On January 11th Facebook announced that it would be changing its news feed algorithm to prioritize content that originates from the user’s friends, family and groups.

“As we roll this out,” Zuckerberg wrote, “You’ll see less public content like posts from businesses, brands, and media. And the public content you see more will be held to the same standard—it should encourage meaningful interactions between people.”

As these changes begin to roll out, businesses will likely see a decrease in their organic reach. That means your news feed may start showing more photos of your friend’s dinner plate, and fewer posts form brands.

How to reach customers on Facebook

We have yet to see exactly what the impact of the new changes will be to Facebook’s news feed. However, there are ways for businesses to help maximize their reach through “meaningful interactions.”

Post engaging, quality content that prompts comments. According to Mark Zuckerberg, “meaningful interaction” means comments. In fact, engagement is all about comments.

“Pages making posts that people generally don’t react to or comment on could see the biggest decreases in distribution. Pages whose posts prompt conversations between friends will see less of an effect.” Wrote Zuckerberg.

Continue posting engaging, quality content that prompts comments

Create quality content that focuses on creating conversations among users. Include questions in your posts, or write about timely and relevant topics that users can contribute to.
Users will be more likely to see your brand’s Facebook posts if the user’s friends and family are commenting on it.

Encourage customers to follow your Facebook Page

Businesses shouldn’t be shy about asking people to follow their page on Facebook. They could even remind people to use the “See First” option.

Facebook Live Videos

In his announcement, Zuckerberg writes “live videos often lead to discussion among viewers on Facebook—in fact, live videos on average get six times as many interactions as regular videos.” So, videos, and especially live videos, are still favored under the new algorithm.

Increase your ad budget

Facebook is reprioritizing content from brands, therefore businesses may want to target the right audiences through Facebook ads, to ensure their message is seen.

Experia Creative helps businesses with both organic and paid social media campaigns. From content creation to interacting with other users, Experia Creative can help influence what your brand stands for in your customers hearts and minds.