We’ve recently been meeting with our clients for 2015 planning, and the same question keeps coming up, “What’s happening on Facebook, it’s changed. I don’t see our company posts in the news feed anymore.” This is true. Facebook recently changed the way news feeds work, and it’s become a real problem for companies accustomed to sending out free posts to those who “liked” their page. We’re sure you have noticed that you don’t see posts from your “liked” pages as often. It’s as if Facebook decided,

We know what you REALLY like, not those brand pages where you took the time to click ‘like.’ Want to see the latest deals from your favorite brands? Nah, we know what you want.” – Facebook

OK, that puppy really is cute, but that’s beside the point.

1. Promote your posts through Facebook

We recommend promoting select posts as a part of your regular facebook strategy to attract new fans and help engage existing fans. There are several ways to do this. It can be blasted, or highly targeted, depending on what you are trying to achieve. One word of caution: this can add up fast, and over promoting your posts (or poor targeting) can be more of an annoyance.  See this example from someone who doesn’t appreciate getting targeted as an “old guy.”

 

 

2. Ask your fans to activate “notifications”

This option is something you may want to activate for pages you like as well. The good news is, you will get a notification every time that page posts something. The bad news is, you will get a notification every time the page posts something. Can that little red number on the notification globe get to triple digits? Also, as a marketer, you can’t be sure how many of your fans will take this extra step. So you wouldn’t want to rely on it.

3. Communicate with your fans through alternative channels, such as YOUR OWN WEBSITE!

There are plenty of other social media platforms, and each one has a unique way to reach your audience, some that will be more appropriate for your brand’s voice than others. One platform that can always be the best to share your stories is YOUR OWN WEBSITE! Google and other content publishing firms have made it much easier to promote your own content, on your own site or microsite. So no, you won’t be interrupting a finger scroll through puppy images and vacation pics with your marketing messaging.    Instead, you can publish articles about topics your target consumer finds valuable, and they will find you when they are out Googling for information. When are you more likely to listen to someone’s advice on what you should buy? When they interrupt your conversation with some random throught that doesn’t event fit into what you were doing? Or when you go up to them and ask?

To get back to Facebook; you definitely should address this news feed issue, and map out a solution that works best for your brand’s voice, your budget, and your time. Some have asked “should we leave Facebook?” We don’t recommend leaving Facebook, you should have a presence there. But the priority and center of your universe should definitely be your website. Self publish your content marketing — more on that topic another day.