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Recently, Facebook released its latest algorithm changes that will emphasize Family and Friends updates, while promoting user shared content over brand shared content. Instead of rehashing the updates, check them out here if you’re interested.
After escaping the office for the holiday weekend, I came up with some ideas for dealing with the latest changes and crushing your Facebook marketing for Q3 and beyond:
1. Traditional Facebook Page
Create shareable, buzz-worthy content. This is important! You want your audience to seek out your content and share it since a personal share will be much more likely to show up in a newsfeed than brand-shared content (an article shared by a friend versus an article shared by a business page). You can also sponsor or boost your posts to reach more people, but if your content isn’t being shared by those people, then it won’t get you far. Above all, entertain and inform – higher quality postings will always be cheaper to sponsor and be shown to more people than low-quality, low-engagement postings.
ACTION ITEM: Try investing in high quality and buzz-worthy videos. Share your best stories in a way that creates an emotional connection to your audience and builds your brand.
2. Offline and Other Online Media
Make it easy for people to share and amplify your content on Facebook. For example, put a QR code with a built-in Facebook posting link at your location, on an event registration flyer, or other offline promo. Encouraging people to share your content or event will get it seen in the Facebook newsfeed.
ACTION ITEM: If you haven’t already, now is the time to build shareable content on your website, and add social sharing buttons to make it easy for visitors, and encourage them to share great content.
3. Staff Engagement Strategies
If your staff haven’t been sharing your stories, now is the time to get them involved. If they aren’t interested in sharing, dive into the “WHY”. This could be the very thing that is holding you back from better engagement within your Facebook page itself. Maybe your content needs a step up?
ACTION ITEM: Set up a simple staff engagement strategy and set a regular time to remind them (weekly staff meeting?). Emphasize the importance and simplicity of sharing. Provide training if necessary.
4. Facebook Groups
Use a Facebook group to build your community. Create conversations and topics, host live Q&A sessions, while also allowing postings and natural dialogue between members. Use your group to send information and educate members, but keep it non-promotional (or extremely limited promotion). Use your group to build your brand.
ACTION ITEM: Set up a Facebook group and invite your Facebook page community to join. Create graphics and set up weekly conversations to keep your group engaged with each other. Be active and present in the group to facilitate communication and answer questions.
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Ultimately, to be successful in Social Media you have to spend time with your community, create purposeful and interesting content, add value, and ENGAGE.
For more information about how we can help you build a Social Media strategy that will get results for your organization, please contact us.
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