How to Fight Facebook Algorithms For Business Pages

I rarely write non-evergreen content, however, the latest algorithm change (Aug 2016) compelled me to hit the keyboard and help as many people as I can to gain more exposure in for their Facebook page by manipulating this new algorithm.

What is the new change?

In short, Facebook wants to be the news hub of the world. The place that you go to to find out what is going on in the world. There is a shift as people are now looking on Facebook to find out about the latest terrorist attack, or what is happening at the Olympics rather than tuning into the News at Ten. The new algorithm change (launched on Thursday last week) is giving weight to more newsworthy and informative posts. As a user, you will start seeing more “informative” posts in your newsfeed.

What does that mean for YOUR business?

If you are a business owner, then please consider posting more informative and newsworthy content to your page as this type of content is now being pushed out to audiences. It’s as simple as that. Please still post your “beans on toast”, as Facebook will always be about the people, but consider this new strategy if you want to keep ahead of your competitors.

Four ideas to help you manipulate the algorithm

#1 — Trendjacking Technique

If you see a news item that is trending on Facebook (or Twitter) that has some affinity with your audience then sharing this, along with a comment or an opinion, will gain additional exposure for your business.

To find out what is trending on Facebook, click home > right-hand side see trending > click see more

To find out what is trending on Twitter, go to home >left-hand side > trending (note, you can change the trending to local trending results, which may suit local businesses).

#2 — Focus on Posting Industry News

There are numerous ways to find out the latest news within your industry.

a) Check Buzzsumo for the most popular articles.

b) Google news. But always refine your search to the last 24 hours to get the very latest information. Step 1 > type your topic/industry. Step 2 > click news. Step 3 > click search tools. > Step 4 > click recent. From here filter to 24 hours, and the latest articles within your industry will appear below.

#3 — Try How To Style Videos and Live Streaming

We are all aware of the battle between Facebook and YouTube, and in my opinion, YouTube are still winning the game when it comes to “how to” do something style videos. If I need to learn something new about software or educate myself about a topic, then the first place I go to is YouTube, I would not search Facebook for the solution. Facebook are on a mission to change this. They have already won the battle of “silly cat videos”, now it’s time to get serious.

If you want your posts to have more visibility in the newsfeed then create more “how to” style videos and abide by these tips:-

• Upload the videos direct to Facebook, DO NOT post your YouTube link (Facebook rarely show YouTube links nowadays).
• If you have the capability, then add text over your videos (a bit like subtitles). Most people tend to watch videos in silence without clicking on them. I have been doing this for the last month and my videos are certainly getting more exposure with text on them.
• Apps such as Legend and Quik work really well and allow you to add text to your videos.

If you are live streaming then try and make sure that you have a catchy title, and aim for a minimum of five minutes duration. Anything less than this, you should really just record a video and upload it.

Here is an example of one of my videos that I uploaded last week, with text (so you can follow along without listening to me waffling on!).

https://www.facebook.com/GreenUmbrellaBiz/videos/10153849934846235/

#4 — Upload your informative blogs / articles to Facebook Notes

It is no secret that Facebook want to keep people engaged on their own platform, they do not really want to drive traffic to another website. If you are blogging, then I would highly recommend adding your blogs to Facebook notes as a full article. Please DO NOT upload this immediately, you ideally want to wait at least three days after you have posted it onto you website or blog as you want Google to index the article on YOUR website first, NOT Facebook.

A few days after you have published it on your own site, go to Facebook and click > notes (on the left-hand side) > on the top right-hand corner you will see “add a note”. (Check out the Green Umbrella notes here)

For best results, ensure that you add an image that is the right size. A note’s recommended cover photo dimensions are 1200 pixels (width) by 445 pixels (height). If you upload a smaller photo, it’ll stretch to this size and appear blurry.

Is it time to pay on Facebook?

In all honesty, I now feel that the time has come to put your hand in your pocket and pay to play if you want to make Facebook work for your business.

Everyone says how cheap Facebook advertising is, but if you are a small business owner then £5 a day soon adds up. That’s £150 a month, and how many micro or nano business owners can afford this. If you do have a small budget, then I would recommend spending £14 to boost the posts that you know are working well for you. Please DO NOT just click “boost” though. Take the time to define your target audience. If you are paying £14 then you want that money to be spent feeding the right people with your awesome content.

Good luck!

Originally published at www.green-umbrella.biz on August 16, 2016.