By Joe Matthews
Facebook has become somewhat of a conundrum for marketers. At face value, the site is a marketer’s dream given the billions of users that religiously log on each day. But, Facebook’s engineers continue to change the site’s algorithms to alter what consumers see when scrolling through their news feeds. And these algorithms seemingly make it more difficult for marketers to reach the consumers they are so desperate to interact with.
The new algorithms favor user-generated posts and visual content because consumers prefer to interact with posts shared by their closest friends and are drawn to images and videos. Before these algorithm changes, many marketers relied on Facebook’s paid advertising to reach customers. But, due to the algorithm changes, sponsored posts will now reach fewer consumers.
Marketers need to make note of these changes and adjust their strategies accordingly. By encouraging users to share, posting more visual content and taking advantage of the tagging feature, marketers can deploy highly successful Facebook campaigns. Here are three ways marketers can use Facebook to reach more consumers:
1. Give consumers a reason to share
One of the most significant changes under Facebook’s new algorithms is the preference for user-generated content. Most of the content Facebook users now see is generated by the users they interact with most. Marketers may think this spells doom for their Facebook marketing strategies, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Rather than giving up on Facebook, marketers should simply change their strategies. Marketers can no longer rely on sponsored posts, but should encourage consumers to post and share branded content instead. This works well for two reasons. First, consumers generally trust their peers more than they do brands. Second, Facebook’s algorithm will ensure that user-generated branded posts will reach significantly more consumers.
But, it’s not always easy to motivate consumers to share branded content. Consumers are more likely to interact and share if they have a reason to. Motivate customers by creating genuine, informative content that isn’t overly promotional. Content that is clever, visual and timely is more likely to be consumed and shared. Marketers can also create hashtags or offer incentives to encourage consumers to post about their experiences with the brand.
2. Use more visual content
Facebook’s most recent layout and new algorithm also favor visual content. Images and videos are larger in news feeds and when multiple photos are uploaded, Facebook arranges them in visually appealing collages. Posts that contain visual content will show up in more news feeds and videos automatically play when a user scrolls past.
Facebook knows that photos and videos get more clicks, likes and shares, which is why they favor visual content. This works well for marketers interested in reaching more consumers on Facebook. Brands can reach more consumers by creating visual experiences, and these images or videos should be informative, genuine and branded.
Not only does Facebook favor visual content, but consumers are drawn to images and videos. They’re able to consume photos and videos more quickly and without much thought. And they’re more likely to share visual content too, which in turn reaches their network of thousands of other users.
3. Encourage tagging
Tags, which link user profiles to images, videos or other content, is another Facebook feature that marketers can use to expand their reach on the site. Given Facebook’s preference for user-generated content and images and videos, marketers can use tagging to take advantage of both.
When users are tagged in a Facebook post, their networks of hundreds of other users can also see that image or video. This means that by simply tagging a handful of consumers in a post, marketers can reach thousands of new consumers. However, Facebook prevents brands from tagging individuals, so the trick is to encourage consumers to tag themselves or their friends.
For example, a brand could post an image from a recent event and offer incentives for consumers who were present at the event to tag themselves or their friends. The more people tagged in a photo, the more opportunities for sharing and the longer the photo’s lifespan. Under Facebook’s new algorithms, more tags also means more impressions. When tagged, a single photo will get pushed to the top of a greater number of news feeds.
Facebook’s network of billions of consumers is untapped potential for marketers still relying on paid advertising. But, marketers shouldn’t give up on Facebook because of the site’s preference for traditional users. Marketers need to change their strategies to adhere to Facebook’s new algorithm by encouraging consumers to share branded content, posting more images or videos, and taking advantage of the tagging feature.
Joe Matthews is the co-founder and CEO of social advertising platform Tagkast.
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