What does the Facebook newsfeed change mean for small business & entrepreneurs?

How to survive on Facebook after the newsfeed changes!

Surviving the Facebook Algorithm Changes in 2018

Mark Zuckerberg scared the $h*t out of the online marketing world last week and sent a lot of small businesses & entrepreneurs into panic mode. I am going to shed a little light on the new Facebook algorithm and what it means for your business so you can calm down and stop panicking!!

​First, relax. Take a deep breath and repeat "the world is not ending" as many times as you need to believe it!! The reality is that Facebook changes ALL the time - like seriously ALL the time - and we have survived. More importantly we have adapted, grown and changed to stay relevant on social media. Successful businesses on social media are constantly changing, adapting, exploring and failing; but most importantly they are moving FORWARD!! 

The three biggest keys for success with the new algorithm are:
1. Share quality content that engages with your followers in an authentic, genuine way
2. Video - LIVE STREAMING!!!!!!!!!
3. Budget for Advertising

Facebook wants to keep YOU on their platform so they can continue to stay relevant and make more money $$$. In order to do this, Facebook itself has had to change and adapt to what the user wants. Facebook listened and now they are giving the user exactly what they want. Users want their newsfeed to remain THEIRS. They want to see more content they care about and updates from their friends and family. Currently your feed feels spammy and repetitive. The same people, same pages, same groups and lots of ads are consistently clogging up your newsfeed. People are seeing a tonne of content that they simply do not give a shit about and they are over it!! That is why the content and the way in which you engage on your page or group is so important!! 

We need to talk to and converse with our followers. Do not talk at your audience. Do not just share links and videos with the hopes that it will be liked enough to grow your page. These two tactics have not worked for a while. If you look at your insights what do you see? How well does a shared article with a lame caption perform compared to a Facebook Live or an genuine personal status update?? I can tell you the answer without even looking at your stats - its   terrible! You will get way more engagement and reach on a post that actually fosters sharing, caring or community.

Facebook used to reward you for the number of posts and shared content but that is no longer the case. Why? Because people do not care and they don't want to see it!! It's spammy.  I strongly believe in the power of posting good content but that means your content must be relevant, engaging and interesting to YOUR audience. This is not new friends but if you have been sharing just for the sake of posting you need to switch up your strategy. In this online world, believe it or not,  people still continue to crave community and connection so give it to them!!

Next if you want to stay alive on Facebook you need to do Live Video. No more excuses, it must be done!! I will admit that while video itself is good in all Live Streaming is the bomb!! 💣💣💣. Why? It keeps us on Facebook. If you share a video on YouTube that means people may leave Facebook to see it so if you want better reach on Facebook bust out of your comfort zone and do some live streaming!!

To really capitalize on your live streaming follow these three simple steps:
1. Send an email to your mailing list or post a status update letting your followers know that you will be going live.
2. Have a game plan. No, this does not mean try and follow a script but know what you are going to talk about and have an outline to follow.
3. Don't overthink it. Live Streaming works well with your audience because it is real. People want to see and get to know you! Keep It Simple!

Lastly, social media is no longer solely organic. It is a pay-to-play game so if you want to truly have success you need to plan to spend money on advertising. Don't stress too much because a little can go a long way. Especially if you target your audience effectively and use great copy and creative. The effectiveness of your ads depend on choosing the right goal for your ad, targeting for your niche audience and communicating your goal with those people accordingly. Do not be afraid to try a few things when it comes to your ads but do not put all your eggs in one basket - split test your creative/ copy or run an ad to multiple different targeted audiences. Try running the ad for 48 hours and if it isn't getting the results you want stop the ad and try something different!!

Also, make sure that you are taking advantage of conversion pixels, such as the Facebook Pixel, so you can target exactly the right people and use or a warm audience that you know is interested in your product or service. 

So friends, like I said DO NOT PANIC!! If you have been using Facebook the way it's meant to be used when it comes to your Business Page or Group you will be fine. And if you haven't been doing the things mentioned above make some changes, pronto!! The biggest thing I have learned when it comes to social media is to not be rigid, always be willing to try new things and most importantly treat your followers like people!!
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If you are looking for more help with your social media, the changes to the Facebook & Instagram algorithms or your advertising book a Free discovery call with me today!!

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