Mark Zuckerberg recently stunned the world, well at least, the small business community by announcing that Facebook will be changing its news feed algorithm to prioritize content from friends, families and groups. Naturally, many small business owners who rely on Facebook as a key component of their social media marketing strategy were left feeling confused if not abandoned. Furthermore, Zuckerberg stated that he felt a “a responsibility to make sure our services aren’t just fun to use, but also good for people’s well-being.” He also went on to say that businesses will just have to work harder to gain attention via Facebook.
Work harder he says? With out question, it will take time for the small business community to fully understand the impact theses changes will have on their marketing strategy and bottom line. In the meantime, here are a few tips to help you navigate the ever changing and unpredictable waters of the ocean, we call Social Media Marketing:
Quality Content still works! Strive for engagement. Encourage folk to interact, comment and share your posts.
Ask your customers to follow your page and encourage your fans to use the “See First” feature.
Replenish your ad budget if possible; the days of relying solely on organic growth may be over.
Participate and engage in Facebook Groups relevant to your business and community. Of course, your engagement must be authentic NOT spammy.
Utilize Facebook Live Videos
Connect with Influencers who are aligned with your market!
With these changes Facebook is striving to change us from being passive observers to being actively engaged. Your goal is to serve up content that engages!