Since its founding in 2004, Facebook’s purpose and role as part of “internet culture” has continually evolved. What started as a seemingly innocent social media platform has become an instrumental platform for digital and social media marketers. However over the last two years, the marketing focus shifted away from organic reach and toward paid content.
Does it feel crowded in here? Why organic reach is dying.
As business Facebook pages became standard practice, the amount of content available to users on the platform increased exponentially. The more content that was available, the smaller a percentage of that content that Facebook users saw. Businesses continued to work harder than ever to find their audience with organic reach, and as they produced more content Facebook users were seeing fewer posts from their peers.
Finding a new algo-rhythm
As Facebook’s old algorithm continued struggling to balance the massive influx of business posts and posts from users’ friends, the company decided that the algorithm itself needed an update. This has stifled the prevalence of business page posts, favoring the posts of friends and family instead as Facebook strives to show their users the “best” content for them; if businesses want their posts to be considered one of these “best” posts, they are often forced to pay for the same levels of exposure previously achieved organically.
Between these two issues, businesses with Facebook pages have had to reevaluate their social media marketing strategies. Posting a plethora of random memes unrelated to their business will no longer garner the same audience as one well-written post that actively engages their audience and facilitates discussion.
Luckily, there are a few ways to minimize Facebook’s hindrance of organic reach. In particular, two that we recommend include boosting your content properly and creating high-quality content for your followers (and potential followers!).
Gimme a boost!
Boosting content goes far beyond just putting money behind your posts. Proper targeting is essential for a boosted post to effectively reach the right audience. You have to know exactly who your audience is: What’s their gender? How old are they? What are their interests? What’s their level of education? Do they have children? The answers to these questions help to ensure that your marketing dollars aren’t wasted.
“Wow, this is crazy!”
Our second tip, high-quality content, starts with the type of content itself: What does your audience prefer? High-resolution pictures? Simple educational videos? Links to articles relevant to their interest and your business? It’s important to post content that sparks meaningful conversation. With the current Facebook algorithm, authentic organic engagement leads to greater organic reach, which leads to greater organic engagement, etc.
While achieving decent organic reach and engagement has gotten more difficult, it certainly isn’t impossible. It’s important to maintain a balance between organic and paid content to maximize reach to current and future followers. With the right content strategy and proper targeting techniques, any business can properly reach its desired audience, pique their interest, and hold their attention.
Shameless Plug
If you want help crafting that ‘right strategy’ for your Facebook and other social media marketing, let’s get in touch.