Do not get freaked out over the fear mongering “Facebook for business is doomed” posts! Yes, Facebook is making more changes to the Facebook newsfeed algorithm. This will impact how content is prioritized in your news feed.
I recently hosted a Facebook in 2018 Webinar training that provides you exactly what you need to know about marketing your business on Facebook in 2018 plus the details of the latest announcement from Facebook.
Sign up for the webinar here -> Get a Grip on Facebook Marketing in 2018 – What You Need to Know!
This is the same trajectory Facebook has been on for years. More BIG newsfeed changes were announced recently from Mark Zuckerberg. Mark is changing the goal for his product team from “finding meaningful content to having meaningful social interactions.” He also adds “you'll see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media.” He also makes it clear we may see less video content. Yes, you read that right, less.
So why should you not fear this change? Because this is not any different than many of us have been trying to inform, educate and help business owners and social marketers understand for many years. Social media including Facebook is NOT a solution to your marketing woes. It is in fact a tool, a medium for you to leverage. It's not about “what can Facebook do for you.” Instead you need to have a mindset of “what can I do with the technology?” In this situation, the technology is Facebook.
In this blog post I will provide a quick recap of exactly what these changes mean to you and what they do not mean. Please register for the webinar for more details to help your business succeed on Facebook and other social networks in 2018.
What it DOES mean…
- Yes, Facebook is continuing to move to a pay to play world where you need to be providing massive value AND likely PAY for your content to be seen. Organic reach will be awarded only to the absolute best content that drives engagement and conversation. This is NOT new.
- Yes, Facebook is continuing to favor live video and video overall. However, Mark's announcement was clear that you may also see LESS of video in your newsfeed.
- Yes, Facebook is continuing to favor content that is engaging and focused on building community, conversation etc.
- Yes, it is up to you if you want your audience to follow you, listen, watch and take time out of their day to spend on your content.
- Yes, brands must continue to work smarter.
- Yes, brands must continue and/or learn how to tell brand stories that are not just about bragging about yourself but are focused on engaging your audience to learn and grow with you on your journey.
- Yes, brands must continue to provide real and meaningful value consistently.
- Yes, social currency on the web today = attention + action (you need BOTH!)
- Yes, Facebook is deleting abilities for people to game the system such as “do this word puzzle” or “share this post with all of your friends.”
- Yes, knowing your audience is absolutely key as it has always been.
- Yes, setting goals and objectives and being sure that you are focused on the top priorities for your audience and business are of most importance.
- Yes, marketing 101 is still key to your success.
- Yes, the free days of organic reach are declining to zero, sorry. This has been happening for years.
- Yes, there are many brands freaking out right now. If they have focused on only building their business on rented social media land such as Facebook, they are getting a big wakeup call right now.
- Yes, if you don't want to have a heart and provide real value to your audience, you are going to hate these changes.
- Yes, some brands must realize that people don't really want to engage with their brand to talk about their boring product. Their time and money may be better spent elsewhere. However, this isn't new.
- Yes, many brands are going to wish they had not put all their social media and marketing eggs in one basket of Facebook. They now will be forced to look again at email marketing, their blog, other social networks. The sad part is they should have been doing this from day one. Unfortunately many agencies, consultants and trainers also led them down the wrong path. Shame on them.
- Yes, you must get use to it… the free days are over. This does not mean Facebook is doomed. It means you must step up your game and learn how to do real marketing, branding, community building, advertising and the list goes on. Just as any medium evolves, Facebook evolves. Remember the days of open rates reaching almost 100%… they are dead and gone. Smart marketers know how to get you to open their email, right? Facebook is no different.
- Yes, crying and throwing a fit about these changes is not going to help you. You must pick up the pieces and develop a strategy and plan that will get you in a better place if you are in fact being negatively impacted by these changes.
Time to work smart, my friends. You can do it!
I have said from day one of hopping on Facebook and the other social networks… social media is about the people and building relationships. It always has been, always will be. The more you make your communication and focus on the social networks about your audience, the more successful you will be.
That is why our tagline is inspire, connect, achieve. Inspire your audiences to connect with you with a goal of helping them achieve their objective. When they achieve their objective you achieve yours by default as they are one and the same.
What it DOES NOT mean…
- No Facebook for business is not doomed for every business.
- No Facebook is not trying to kill your business on Facebook or make businesses leave the platform.
- No Facebook is not out to kill small business or big business on Facebook. Facebook is focused on the consumer experience and yes Mark and the Facebook team knows brands will pay for advertising.
Mark ends his post with these words… “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. But I also expect the time you do spend on Facebook will be more valuable. And if we do the right thing, I believe that will be good for our community and our business over the long term too.
At its best, Facebook has always been about personal connections. By focusing on bringing people closer together — whether it's with family and friends, or around important moments in the world — we can help make sure that Facebook is time well spent.”
I'm hosting a free webinar “Get a Grip on Facebook Marketing in 2018” on Thursday, January 18th at 2pm et to help you Get a Grip on Your Facebook Marketing in 2018!
Grab your seat to the “Get a Grip on Your Facebook Marketing in 2018 Webinar!”
Here is what you will learn:
- The changes recently announced by Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg
- What do the changes mean to your business?
- How to succeed with Facebook marketing in 2018?
- How to choose the right content formats?
- How to build a thriving community?
- How to get started in building an integrated social and digital platform that generates more leads, sales and brand awareness?
- Why you must stop building your business on rented land and the steps you need to take to mitigate risk and build a sustainable business
- How to change your mindset from “what can Facebook do for me” to “how can I leverage Facebook to grow my business and achieve my goals?”
- The role your personal brand plays in Facebook Marketing for Business in 2018
and more…
Register for the free training webinar here->> “Get a Grip on Your Facebook Marketing in 2018 Webinar!”
- Date/ Time: On-Demand – Instant Access (NOW)
- Duration: 60-90 minutes
- Location: webinar – sign up here
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Social Profit Factor can help you ignite your online tribe and grow your business with social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter. 2018 is where those who have simply been “hustling” to get by realize they must hustle and work smarter. Before you even think about posting that video on Facebook you must know who you are, what your audience needs from you and how your efforts are going to deliver value for your audience and your business.
You need a structured plan to be successful using social media. Social Profit Factor will help you develop your plan with goals, objectives and priorities within 30-60 days!
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Need help honing in your Facebook marketing strategy or launching a new product or service? Want to leverage social media, digital marketing and branding to grow your business? Our agency, Marketing Nutz can help you build, launch and optimize an influencer marketing program that will help you achieve your goals. Give us a shout and let's get to work!
Additional Resources:
- Facebook Marketing in 2018: Trends + How to Conduct a 10-Point Checklist (Webinar)
- Social Profit Factor Training System + Member Community
- 2018 Content Marketing Trends, Best Practices + Editorial Calendar Template
- Your CEO Hired a New Social Media or Digital Agency? Here's How to Partner with them and NOT get Fired!
- How to Hire and Partner with Your Social Media Agency for Maximum Success
- Influencer Marketing 2018 Training Webinar (free!)
- What is Influencer Marketing? The What, How and Why for Business
- Social Media Audience Analysis Worksheet
- 2018 Content Marketing Editorial Calendar Template
