Major Facebook News Feed update: how will this impact marketers?
January 16, 2018
The Facebook algorithm is going to change to prioritise and show more posts from friends and family (i.e., people in your network) and less from businesses, brands, and other public pages – but these will not be entirely removed.
The algorithms will now prioritise posts that are likely to generate person-to-person (people within your network) interactions rather than person-to-Page.
The algorithm will prioritise posts that spark conversations and meaningful interactions between people.
Adam Mosseri, Head of News Feed at Facebook says, ‘To do this, we will predict which posts you might want to interact with your friends about, and show these posts higher in feed.
These are posts that inspire back-and-forth discussion in the comments and posts that you might want to share and react to – whether that’s a post from a friend seeking advice, a friend asking for recommendations for a trip, or a news article or video prompting lots of discussion.’
Facebook says the move will not affect advertisements – users will continue to see the same ads as before. However, ads are likely to get more expensive as brands move away from organic content to paid in order to reach their audiences.
Why have Facebook made this change?
Facebook are trying to encourage ‘more meaningful interactions’ rather than ‘passive usage’ of Facebook (i.e., scrolling, not interacting, or ‘surface interactions’ such as likes and shares) which research has shown can contribute to feelings of depression and isolation. Whereas connecting with people we care about by commenting and engaging in ongoing discussion on social media promotes wellbeing.
And the company has long displayed concern over the decline in “organic sharing” – users posting content about their own lives, rather than simply sharing links to the wider web or professionally produced videos and photos. Users are more likely to share details about their own lives if they see others doing the same, and so promoting organic content begets more organic content.
How will it affect marketers and brands?
It is likely that organic reach, organic video watch time and organic referral traffic will decrease.
Mark Zuckerberg – ‘Now, I want to be clear: by making these changes, I expect the time people spend on Facebook and some measures of engagement will go down.’. Pages making posts that people generally don’t react to or comment on could see the biggest decreases in distribution. Pages whose posts prompt conversations between friends will see less of an effect.
People who want to see more posts from Pages they follow can choose See First in News Feed Preferences to make sure they always see posts from their favourite Pages.
What are our recommendations for marketers?
- Become even smarter with social media advertising: apply accurate segmentation techniques. Drive better results by matching ad creatives with audience insights. Paid posts will have to be: engaging, original and make people feel good – as well as encouraging interactions.
- Make better use of Facebook Groups to help increase engagement. Dedicate more time to responding to comments and to engaging in Groups.
- Make better use of Facebook Live. Live videos tend to generate more comments and interaction because people can do so in real time. Live videos often lead to discussion among viewers on Facebook – in fact, live videos on average get six times as many interactions as regular videos. Learn how to take advantage of Facebook Live by reading our blog.
- Continue to encourage meaningful interactions and conversations – getting people to engage by commenting and starting back-and-forth discussions within the community and wider network – i.e., getting the audience to invite their friends and family to comment and discuss it.
- Avoid using “engagement-bait” (goading people into commenting on or reacting to posts) as it is not a meaningful interaction and Facebook will continue to demote these posts in the News Feed.
Top 3 Social Media Trends for 2018
January 4, 2018
Top 3 Social Media Trends for 2018
With such a fast-paced industry, it is always good for marketers to be on top of the social trends for the coming year. Here are 3 social media trends we predict will be most impactful in 2018, alongside some top tips for marketers:
The rise of video
Mark Zuckerberg forecast that in 2018, a whopping 90% of Facebook’s content will be video-based. Facebook Live is on course to further develop this year and Facebook will also be introducing its new offering: Watch. Watch is a new platform to broadcast live or recorded shows which consist of a series of episodes and follow a storytelling theme. These will have a high degree of personalisation and allow viewers to connect with the viewing habits of members within their social network. For example, people can see ‘what friends are watching’ and see their reactions and comments in real-time. We predict a rise in video hangout platforms in 2018, such as Houseparty, focused on allowing friends to hang out digitally.
agency:2 Top Tip: Brands and digital marketers should ensure that in 2018 they are maximising their use of trending video platforms, such as Instagram Stories and Facebook Live, to boost their engagement and reach. Marketers should adopt a mobile first strategy based on users’ viewing habits and closely monitor how the latest innovations, such as 360 videos and augmented reality, can help take video to the next level.
Increased use of chatbots and messaging apps
Currently over 2.5 billion people use messaging platforms globally and this technology is fast evolving. In 2018 we predict increased brand participation in messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp, WeChat and Messenger, and utilising chatbots to interact with fans with a higher degree of personalisation. Gartner has forecast that in 2018 30% of our ‘conversations’ will be assisted by smart machines. These forms of ‘conversations’ are the preferred form of communication for Generation Z, who more than ever, have increased purchasing power.
agency:2 Top Tip: It’s important for brands to build up a persona around chatbots that stays true to the company’s values and ethos. New tech should always be carefully tested by a diverse range of audience groups for ease of use before implementation.
The Importance of Ephemeral Content
With the rise of Instagram Stories and Snapchat, time sensitive ephemeral content is becoming increasingly important for brands, as well as individuals. These fleeting pieces of content, typically lasting just 24 hours, are often the best way to reach Millennials and Generation Z, as they can be less formal and more authentic. They are effective for communicating short-term offers, or for storytelling during live events.
agency:2 Top Tip: It’s vital that brands build ephemeral content into their social media strategies for 2018 and realise that this type of short-live content can be less polished and more informal than permanent content, which is part of the appeal. Connecting this content with a brand’s influencer strategy can work effective for a time-sensitive platform takeover.
2018 is set to be an exciting year for social media.
