We’re all too familiar with the slew of promo-based posts that run up and down our Facebook News Feeds from major brands and businesses (in addition to paid ads). In an attempt to provide a solution to the complaints and negative feedback Facebook has received, the social Megatron has decided to set into action a promotional content crack down.
What does this mean for Facebook and Facebook users? Starting January 1, 2015, Facebook is tweaking its algorithms to minimize the amount of promotional posts that show up in your News Feed.
What does this mean for your business’ Facebook marketing efforts? It’s time to get creative with how you market your products or services via posts. If you want/need to promote something unique, Facebook Advertising is the route to go.
Here’s what Facebook defines as “a promotional post”:
- Posts that hard sell a product or service
- Posts that promote contests or sweepstakes without supporting or “real” context
- Posts that recycle or mimic copy and content used in ads
This is why we have the 80/20 law: 80% of your content should relate to lifestyle and soft-selling, while 20% should be about the sale.
Our thoughts? Facebook seems to be using user complaints as a scapegoat to cover up their not-so-hidden desires of moving brands and businesses to advertise on their network in hopes of receiving any sort of interaction or engagement from their followers. If you’re wanting to promote your products or services through organic posts, tough luck! No one’s going to see them. Time to enlist Facebook Advertising and Ad Manager, put together a budget and a campaign, and advertise away.
Luckily, we A) saw this coming and B) know how to maximize your advertising efforts on Facebook… We do it for a living!
If you need guidance, reach out and we’ll gladly help. Email: info@counterintuity.com