Facebook feed changes – what do these mean for your business?

If you haven’t noticed it by now, you will soon. The Facebook feed is changing.
This month, Mark Zuckerberg announced changes to the social platform’s algorithm, which will give posts from your family and friends prominence over those coming from business pages. With a view to helping users “connect more with each other”, the Facebook Chief Executive said he felt a responsibility to ensure Facebook is good for people’s wellbeing.
Well, a little less clickbait never hurt anybody. But despite good intentions all in the name of authenticity, this also inevitably means bad news for those of us relying on organic engagement.
Why is this happening?
As Facebook grows, it no longer has need for the growth accelerating ads that helped the platform turn into what it is today. Now, it’s going back to its roots, with a focus on unique social connection between its two billion users.
If you have a business page, it’s time to start thinking of it as a pay-to-play means of advertising. The new algorithm will not affect posts you have paid for, and will instead filter out irrelevant promotions, all with a view for content to be more meaningful to its users. It’s time to think about what you as a user would truly appreciate.
How important is it?
In short – if you have a Facebook business page and want to continue connecting with customers on it, it’s quite a big deal. Now is the time to reconsider how you invest in your social media, and take an audit of your overall social media strategy. With an emphasis on quality content and specific, accurate targeting, there is an opportunity to continue to connect with your followers in an interactive way.
Where do I start?
A main concern for most businesses will likely be budgeting. However, paid content does not have to be expensive – Facebook’s paid options literally start at £1. Now there’s more competition for paid space, rates are likely to rise, so strategy is imperative.
Looking into what you want to say, how you want to say it, and who you want to say it to are the next steps in creating social content that will be appreciated and accepted by the new algorithm.
Have you noticed a drop in your organic engagement? If you want more tailored advice on how these feed changes could affect your Facebook business page, we are here to help! Get in touch, so we can discuss how you can maintain a relationship with your followers.