Facebook wants to be liked.
More to the point, the social media giant wants to give its users news feed content that engages and provokes “meaningful interaction.” What Facebook thinks less of — and therefore users are less likely to see — is content that’s passively or negatively received.
That’s what we, at Send It Rising — a leading Internet marketing company in Las Vegas — studied the new Facebook algorithm and how it affects messages sent by both Facebook friends and publishers (advertisers). It’s our business to stay abreast of constantly changing trends in digital communications and social media, so we bring you this latest news on Facebook strategy as it affects the content of publishers like you.
1. Greater Transparency
Facebook algorithms of the past have largely been much-discussed mysteries. Facebook kept its strategy under wraps so that spammy advertisers would have more of a challenging time gaming the system.
What does Facebook’s suppression policies mean for you?
But social media has taken hits over the last few years for the way “fake news” sites have been able to infiltrate news feeds. For this reason, the media giant seems to be making more effort to make their intentions known. They’re trying to maximize the value of the posts users see through a process that involves four factors.
2. The Four Factors of Influence
Here’s what will determine your likelihood of being able to break through and influence your targeted market.
Inventory — This is simply the content available at any one time from friends and publishers alike. Think of it as the huge number of posts waiting at the “starters’ gate” for possible entry to users’ news feeds.
Signals — This is the perceived value of the communication that comes from posters as measured by the response the content should get. This includes replies, shares, comments, likes, and other signs that the post is noticed and positively received. This is the factor that you have the most control over. It’s in your best interest to create content that will generate these positive signs of reception.
Predictions — This is Facebook taking an in-depth look at its users and how they react to the content they receive in their news feeds. Do they typically ignore or react negatively to content like yours, or do they respond with meaningful interactions?
Score — Here’s where the Facebook algorithm comes in by mathematically measuring those other factors — inventory, the signals your content gives out and their prediction of how your message will be received by the individual user — and scores it.
3. How to Optimize Your Visibility
This overall score of your posts will determine whether or not it gains visibility and positive reaction. This is true whether you’re a Facebook user yourself sending casual posts to your friends or a business trying to gain traction with Facebook consumers. Therefore, you must create content that can score high. Here are a few tips.
- Communicate with your audience, not to them. This is true whether your pitch is face-to-face, created in a traditional ad, or via social media. Regardless of venue, think about what your audience wants and needs to take in, not what you’re eager to tell them. It’s not about you or your products or services. It’s about benefits, not features.
- Take no integrity shortcuts. If your post looks spammy or like clickbait, the algorithm will know. Avoid telling your reader or viewer to like or share what you send their way. They’ll do both if you provide rich, honest content — and they’ll probably not even see your post if you haven’t.
- Measure, measure, measure. The only way you’ll know that you’re doing the right thing is to measure results. Check out Facebook Insights to see how your content is being received. Constantly tweak and test until you get it right.
Contact Us
You can depend on Send It Rising, your trusted Las Vegas Internet marketing company, to help you maximize the impact of your Facebook investment. Call us at(702) 263-0141 or drop us a line. Let’s work out an audience-winning strategy together.
Updated: June 9, 2020
