Public Service Announcement: The Facebook Algorithm & Your Business

We see a lot of news articles and individuals posting about the "NEW Facebook Algorithm"

Here is the secret sauce...

YOUR Facebook has been working under the same algorithm for 5+ years. There is a trick and we've always known it here at The Social Media Advisor. If you aren't seeing posts from people or pages you want to see, we have the sauce. We can only get you there, but we can show you how to get your audience there as well.

1) For every single person you don't want to miss a post from, mark them as a Close Friend. Go to your profile, select 'Friends.' From a desktop, you can select a 'Star' or 'Close' option for each friend you would like to get a notification from when they post an update.

2) If you don't want to be connected to that person, select 'Unfriend.' Click those three dots on the page to 'See Friendship' and then you can categorize each person by how you know them (they won't be notified about the category you've chosen for them) and you can even mark them with 'Unfollow' or 'Restricted.' Unfollow means you won't see any of their updates. Restricted is when you want to limit them from seeing what you are posting - they will only see your profile pic, cover photo, and your public posts. ('Public' posts are for everyone, everywhere - friend or foe or stranger. 'Friends' posts are just for the people you've accepted friend requests from.) To mark Unfollow is super easy for those friends that are driving you crazy on Facebook: on your mobile, go to their profile, next to 'Friends' you will see a 'Follow' button where you can change your option to 'Unfollow.'

3) If you want to follow a page and not miss an update, open Facebook on your desktop, go to the business page, next to 'Liked' you will see a 'Following' button - select that and change it to 'See First.' You'll receive a notification every time that person or page posts something to the platform.

4) If you want to see any updates from people or pages you follow, you MUST ENGAGE! That means you need to like, comment, or share. THIS ISN'T NEW! You have to train the algorithm to show you what you want to see. Otherwise, it will keep guessing based on your usage.

For a Facebook Business Page, you must:

1) Post on a consistent schedule.

2) If you want to see any updates from people or pages you follow, you MUST engage! That means you have to like, comment or share their content. THIS ISN'T NEW!

3) Plan to budget for minimal ads for boosting...low dollar amounts ($3-5 min / campaign)

4) Did I mention engagement is important? If you want to see any updates from people or pages you follow, you MUST engage! That means like, comment or share. Are you hearing me yet?

5) Invite your tribe (people you are connected to) to comment - like - share - ENGAGE!

6) Create and post content worth engaging with. Embrace brand storytelling.

7) Nurture your online community so you don't have to convince them to follow and engage with your page - they'll want to.

Would I be worried about said NEW algorithms? NOPE - I have taught these same practices for YEARS! NOTHING changed about them except for... KEEP ENGAGING!!!

If you aren't posting, people can't engage. If you aren't consistent, people can't engage. If you treat your social experience like a one directional website, you will not have engagement. If you are just posting content without a strategy and with no intention of being involved in your own social media, there is no one for your audience to engage with. It's always been about engagement.

Social media IS NOT GOING AWAY ANY TIME SOON, it is barely scratching the surface of communication with your clients. We grew from MySpace when Facebook became popular. If Facebook isn't playing nice, we will find a platform for you that will take over that space. We aren't worried. We live in this space. Trust u to keep you updated and don't worry about the Fear mongering media. If anything changes, we will be the first to let you know.

Want to learn more about how to use social media without fear? Join us on our new Social Media E-Learning Channel via: www.socialpowerprogram.com

Be sure to Follow us and Let's Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

#AwesomeContent - Why You Should Avoid Text Only Content

Listen up all you Facebook business page administrators! If you only post text updates, then you are doing more harm than good. After examining analytics, Facebook adjusted their algorithm based on which posts are more likely to get attention. What they found was that pages with only text updates get the least amount of reactions, comments and shares. Because of this, Facebook altered their algorithms in order to make status updates with more interesting content prevalent on your newsfeed. The votes are in and the jury has spoken. Facebook’s new algorithms work in favor of visual social media posts versus text only updates.

You should note that this applies mainly to business pages. If you are still seeing text heavy posts from "friends", that is because the algorithm is giving you more of any individual that you tend to interact with a lot (regardless of the type of post). You’ll still be seeing your friends make wisecracks about politicians and their recent encounters with goofy people on the way to work. As for your business page, expect to see your text only updates go off the radar.

Does this seem unfair to you as a business owner trying to market yourself on Facebook? Well, think of it this way. Ask yourself what you see most on your newsfeed. Best bet is that it is a funny cat video or an eye-catching photograph paired with a news article. The same goes for business pages. As already discussed this month, the most shared posts are ones with videos and photos.

