Today, Facebook announced they are giving users even more control of what they see in their news feeds. These new controls allow users to actively shape and improve their own Facebook experience. For marketers this could be good or bad. Here’s what has changed and what it’ll mean to you as a marketer.
What’s Changed
The new feed preferences allow users to select which friends and Pages they see first, so they’ll never miss an important update from those they care about the most. Users can also find new Pages to follow based on the types of Pages they’ve liked in the past, so they can get more of the stories they want to see.
The update also makes it easier to see which people, Pages, and groups you’ve seen recently and unfollow any that you don’t wish to see updates from. In addition, users can also see those they’ve unfollowed in the past and choose to re-follow them.
These changes make it easier than ever for Facebook users to get what they want in their news feeds. While it’s great for users, it could be bad for marketers if they aren’t ready for it.
What Does It Mean For Marketers
This change to the news feed makes it easier for your biggest fans to surface your updates and make sure they see what you have to share. That means increased reach and likely engagement too as those that love you see your posts surfaced above from the rest.
While that’s awesome news for those that are promoting great content that their users really, truly want to see, it also means that your followers can now shut your messages out even easier than ever. If you aren’t posting what they want to see (hint: it’s not your crappy self-serving marketing-heavy message) then you can expect to see even less people seeing your posts. For those that still haven’t realized that the reason their organic reach has fallen so far isn’t because Facebook is greedy but because they aren’t posting stuff that people actually want to see, this will mean even more dismal results.
So how do you keep your followers from unfollowing and instead get them to prioritize your updates? Post stuff that really resonates with them! Post stuff they actually want to see. If you wouldn’t want to see it if you didn’t work for your company, why would they want to see it? Give them what they want to see and make yourself stand out. Make your channel a Page people will want to see every update from and you could greatly increase your reach and success.
Feeds They Are A-Changin’
Facebook continues to make changes to improve their news feed. They’ve spent a lot of time finding out exactly what users want to see. For marketers it’s often difficult to see these changes as positive moves, but we must remember that people don’t go to Facebook just to see your marketing messages. They go there to see what is happening with their friends, pictures of family, and maybe a couple cat memes. We marketers are just allowed to occasionally pedal our wares there too.
Now more than ever, the quality of the things you share on Facebook is paramount. If you’re still not seeing great results from organic, it’s time to figure out what your followers really want to see. If you’re rocking it already, take things up a notch and make sure your followers can’t live without your updates. Knowing how Facebook users control their feeds will continue to give marketers the best chance for social success.
Image Credit: Facebook
