A college Philosophy Professor once told me, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.” It seemed like a silly piece of advice at the time, but now I realize the deeper meaning of his advice. As I transitioned my career into the marketing field, I really started to notice the ‘free lunch’ aspect of many marketing campaigns. From giveaways to discounts, everyone seems to be offering something for free these days which left me wondering…are these things really free? Enter Facebook.

Every month, nearly 1.39 billion people from around the world log into Facebook without spending a penny. All it takes is an active e-mail address and password. Over the years, Facebook has reassured us that the popular Social Media outlet will remain free (for now). So, with that being said, did Facebook prove my professor wrong? Is it actually an example of a free lunch?! With changes to the algorithm, many business large and small believe Facebook is not really free anymore.

Facebook created the new changes with its users in mind. With all of the connections to friends, family and even businesses sharing content, Facebook did not want users to feel overwhelmed so it came up with a way to control what shows up on your News Feed. Facebook wants to provide you with timely content that is relevant to your interests in hopes that you will never delete or stop using your account…gasp!

For many businesses large and small, the new algorithm brings with it a hidden price tag found in the number of organic reaches. Organic reaches are the number of users who see a post without paying to boost it. There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the changes and businesses are scrambling to find new ways to promote their brands on Facebook. The decrease in organic reach is especially crippling to smaller businesses and non-profits who may not be able to incorporate Facebook into their monthly budgets. Many of these businesses are noticing a dramatic reduction of almost 50% in organic reach.

Before you pull out your credit card or delete your Facebook Business Page, here are some ways to help you maximize your posts.

• Use the Facebook Insight feature to see when people are most likely to engage in your content. Is it before work, during lunch or maybe even while laying in bed at night? Learn what time of day your followers are most likely to engage and post then! Hint: scheduled posts are a great way to stay on track.
• Get people to engage. Engagement increases your popularity. Review your post history and see what gets your followers clicking. Remember, as I talked about in a previous post, keep your posts visual and your text short to maximize your News Feed optimization. Use high-quality content to get people clicking without having to ask them.
• Stick to your roots. Review your mission statement and stay true to your message. Share information that is relevant to your brand even though it may be tempting to share a popular viral video. Give your followers posts that relate to the reason why they signed up for your page in the first place.
• Stay away from traditional marketing. Social Media marketing is a completely different ball game. It’s a two-way street and not a one-way announcement. Use Social Media to create authentic relationships that turn into loyal costumers. Interact with followers, respond to messages and provide costumer service.

Happy Facebooking!

Cool Kid in School

Facebook News Feed Optimization (NFO)

When it comes to your Facebook News Feed, popularity is the name of the game. Simply put, businesses have to find a way to make their content as popular as the high school homecoming queen to get more clicks, likes, comments and shares. Facebook uses a highly-researched (and often changing) algorithm to determine the order in which stories appear on your News Feed. Facebook takes note of all personal activity and uses that information to provide a customized News Feed known as the “Top Stories” Feed. Many people do not realize that Facebook defaults to the “Top Stories” Feed instead of the “Most Recent” Feed. So what does that mean? It’s simple. Just because you are posting content does not mean it appears at the top of everyone’s News Feed.

Before you panic, rest assured that there are a few easy ways to help your posts find their way to the top of the Feed.

Lead with a question. Questions encourage user engagement and engagement improves your popularity. Keep your questions at the beginning of your post so users can see it without having to click. Keep your questions short and stay away from questions that yield “yes” or “no” answers. Example: (WRONG) “Are you watching the big game this weekend?” (RIGHT) “What are your plans for the big game this weekend?”

Be visual. Use pictures and videos to get people clicking. Recent studies show that visual posts produce almost 50% more engagements than all-text posts. My general recommendation is to keep your all-text posts around 30 characters or less (around two sentences).

Post often. Businesses should be posting a minimum of four times a week. Few things are worse than having an inactive Facebook page. Be sure to include all useful information on your page including things like your phone number, address, business hours etc.

Provide relevant content. Be sure to provide followers with relevant information. Think about your target market.Who are they and why are they following your page? Give them useful content to keep them coming back for more. Provide external links to help increase your popularity.

Engage. Be an active part of your Facebook page. Log on daily and respond to comments, questions and concerns. People appreciate being heard. Facebook is a great way to build your company’s image and reputation. A quick response can go a long way.

Giveaway/Contest. What better way to create a buzz than a giveaway? Encourage users to like and share your content then reward them with a prize- just be sure to follow Facebook’s rules regarding promotions ( https://www.facebook.com/page_guidelines.php)

Happy Facebooking!