Even MORE Facebook Changes!
We have discussed several of the changes that Facebook has made as it migrated from the Edgerank Algorithm to the Newsfeed Algorithm. Did you miss it? Catch up here. As with all new software releases, the original was only a starting place, and the updates have continued. Here’s what you need to know to keep your page in the Newsfeed of your target audience.
Live Video
Did you know that users spend three times longer watching a live video on Facebook than they do on a previously recorded and uploaded one? With that statistic in mind, Facebook now prioritizes Live Video in User’s feeds. So, it’s time to take a live tour of your bakery, meet some of your employees or start caroling through your hallways as you try to reach more of your audience!
While monitoring the changes to the Newsfeed that came with increased Dwell Time, Facebook has found a way to discern what you are actually Interested in. Or at least, what they think Users are interested in! Here are the criteria for judging if a post is Interesting to the User:
- User’s Interest in the post’s creator, as judged by previous Engagement
- The post’s performance among other users
- Past content performance of the creator
- Type of post the user prefers
- How recently the post was created
So what exactly does that mean? Very simply put:
- Does the user like the creator?
- Do other people like the post?
- Do other people like the creator?
- Does the user like this kind of post (ie photo vs video)?
- How bad is the Time Decay?
As a creator, much of this information is available to you in your Insights. You can start to discover what type of content to post and how frequently, in order to make your posts more interesting to Facebook and therefore appear in your audience’s feeds.
Core Values
Facebook has also determined a set of Core Values based on User polls. Based on these Core Values, posts are now presented in a different order. First, any user will see posts from their friends and family. Then posts that “inform” the user, followed by posts that “entertain” the user. Finally, posts that have “authentic communication” will be chosen for display. Both informative posts and entertainment posts are user subjective as well. Where one user may find a link to an article about current events informative, another user may prefer recipes and crafting directions. Entertainment refers to the latest celebrity gossip or a silly cat montage. The trick here is to find content for both of these values based on your target audience.
Once again, the main thrust of these adjustments is QUALITY CONTENT. With the crackdown on Click-Baiting and the ban on fake news sites advertising, Facebook is making one thing very clear. Legitimate businesses that offer products and services of value to the audience are welcome to the party, but anyone attempting to trick or defraud them will be banned. Choose quality content and you shall be rewarded.