In the past two weeks Facebook has announced two significant changes which will have a big impact on the way brands seek to increase their profile on the world’s largest social network.
The first change is specific to the creation of videos which will no longer be able to embed external links (such as to a website or product page). This ‘call to action’ has become a useful tool, with brands posting short videos which encourage viewers to visit their website for further information. Whilst website links can be included in the accompanying post, click through rates are typically much lower as they are less interactive.
The second change relates to the way Facebook ranks posts in the home feed. The social network has updated their algorithm which means that status updates from friends and family will be given a higher priority and more prominence than content from third party organisations. Facebook has said this is in response to ‘more professionals publishing content to Facebook more frequently’.
Both of these changes mean that brands and companies who do not post content that is engaging and encourages interaction are going to miss out. Amassing a large number of followers will no longer necessarily increase the number of people who view the content either. It now needs to be shared by other users to get greater prominence in the newsfeed.
It has never been more important to develop an engaging content plan for social media as in addition to the new changes, brands are already competing to be seen on over-crowded newsfeeds with 1.6 billion people accessing Facebook and sharing 4.75 billion pieces of content every day, with only an average attention span of eight seconds.
So, how can a PR and communications strategy ensure the right content is created and shared on social media to build followers and engagement?
- Know your audience and deliver the most relevant content
- Post interesting, helpful or entertaining content
- Share different types of media: photos, infographics, videos and vines
- Generate conversations and discussions
- Post content on a regular basis – but don’t go overboard!
- Monitor when followers are most active to determine the best time to post
For more information on how we can support your social media development get in touch with us on 01473 326400.
