Dos and Don’ts: How Brands Can Survive Facebook’s Latest Algorithm Change

Facebook rang in 2018 with a little New Year’s resolution of its own: bring people closer together by favoring content from friends and family in the News Feed. This sounds ideal in theory, but has left brands struggling to adjust.

Now that Facebook is showing “less public content, including videos and other posts from publishers or businesses,” brands need to rethink their Facebook strategies to make sure they still have a place in the current algorithm.

Here are some key dos and don’ts for reaching customers on Facebook in 2018.

DO

Continue posting quality content. Facebook has said that it will “prioritize posts that spark conversations and meaningful interactions between people.” In other words, the more back-and-forth discussion your posts generate, the better the chances that your content will be seen.

Encourage followers to select the “See First” option. Thankfully, the “See First” option survived this latest round of Facebook changes. Remind your followers that if they don’t want to miss your content, they can choose “See First” in their News Feed Preferences.

Include live Facebook videos in your social media strategy. Did you know that live videos get six times as many interactions as regular videos? Facebook has made it clear that this type of content will show higher in the News Feed due to high engagement rates.

Use Facebook advertising to increase your reach. If your brand has been on Facebook for a long time, you already know that paid posts work significantly better than organic reach. Still, with organic reach taking an even bigger hit, it’s more important than ever to optimize your Facebook advertising strategy.

DON’T

Engagement-bait. We’ve all done it, as much as we hate to admit it—and for a while it even worked. Facebook defines engagement-baiting as goading users into interacting with likes, shares, comments and other actions. Now is the time to ditch these spammy tactics, as Facebook has emphasized that it will “demote these posts.”

Rely on Facebook for website traffic. With organic reach shaping up to be lower than ever, you shouldn’t count on your Facebook content as a reliable source for website traffic. If that’s been one of your main goals, consider ways to adjust your Facebook strategy based on the algorithm change.

Choose quantity over quality. Remember, the key is to post more meaningful content that sparks conversations among your followers. You’re better off posting less frequently if it means sharing more relevant and engaging content. 

At this point, brands are used to finding ways to adapt to the ever-changing digital landscape. While this latest Facebook algorithm change poses a new set of challenges, brands can continue to be successful as long as they prioritize content that fosters genuine connections with followers.

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