analyze it a week later to get an idea of its success or failure. Don’t be scared to try different types of posts either. Innovation is key with the new Facebook algorithm change, and you’ll likely reach a good number of users with a creative and engaging post.

Provide Value

“I’ve always said that Facebook is not a place to sell but a place to engage with existing and potential clients and to share valuable information.” – Jim Belosic, CEO of ShortStack

The latest algorithm change stresses value over selling. In fact, it’s probably best to avoid ‘selling’ your product or service altogether on Facebook. People are less likely to engage with a post that is trying to sell them something; they are looking for posts that are interesting and applicable to their lives. Don’t just post to post, provide your consumers with original and shared content that they can relate to. Try sharing the latest news article from your industry, posting humorous videos and photos, and asking users for feedback.

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