Looking for a way to get better returns on your social media posts? Start adding photos with the links you share in your posts. Research showed that these types of posts get more clicks, likes, comments and shares. Also, Facebook’s new algorithms can now separate out memes versus-high quality articles. If you are someone who loves beautiful pictures with inspiring quotes, don’t expect a lot of traffic coming to your page by posting those all the time. Everything in moderation. Get creative and share a variety of quality content to achieve the best results.

Facebook and Twitter have given us the gift of a short attention span. When you do add text to a post, keep it short. The posts that get the most traffic are 50 characters or less. People are more apt to click on posts that get to the point quick enough to catch their eye. Also, don’t be afraid to be bossy and include a call to action! Surveys have said that people are more likely to complete an action if given clear instructions on what to do. Ask your followers to like or comment on your posts. Research showed that posts, where viewers are asked to take a course of action, got 3 more likes, 3.3 more comments, and a whopping 7 times more shares. Another fun idea is to get followers to fill in the blank, answer questions, or participate in a poll or contest.

In the vast world of cyberspace, standing out in social media is a tough thing to do. Don’t give up on it just because Facebook makes it difficult. With billions of people using the site everyday, it's impossible for the social giant to display every post. This is why the algorithms exist and why the best content is what gets seen. Along with following the rules stated above, make each post count. Do your research first so that you know what posts best target your audience. Perhaps that means sharing a video versus adding a photo. Ask yourself what fits your message then tailor your post to that. While the occasional text-only post isn't going to hurt you, in order to #BeAwesome you need to add a link, image or video to ensure that more people get the benefit of seeing what you have to share! 

Be sure to Follow us and Let's Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

#AwesomeContent – Why Native Video Gets Higher Engagement on Social Media

In our last blog post, there was great detail about why live video is important and how it impacts engagement on social media. Live video is cream of the content crop but other videos are almost as impactful.

In a 2016 HubSpot survey, 43% of consumers wanted to see more video content.

Today, most of the major social media platforms have their own native video publishing options.  Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter… not to mention YouTube and Vimeo…are invested in video content.  This makes it simple to take a video from your smartphone or your desktop and upload it to these sites.

We’ve already talked about WHY you should be creating and sharing videos. Now we need to talk about native posting and why it’s important.

Native video is video that is uploaded to or created on social networks and played in-feed, as opposed to links to videos hosted on other sites. Native video formats are specific to each social platform and are designed to maximise video engagement (i.e. number of views), discovery and distribution.

-Wikipedia

Yes, being able to schedule your social media posts in advance is not only helpful, but often necessary to ensure that you remain consistent and relevant online. Unfortunately, this sort of scheduling is not encouraged by the major social platforms and their algorithms are set up to boost native content over scheduled posts.

Video takes time and effort to create and produce. You, absolutely, need to be getting the most return on your time.  Since video content promotes the most engagement – you want to expand your reach as much as possible with every post. Facebook and Twitter and Instagram want you playing in their sandbox as much as possible and will reward you with expanded reach and presence when you do so.

According to Adespresso, one case study found that there was a 135% increase in organic reach for native videos even compared to photos.

There are additional perks to taking the time to post videos natively – including better analytics and editing opportunities. However, the real push is that 135% more reach! This is no small number.

Take the time to really showcase and highlight your videos by posting them directly onto the platforms. It’s my mission in life to show you how to #BeAwesome with your social media and native video is exactly the technique to use. I will leave you with this nugget:

According to Facebook, by January of this year there were three billion video views on their platform everyday.

Be sure to Follow us and Let's Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars

#AwesomeEngagement - How to Engage Using Your Facebook Business Page

It’s no surprise that Facebook still holds the crown for most used social media app. The algorithm changes have made it challenging for businesses to gain any true organic reach on the platform. One of the ways to get more presence is to use the app as your business page, but this can be confusing for the average Facebook user. How do you develop #AwesomeEngagement with your readership and represent your business at the same time?

Who are you?

It starts with connection. They need to know who you are. Facebook tools are the best place to start. They make it easier than you think to connect.

Begin with the “about” section of your Facebook page. Your website link, hours of operation, etc. are imperative for business connections. If you have a brick and mortar shop and no hours of operation listed, a potential customer may keep scrolling by, and so does that potential sale. Fill out the short and long versions of the “about” section. Keep it to the point, but try to throw a little humor into the mix. Each social media platform is its own search engine, so capitalize on that by using keywords in this area.

