It is not the end of the world. We as digital marketers experience platform updates frequently, so there is no need to fret. The new update simply does not let lazy content sift their way into Facebook Newsfeeds anymore. A way of cleaning up the user experience, the new algorithm will prioritize news and current events, social connections, and higher engaging posts over memes and non-engaging posts.
Many have reported that their organic audiences have fallen between 63% – 89%, but many fail to realize that this was Facebook’s goal all along:
- To prioritize content as the main vehicle for engagement across their platform, and
- Ensure that there were paid opportunities within Facebook
Essentially Pay To Play, Facebook’s goal was never to be a free platform for brands to market to their fans. Rather, it was supposed to be an intelligent platform for users to get the content that THEY wanted.
So yes, your numbers are absolutely failing right now, but they should give you a more realistic view of who is actually seeing your content. Your Facebook posts reached significantly fewer Newsfeeds, because it was only relevant to users that the algorithm thought it would appeal to. It’s the Quality Over Quantity argument at work here. Instead of reaching the audience in droves, you are now engaging with fans that actually care. So your investment brings in a more rich and active group of users, instead of thousands of people who wouldn’t dare to click on your content.
Your engagement rates haven’t been affected by the new update, correct? Thought so.
This is Part 1 of a 2 part blog: The New Facebook Algorithm.
Stay tuned for the next half as we discuss ways to attack social media this upcoming year and making the most out of the new algorithm change in 2014.