Using Facebook's 2018 Algorithm Change Affects Your Brand
Part 2: Using Facebook tactics and audience targeting to get your brand’s content in front of your core audience
In Part One, we walked through Facebook’s recent algorithm change, which has de-emphasized branded content in news feeds and prioritized meaningful person-to-person engagement.
Here, we dive into tactics and tools—free and paid—that brands can use to bolster their Facebook strategy, increase visibility and continue reaching the people who will become their next customers.
What Facebook Users Want
Facebook found that users who interact with content from close friends and family report feeling more positive afterward, as opposed to users engaging with “passive content”—videos or articles that don’t require much effort besides watching or reading.
This is the main principle behind the algorithm change. Facebook wants people to feel positive, rather than negative, after visiting the site. It’s important to note that a brand’s page can also be a positive—or negative—introduction to potential customers, as people often visit a businesses’ page to research before buying.
Both things in mind, it behooves a brand to focus on the users who have a sincere interest in engaging with them.
Get To Know Your Customer
Facebook is one tool leveraged in a full marketing strategy, so engaging there meaningfully starts with knowing your brand’s audience personas and best customers.
Considering their demographics, interests, behaviors and pain points, you can strategize the best ways to post and interact that will get them sharing, commenting and coming back.
> To spark conversation between users, post questions and content relevant to your products, services and community.
> To bridge the gap between your brick-and-mortar and your page, create and invite your fans to onsite events.
> Engage in comment conversations with your audience. Are they responding positively to what you broadcast on your page? What are they asking you?
> Be straightforward! Ask your customers: “What content do you most enjoy seeing from us?” “What are you seeking/expecting when you visit our page?” and “What can we post more about?”
The key is to stay focused on engagement. According to Facebook, “Pages making posts that people don’t react to or comment on could see the biggest decreases in distribution [as a result of this update]. Pages whose posts prompt conversations between friends will see less of an effect.”
Expand Meaningful Connections With Facebook Audience Selection
With a strong posting strategy and a deep understanding of your customer, Facebook’s audience selection features can be incredible advertising tools for reaching out to even more people who will love your brand.
Facebook offers many approaches to audience-building, all found right within the paid Ads Manager tool.
Build From Scratch: Core Audiences
Core Audiences let you take the qualities you know about your customers, such as age, location, interests and even the type of device they use to log into Facebook, and build an audience group from scratch. Advertisers are able to save these groups and reuse them with ease within Ads Manager.
Connect With Your Existing Customers: Custom Audiences
Custom Audiences allow you to reach and convert people already engaging with your business outside Facebook. One way to do this is to upload your brand’s email or contact list. Another way is to use your website traffic to create a remarketing audience, a feature that must be used in tandem with Facebook Pixel.
Expand Your Reach: Lookalike Audiences
Lookalike Audiences help you find people on Facebook who have characteristics similar to your current customers or contacts. Creating Lookalike Audiences of your current Facebook fans, or a Custom Audience of current customers, is a great place to start finding new business.
While audience targeting is a great way to build your reach outward, knowing what will start a conversation between your customers is always square one.
Get To Know Your Customer
Facebook is one tool leveraged in a full marketing strategy, so engaging there meaningfully starts with knowing your brand’s audience personas and best customers.
Considering their demographics, interests, behaviors and pain points, you can strategize the best ways to post and interact that will get them sharing, commenting and coming back.
> To spark conversation between users, post questions and content relevant to your products, services and community.
> To bridge the gap between your brick-and-mortar and your page, create and invite your fans to onsite events.
> Engage in comment conversations with your audience. Are they responding positively to what you broadcast on your page? What are they asking you?
> Be straightforward! Ask your customers: “What content do you most enjoy seeing from us?” “What are you seeking/expecting when you visit our page?” and “What can we post more about?”
The key is to stay focused on engagement. According to Facebook, “Pages making posts that people don’t react to or comment on could see the biggest decreases in distribution [as a result of this update]. Pages whose posts prompt conversations between friends will see less of an effect.”
Expand Meaningful Connections With Facebook Audience Selection
With a strong posting strategy and a deep understanding of your customer, Facebook’s audience selection features can be incredible advertising tools for reaching out to even more people who will love your brand.
Facebook offers many approaches to audience-building, all found right within the paid Ads Manager tool.
Build From Scratch: Core Audiences
Core Audiences let you take the qualities you know about your customers, such as age, location, interests and even the type of device they use to log into Facebook, and build an audience group from scratch. Advertisers are able to save these groups and reuse them with ease within Ads Manager.
Connect With Your Existing Customers: Custom Audiences
Custom Audiences allow you to reach and convert people already engaging with your business outside Facebook. One way to do this is to upload your brand’s email or contact list. Another way is to use your website traffic to create a remarketing audience, a feature that must be used in tandem with Facebook Pixel.
Expand Your Reach: Lookalike Audiences
Lookalike Audiences help you find people on Facebook who have characteristics similar to your current customers or contacts. Creating Lookalike Audiences of your current Facebook fans, or a Custom Audience of current customers, is a great place to start finding new business.
While audience targeting is a great way to build your reach outward, knowing what will start a conversation between your customers is always square one.
"Pages making posts that people don't react to or comment on could see the biggest decreases in distribution."