Let's have a quick discussion on the 2018 Facebook News Feed Change and what it means to people that are involved specifically in home-based business arena.
I'm constantly seeing network marketers referring to the “Facebook Algorithm Change” and making posts like:
“Hey Everyone….just checking to make sure you still see me. The new Facebook algorithm is only allowing 7% of people to see my posts. Shout out if you still see me. Tell me that you're still there and see my posts. Please let me know you're out there. “
That in and of itself shows me that a majority of those individuals don't fully understand how Facebook delivers content in your news feed.
Why? Because that post alone is something that causes LESS people to see your posts. It's called “baiting”, and I explain it in more detail below.
What exactly is the Facebook algorithm anyhow?
To put it simply, the Facebook algorithm determines what people see in their News Feeds at any given time.
In early January, Mark Zuckerberg made an announcement that Facebook was going to make changes to its news feed algorithm and begin to prioritize content coming from “friends, family and groups.”
Most network marketers who are running home-based businesses and primarily operating from their personal Facebook Profile Page won't be affected nearly as much as larger businesses and brands attempting to reach their audience who will very likely see a significant decrease in organic reach.
The real challenge comes for businesses who are looking to reach their audience, not necessarily individual Profile pages. However…quality and engaging content is ALWAYS key for all involved!
Post Quality Content that Encourages Engagement and Comments
It's critical that you are posting meaningful and quality content on Facebook, whether you are an individual, a brand or a company.
Both businesses and individuals alike should focus on posting content that is high quality, engaging and prompts comments from those they are connected to on Facebook.
THINK before you post! Before you post, ask yourself a few questions:
Is this meaningful to my audience?
Is this content interesting?
Will I get engagements?
Is this something people will naturally want to LIKE, COMMENT and SHARE?
Engagement comes in many forms…all of which are important to you as a Facebook user.
LIKES: People giving you a “thumb's up” because they like what you posted and agreeing with you is the first form of engagement.
COMMENTS: Someone taking the time to write, say something and comment back is an increased level of engagement.
SHARES: A person who takes the time to re-post and share what you posted about is an even higher level of engagement. They liked it so much that they decided to let their audience see it.
Baiting People Will Decrease your Response
Begging for engagement is not only “spammy”, but it turns people off.
Have you heard the term “engagement bait”? It's when you're essentially ‘begging' for someone to respond to you.
Here's an example of a few posts that would likely be considered “engagement bait”.
“The mountains of Colorado are beautiful. Press LIKE if you agree.”
“Share this post with 5 of your friends if you'd like to win a free vacation.”
“Comment below if you'd like to learn more about my product and I'll PM you with details.”
“Comment ‘YES' if you love to play on the beach as much as I do!”
All of these posts are “baiting” people to respond. There's a fine line between posting content that makes people want to engage, versus asking them to do so.
Here's a post I did very recently on my personal page that caused a great deal of interaction in an extremely short period of time.
This particular post had over 1000 comments on it within 48 hours.
In fact, many people who very rarely engage with me became part of this thread. Why? Because it sparked up a very interesting chat that made people WANT to comment. Even though I literally “asked” them to engage, the content was super interesting to MY audience.
“My OLD School Network Marketing Friends ONLY.
Name a network marketing company and product that came… and went. Go back as far as you can.”
While the post was only shared once, the conversation that took place was super interesting and fun to watch. The first two hours after I posted this, people came out of the wood work to give their input.
Continue to Post More Facebook Live Videos
Facebook LOVES video. But even more importantly, are Facebook Live Videos. According to Mark Zuckerberg, “live videos get six times as many interactions as regular videos.”
SIX TIMES MORE INTERACTION than regular videos should be more than sufficient for you to start implementing LIVE videos into your Facebook strategy if you haven't already.
Facebook Groups Will Get You More Attention and Visibility
Finding Facebook Groups that you can engage in, interact, add value and contribute quality content into will certainly help you in reaching a larger audience that ultimately get to know you on a more personal level and follow you.
Find some Facebook Groups that appeal to you and your personal interests. Groups that you personally find interesting and easy to add value to will help you overall engagement.
Make Sure your Profile is Complete
Believe it or not, having a complete Facebook Profile is something that will get you see more than someone who only partially completes one.
Take a few minutes and make sure your Facebook Profile Page is complete! You'll get more people seeing you because of it.
In Summary…
- Quality Content is Crucial to your Success
Make sure you are delivering content that is shareable, interesting, informative and entertaining to your audience. Deliver content that is relevant and current. Bring up timely topics that create conversation. Avoid posts that are “text” only and use links, photos and videos to create greater engagement. - Don't Bait People. Engagement doesn't require begging. The more you bait people, the less likely your posts will be seen.
- Do More Facebook Lives. Live video right now is dominant. Even if you're a little shy and apprehensive, its worth stepping up your game and getting into bringing Facebook Live to the table on your page.
- Get with the Groups. Groups are a great way for you to connect with a lot of people who will ultimately end up connected to your on your page.
- Be SPAM-Free. Don't bait people and beg them to respond. Careful that you're not “tricking” people to click on something just to get them to react. Stay away from contests, sweepstakes and viral hoaxes. Be relevant in everything you do.
- Complete your Profile Page. A completed profile page is going to get you more views, more engagement and more action.