Expanding your Facebook Reach – Understanding Facebook’s New Algorithm

In January 2018, Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Facebook, announced that the popular social media site would be changing the algorithm used to determine what users see on their feed. Zuckerberg said that  “posts from businesses, brands and media – is(are) crowding out the personal moments that lead us to connect more with each other.” To address this problem, Zuckerberg changed his teams goals from “focusing on helping you find relevant content to helping you have more meaningful social interactions.” In other words, Facebook wants you to see more posts from your friends and family and less from businesses. Your company page, subsequently, won’t garner the same type of organic reach that it had previously. That’s why we have listed 3 of our top practices to expand your reach on Facebook.

Facebook’s new algorithm prioritizes posts with a lot of user engagement. While it may seem obvious to post relevant information, we want to emphasize how important it is to expanding your reach on this platform. It’s also equally important to refrain from “engagement-bait” posts. What we mean is to refrain from posts that prompt people to like and share. Posts like “Pizza should be considered our national food. Like and Share if you agree.” These types of posts are looked down upon by Facebook and their algorithm is smart enough to demote them. Instead, create fun polls to gather opinions and spark conversations organically with your posts.

Social media platforms are a great way to engage with your current consumers and reach out to new ones. Before, when a consumer “liked’ your page, they would see your company posts on their feed when they were published. Unfortunately for businesses, the new algorithm and the changes that have over the last few years have halted the reach of individual posts. Just because someone follows your page doesn’t always mean they will see your posts. One way to try and counterbalance this is to ask your followers to change their following preference from “Default” to “See first,” allowing your loyal consumers to see your posts when they are published.

Facebook’s new algorithm is about engaging with the people. Whether you’re working with another business or influencer, be sure to tag them whenever it’s applicable. When they “Like” or “Share” that post it will beseen by their followers spreading your reach. Similarly, tag your location in posts as often as possible.

Facebook is constantly evolving its algorithms, and while these changes made headlines, this won’t be the last time they make an update. If your company is active on any social media site, we always recommend that you stay up to date with what is happening on the platform. What works today might not be as efficient next year.

Let us know if you’re looking for ways to grow your social media following or better engage with your current followers. We would love to help you increase your social presence.