Once you set up the “about” section, look to the link options. You have newsletters, sales, and several other sections you can fill out. This is the backbone of your Facebook generated leads. Before you start your awesome engagement, they need to have a way to follow up with a purchase or other call to action once they do reach your page.

Use your Facebook analytics to determine where your readers come from and when they are the most active on your page. Find the most active times, and make sure you’re there to connect.

Now, let’s move on to the content. Every social media app has their unique selling points geared towards their audience. Facebook gives you a chance to share, like (love, cry, or be angry, as well) posts, comment, and move on quickly to the next thing.

You want your content to be interesting. It needs to make them stop and pay attention. There are several ways to do that. There is no point in investing in an engagement strategy when you haven't given viewers something to engage with.

Using Facebook as Your Business Page

In May of 2016, Facebook changed the feature that allowed admins to swap easily and quickly between their personal and business pages. The Social Media Examiner goes into this change into more detail in this article. However, they didn't take the option away, merely changed the way it is used. Basically, you are now given drop down options so that you can like and comment on your pages as your company page instead of as yourself. This allows you to engage, and develop a public presence, as your company on the site. While you can engage with other people and pages as you... that doesn't always make an obvious connection with your work. Spending time regularly to connect with others as your company is a great a way to boost engagement for your Facebook page.

Sharing Content

Share what interests you and also what gets others interested. Facebook users will share things that make them feel good, angry, or that they can agree with on a humorous level. Whatever content you share, make sure it aligns with your brand in a way that won’t destroy a new potential client or customer’s trust in your company.

If you simply share links to articles without giving at least a one sentence summary of why you liked it, your audience will keep scrolling by. Your content needs to be engaging, eye-catching, and timely in order to gain audience participation.

The real key is to share the content of other Facebook pages that have a similar targeted audience as your own. Make sure to tag them as you share them. This is the foundation of influencer marketing. Putting your Facebook business page out there for people to see and check out takes an investment of time but is a free way to build your organic reach.

Talk to them!

You have comments on your Facebook page. While some may be spam, most of the engagement through comments belong to curious people and current (or past) customers and clients. If you find negative reviews here, don’t delete them! Engage with them. Don’t argue, or try to prove your point, as that will look like you are attacking them. Instead, thank them for their comment (if it was constructive), and then let them know how you can help. Do you want them to contact your customer service department? Or return the item? Or, better yet, can you help them right there? If so, that unhappy customer can turn into a raving fan of your company.

When a Facebook Page fan (a person who has liked your page) leaves a comment on one of your posts, their friends (and followers, whether it’s a personal or business account) will be more likely to see that post. Did you know that? Get your current fans engaged and you’ll build more connections.

Surveys and quizzes are great ways to get them to interact with you. You can set them up on the page or through a secondary service, but whatever you do, proofread everything before you release it.

Thank your audience often and with sincerity. People want to feel appreciated, and that’s hard in this high-paced mobile world. A simple thank you is enough to get people to slow down for just a minute. If you use images or video to do this, even better!

Create calls to action. Social Media Examiner had a wonderful roundup of the different types of calls to action:

CTA to encourage engagement—“Please take a moment to leave your comments or thoughts below.”

CTA to drive the reader to other content—“For an in-depth look, sign-up to download our white paper.”

CTA to increase signups or lead capture—“To get regular updates, sign up for our weekly newsletter.”

CTA to nurture leads—“Watch this video for a more in-depth look at how this product can help improve your business.”

CTA for sales—“To get immediate access to this training and all the bonuses, click here.”

Schedule your posts

Catch their eye

It was mentioned earlier, but it bears repeating. Images, emoji use in your posts, and video creation are amazing tools that catch the viewer’s attention. Remember that most users won’t go to your Facebook page until something catches their eye (even if they’re your fans). You need to post regularly, at peak hours, and use engaging images, quality videos, and solid emoji usage in posts to slow them down enough to click on your Facebook page link and see more. Tag other people and pages that will help build your reach. Make sure your are doing all of this as your business page!

Engaging with your audience is easier than you think. Don’t pitch yourself in every post, and at the same time, don’t ignore your chance to gain sales either. It’s a balance that comes from some quick analysis and a steady schedule. Build that bridge of trust with your current clients and customers and you’ll find more connection than ever before. While you can do this with your personal profile, building your brand will require that you spend time engaging as your business as well.

Be sure to Follow us and Let's Engage!

Hollie Clere of The Social Media Advisor is a “#BeAwesome” Developer, Social Media, Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+,YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.

Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars